A safe compartment
3
At first glance, this seems like an ordinary pair of boxers. However, his sister had sown in a little compartment with a zipper underneath the pouch. These boxershorts proved incredibly useful during his journey. He saved his most precious belongings in it: money and a little plastic bag with letters from his nieces. Indeed, Ayoub tells us that this was his wallet, and although it became a regular piece of clothing, it shows that the danger of being robbed was equally part of Ayoub’s daily life. He was often dependent on others, guides or smugglers, who brought him and other refugees across country borders.
One of the hardest moments for Ayoub, one of many, was crossing from Iran to Turkey. For four days he walked through the mountains with a guide and a group of others, burning under a 45 C degree sun and lacking food and water. Amongst them were families with children as well. Under the assumption that they would only have to travel for a couple of hours, Ayoub gave his water to one of the families. What followed were four troublesome days without water, which exhausted Ayoub both physically and emotionally: “I was so tired. I secretly hoped that I would just be arrested by the police and would be sent back to Afghanistan.” They eventually reached an old village in Turkey, where they were taken in by very friendly people.
The boat trip from Turkey to Greece was hard as well, even though Ayoub had actually been lucky. Before entering the boat – a little inflatable raft that would carry across 35 people – he had to give up all of his possessions, so he left his clothing and shoes behind. “If you didn’t do that, they would put a pistol to your head. The things you left behind were snatched away by thieves in front of your eyes.” Ayoub considers himself blessed that nobody searched through his underwear, which could have happened just as easily. He would not have been able to keep the letters from his nieces. The world of human trafficking is a bitter one; only by luck will you occasionally meet people who act out of genuine philanthropy.