Between the Two Rivers: A Story of the Armenian Genocide

by Aida Kouyoumjian

  “Pardon me, please, ladies and gentlemen,” Mardiros said, standing up. “I am seated next to my beautiful bride for a reason.” All eyes riveted on him. “Traditionally, I, the groom, am supposed to serve my bride our first meal together.”

  “Come, come, Mardiros,” Sebouh jeered. “When are you going to stop coming up with creative ideas?”

  “It sounds very fitting,” the Captain said. “Go ahead, Mardiros.”

  Mardiros served Mannig a few slices of rosemary herbed chicken, several scoops of rice, and spoonfuls of vegetables. Then he leaned toward her and whispered, “Keep the fork in your left hand, always.”

  The last time Mannig had seen a fork, let alone use it, had been in Adapazar. My left hand?

  Throughout the meal, he whispered to her to do this or do that, and she emulated all his moves, never needing correction. She concentrated on how to avoid embarrassing him. The rice grains posed a big problem. She decided to avoid the rice after fumbling with the fork for a few grains. Being cautious, thereafter, she hardly tasted any of the wedding feast—the aromatic chicken, the cardamom eggplant stew, or the allspice-flavored rice. When the waiters cleared the table, she felt as hungry as when she had foraged the streets of Mosul for edibles. She had come a long way, but a much longer route still stretched ahead.

  The captain jingled his water glass with a knife and stood up. “Ladies and Gentlemen,” he began. “I pray you have enjoyed this meal.”

  “Hey! Hey!” the men responded.

  “I asked the chefs of Shuja,” the captain continued, “to prepare a special meal for all the passengers this evening. We are not fortunate to experience such an occasion as today often on our voyages. Allow me to make a toast.” He raised his wine glass, addressing the two young brides.

  “You are the luckiest girls in the world today. You have just married two of the noblest men from Baghdad. Someday you will realize that luck such as yours happens rarely in a lifetime.”

  Simon Gharibian raised his wine glass and added, “To my friends. Mardiros and Sebouh. You have chosen wisely. I predict that your young partners in life will be the jewels of your future. May God bless these unions.”

  Barone Antellias raised his glass. “I am honored to witness this double wedding. To you, young ladies! Even though you are married into Baghdad’s highest class families, if there is anything you need, I shall be at your service.”

  “And to the two gentlemen from Baghdad,” the Captain resumed his toast. “Your spirit has revived my faith in humanity. I thank you for making me part of your adventure. So my toast to you is: may you live as long as you love, and love as long as you live.”

  “Hip, hip hurray!” a composite of masculine voices echoed in the dining room. “We will all drink to that.”

  “In memento of this historic occasion,” the Captain continued, “I have a special gift for each bride.” He walked to Mannig and pinned a medal-like gold brooch to the lapel of her navy blue uniform. Before pinning an identical brooch on Adrine’s lapel, he looked at its back. “The inscription is in English,” he chuckled, “but you, young ladies, will learn the language soon enough. It reads ‘Shuja—January 22, 1922.”

  Mardiros stood up, gesturing to Sebouh to stand beside him, and then said, “It is with the help of all of you—the Captain, our friends from Basra, the sisters from Van, the shipmates and the kitchen staff .... I hope I am not forgetting anyone ... it is because of you, we can celebrate today. Yes, there will be other celebrations, and yes, even as I speak, Sebouh’s family and mine are organizing receptions in Baghdad. They will be fabulous parties, but as you say, Captain, this is an historic day. We thank you, Sebouh and I, for shuffling your schedules to grant our hearts’ desire, and we’re delighted that our lovely brides agreed to our arrangements. Thank you from the bottom of our heart.”

  At sundown, the sounds of the historic day faded with the waves of the Shat-el-Arab licking the rim of the sun. The newlywed brides hugged the sisters from Van adieu and, holding their grooms’ hands, boarded the tender to return to the mainland.

  Once it was a hundred yards away, the tender honked.

  Shuja responded with sirens, blasts, and horns.

  The Captain, the crew, and 900 orphans waved scarves and shawls and banners. Mannig waved her handkerchief, weighted down with the pain of separation.

