The evening in the green valley was so quiet that I could hear the sound of the water in the river and the wind playing with the leaves of the tall trees and it felt like a dream that I didnt want to wake up from. We all gathered around a big fire near the center of our new camp and for the first time in many years we were not afraid of being seen by enemies or covered by the dust of the ruins. My brother sat next to me and he was looking at the map we made but his face was very relaxed and he didnt have that worried look that he always had when we were living in the broken city. We had a simple dinner together but it tasted like the best meal in the world because we were eating it in a place that smelled like flowers and fresh earth instead of smoke and ancient dust. Omar was telling stories to the children about the old world and they were listening with wide eyes because now they can actually see trees and grass just like in the stories.
I took out my notebook and I started to write down our plans for tomorrow because we have a lot of work to do to make this place a real home for everyone. My brother said that tomorrow the men will start cutting wood from the fallen trees to build the first houses and they want to make them strong and warm before the cold weather comes. We also need to start digging the ground to plant the seeds we found in the truck because we want to see green things growing from the earth again and not just the grey bushes of the wasteland. Everyone was sharing their ideas and some women wanted to make a small school for the kids and others wanted to build a place for the sick people to rest and be healed by the clean air. It was a beautiful feeling to be part of a group that is building something new instead of just trying to survive another day in the dark.
I looked at the stars and they were so bright and clear because there was no smoke or dust to hide them and I felt like they were watching over us in our new home. I wrote a long poem in my notebook about the river and how it never stops moving just like our hope and I felt that my words are finally finding a peaceful place to stay. My brother told me that he wants me to be the teacher for the children and to tell them the history of our journey so they never forget where they came from and how hard we fought to find this valley. I felt a big responsibility in my heart but I also felt very happy because I love sharing our stories and making people believe in the future. We all went to our tents late at night and the sound of the river was like a song that was telling us that everything is going to be okay and that we are finally home.