  The happiest man alive, Mardiros brushed his cheek against Mannig’s, rested his chin on her shoulder, and faced the huge white Shuja with her. Soon they would face his Kouyoumdjian clan in Baghdad. His mother would support his life-partner wholeheartedly, and all but one of his sisters-in-law would snub the little orphan-bride. He knew Mannig would naturally win the hearts of his nieces and nephews, whose ages ranged from twelve to mid-twenty. He suspected his role to change from the youngest bearer of the family name to a born-again teacher in the Qasr. He knew the challenges Mannig would face before becoming a bona fide Kouyoumdjian.

  “The captain is still waving,” Mannig whispered to him, and once again waved her handkerchief.

  Mardiros, too, waved. “I liked the Captain’s toast,” he said. “I shall always remember his words, May we love as long as we live ….”

  “And,” Mannig added, “live as long as we love.”

  EPILOGUE

  1982—Mannig Gets Her Own Banner, At Last

  The annihilation of one and a half million Armenians during World War I of 1914 -1918 was one of history’s most terrible episodes.

  A family, taking a gentle journey to avenge the Genocide, commemorated the memory of those victims with a celebration in Mercer Island, Washington, recently.

  The occasion? Mannig becoming a United States citizen, completing the family’s Americanization. To celebrate this triumph, Mannig’s two daughters and son shared the story of the trek of their 76 year-old mother with 107 friends.

  Mannig’s three grandsons, suited in white tuxedo shirts, navy slacks, and red cummerbunds, ushered the guests into a venue glowing with jubilation. Poster-sized photographs of Mannig decked the walls of the reception hall. Red, white, and blue balloons embroidered the air, while tri-colored bouquets embellished the lace-covered round tables. The gourmet dinner consisted of an A-A-A feast, that is, Armenian-Arabic-American, and the entertainment featured homespun talents of song, dance, and recitations.

  After listening to a brief biography of her life and testimonials, including a personal letter to Mannig from President Ronald Reagan, she approached the microphone.

  A petite senior lady, scarcely five feet tall, Mannig flitted onto the stage. She wore an ankle-length navy skirt and a red rose pinned close to her high-collared, white silk blouse. Her olive skin and short graying hair dramatized her patriotic stance beside the towering U.S. flag. She looked radiant.

  She tiptoed to an internal rhythm and moved her head to a subtle, inner beat. She whirled her pleated skirt and knelt in a deep bow.

  Applause!

  She curtsied to her right, then to her left, smiling at the faces with recognition, one after another. She swayed, twirled, and fox-trotted for a full minute with coquettish grace as she approached the microphone.

  “When people ask about my childlike movements,” she began, “I say I don’t want to ever forget my childhood. I want to keep it fresh in my mind. By doing the same movements now as I used to do in Adapazar, my childhood is immortalized in my mind. My mother would be very happy if she knew I survived and can remember.”

  She scanned the audience.

  “I was born in Turkey,” she said, “so people think I’m a Turk. I’ve lived in Iraq most of my life, so people think I’m an Arab. I say, ‘No! I am Armenian!’ So they say, ‘Ah! Then you have lived in Russia.’ I have never been to Russia, and I have not even been to Armenia. You see,” Mannig lowered her voice, increasing its volume a bit with each following sentence. “I have lived under many banners. M-a-n-y banners. Many banners. Those banners were all temporary.” She took a long breath and continued softly. “None of them belonge
d to me, and I didn’t belong to them either.” She shrugged her shoulders indignantly. Then she displayed the small flag that had been given to her at the official naturalization ceremonies at the Immigration office. “But when I took my oath and held the American flag in my hand, I was as happy and proud as the astronaut who put the flag of the United States on the moon. Thank God I can say I am an American, and I live under the banner spangled with stars.”

  GLOSSARY OF FOREIGN WORDS

  abaya: head-to-ankle robe, usually black (Arabic)

  a-cappella: without instrument accompaniment (Italian)

  AGBU: Armenian General Benevolent Union

  aggaal: cord part of a male headgear (Arabic)

  agoomp: club (Armenian)

  Allah kareem: God is merciful (Arabic)

  Allah oo akbar: God is great (Arabic)

  Allah wiyaak: God is with you (Arabic)

  Allah: God (Arabic)

  Amahn: Good Gracious (Armenian)

  amsagahn: monthly; menstrual period (colloquial Armenian)

  Armeny: Armenian (Arabic)

  attoba: mud brick

  Ayp-pen-kim-ta: A,B,C,D (the first letters of the Armenian alphabet)

  Baba: father (Armenian)

  bakhsheesh: alms/handout (universal)

  Barone: Mister/Mr./Sir (Armenian)

  bastinado: lashing of the soles (Latin)

  bellem: boat (Arabic)

  boghcha: square kerchief used to bundle belongings (Turkish)

  chaBOOK: scat, quick! (Turkish)

  chemise: Slip (French)

  cherie: dear (French adopted as an Armenian expression)

  chojoukh: child (Turkish)

  chors-ankam-ootu: 4 X 8 (Armenian)

  Diggin: Mrs./Madam (Armenian)

  Effendi: Mister/Mr./Sir (Turkish)

  ehh-len wu sehh-len: greetings and salutations (Arabic)

  Englaizees: Englishmen (Arabic)

  Fils: smallest unit, Iraqi money. 280 fils = $1.00 in 1952 (Arabic)

  Fransawees: Frenchmen (Arabic)

  gabgob: wooden slippers worn in a bathhouse

  gatta: pastry (Armenian)

  guffa: circular fishing boat (Arabic)

  haleeb: milk (Arabic)

  hosse yegoor: Come here! (Armenian)

  huqqah: water-pipe; hubble-bubble; narguilla (Arabic)

  hyereneek: Fatherland (Armenian)

  ibriq: water jug (Arabic)

  imshee: scat! Go away! (Arabic)

  inshaa-Allah: God willing (Arabic)

  inteh hadhur: Are you ready? (Arabic)

  jahn: dear/endearing terminology (Armenian)

  jarbeeg: street-smart (Armenian)

  jinni: magician (Arabic/Turkish)

  joo’aan: I’m hungry (Arabic)

  kaffieh: headgear for men (Arabic)

  kaka: shit/dung (slang)

  kalak: raft/boat (Arabic/Turkish)

  kebab: barbeque (Arabic)

  khan: caravansary; inn for caravans (Turkish/Arabic/Armenian)

  khatoon: lady (Turkish/Arabic)

  khatoon hanum: Grand Lady (Turkish)

  khattir Allah: For God’s sake (Arabic)

  khoobooz: bread (Arabic)

  kilo: kilogram (Arabic)

  kleecha: date-stuffed cookie (Arabic)

  laa: No! (Arabic)

  laa w’allah: No! Honestly! (Arabic)

  laban: yoghurt (Arabic)

  mahhal: place (Arabic)

  MangaBardez: kindergarten (Armenian)

  manghal : brazier (Turkish)

  manqqala: brazier (Arabic)

  manyook: fucker (Arabic)

  Mare Hyereneek: Our Fatherland (Armenian national anthem)

  masgouf: barbequed fish (Arabic)

  mateo: Matthew (Armenian)

  meg-yergoo-yerek: one, two, three (Armenian)

  melisma: music: a passage sung to one syllable of text, as in Gregorian chants (Greek)

  Middle East Relief: Organization established by the world community to save the Armenians

  millet: ethnic/political enclave (Turkish)

  mindare: floor cushion (Turkish)

  minging: diminutive (Armenian)

  mu’adthin: Muslim prayer chanter (Arabic/Turkish)

  murga: stew (Arabic)

  mye: water (Arabic)

  narguilla : hukka; water pipe; hubble-bubble (Arabic)

  oor ess aghcheeg?: Where are you, girl? (Armenian)

  Orozdi-Bakk: name of a department store in Baghdad (Swiss)

  Pasha: title as Sir/Knighthood (Turkish)

  pees kaki hodair: putrid feces smells (Armenian)

  Plaisir d’amour: The Pleasure of love (French song)

  qabqob: wooden-soled slippers used in bathing (Arabic/Turkish)

  qasr: castle (Arabic)

  saayyid: Mister (Arabic)

  sahib : master (Turkish/Arabic)

  sans: without (French)

  selamet: Thank God/Peace (Turkish/Arabic)

  shakku-makku?: What news? (Arabic)

  shalvar: baggy pants (Turkish)

  Shat el Arab: The Arab River (Arabic)

  sheytahn: Satan (Arabic)

  Shuja: name of a British ship

  shukran: Thanks (Arabic)

  sook: bazaar (Arabic)

  subba: prayer beads (Arabic)

  tass: cup (Armenian/Arabic/Turkish)

  tikkeh kebab: ground-meat barbeque (Arabic)

  tutoum kulukh: pumpkin head; naïve; stupid (Armenian)

  varjabedanotz: teacher training college (Armenian)

  vohr: buttocks (Armenian)

  vorpanotz: orphanage (Armenian)

  WRO: World Relief Organization (English)

  wu salaam aleykum : And greetings to you, too (Arabic)

  y’abnayya: Hey, girl! (Arabic)

  y’allah: Dear God (Arabic)

  yazma: head scarf (Turkish/Kurdish)

  yukh: repulsive (Armenian)

  zakhnaboot: darn it (Turkish)

  Historical Highlights of Armenia

  For more information, visit www.Armeniapedia.org.

  1. Armenia has a historical record of nearly three millennia—mentioned in the Old Testament as the “Land of Aram”; in the King James Version, in II Kings 19:37; and in Isaiah 37:38.

  2. In 301 AD, Armenia became the first nation to adopt Christianity as its state religion.

  3. In 400-414 AD, a unique alphabet of 36 letters was invented to translate the Bible into the national vernacular. Armenian belongs to the Indo-European family of languages. Two other letters were added to the original alphabet to reflect existing inflections.

  4. The cathedral of Etchmiadzin was built in the 6th century in Yerevan, capital of Armenia. It has been the see of the Armenian Apostolic Church since.

  5. Armenian kingdoms played significant roles in aiding the European Crusaders in their attempts to recover the Holy Lands.

  6. Armenian kingdoms ceased to function since 1375, but its symbolic seat, Mt. Ararat, currently situated in Modern Turkey, remains alive and ticking on the lips of many a poet.

  7. Historians estimate 1.5 to 2 million Armenians perished in what is present-day Turkey, during the Genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire in 1914-1918.

  8. In 1921, Armenia became one of the Republics of the Soviet Union.

  9. In 1991, Armenia ceded from the Soviet Union and established the Republic of Armenia as a sovereign nation and was admitted to the United Nations.

  10. Present day Armenia is landlocked in the Trans-Caucasus region. It sustains three million people in a territory of 11,600 square miles (slightly larger than the State of Vermont). Its boundaries are: Georgia in the north, Iran in the south, Azerbaijan in the east, and Turkey in the west.

  11. Yerevan is the capital of Armenia and is situated on old historic Erevan.

  12. Outside Armenia, it is estimated that six million Armenians live in the Diaspora. More than a million live in North America.

  WHAT MAKES AN ARMENIAN?

  Armenians ha
ve endured the wars between the Greco-Roman and the Persian East since the first century B.C. Warring empires looted, burned, and devastated Armenian territory, leading its people into captivity, rape, and murder. Each time, the surviving population toiled stubbornly to reconstruct what had been destroyed, as would a swallow rebuild a ruined nest. If asked, what makes an Armenian? The answer would be, “A trek.”

  Armenians proclaimed Christianity as the national religion of Armenia in A.D. 301, establishing precedence in the annals of the Christian Church. Surrounded by the empires of Rome and Persia, which denounced and persecuted them, Armenians prescribed their own suicide as would a scorpion sting itself when trapped in blazing fires. If asked, what makes an Armenian? The answer would be, “Faith.”

  Armenians invented an alphabet late in the Fourth Century. It was conceived by St. Mesrop to create a Christian literature in the mother tongue during the most critical epoch of Armenia’s political existence and provided the very weapon which, by awakening nationalism, inspired and enabled the Armenian people to survive to this very day. If asked, what makes an Armenian? The answer would be, “Zeal.”

  Armenians saw yet another foe, the Islamic Caliphate in A.D. 644. Like fragile violets, they were plucked by gnarled hands and mangled by the merciless claws of Arab mercenaries. Never stripped of spirit, all that remained was praying to God. If asked, what makes an Armenian? The answer would be “Hope.”

  Armenians regained statehood during the Tenth Century, the wages of which spelled compromise. Soon compromise meant change. No Armenian would rather live than see the death of his identity. If asked, what makes an Armenian? The answer would be, “Pride.”

  Armenians lost their kingdom in 1375. Since then, they have persisted to be Armenian in their own right. They have clung to their culture, traditions, and language like an iceberg (one that doesn’t melt) in the North Pole. If asked, what makes an Armenian? The answer would be, “Preservation.”