I Defended the Kabul Airport Until the Last Minute

Najeeballah

My name is Najeeballah.

Zabiwalla

My name is Zabiwalla Walizada. My father gave me this name. It literally means devotion.

Najeeballah

We are brothers from the northern part of Afghanistan. Right now my people defend it for our country. Many ran away and only my people stayed. They climbed on the mound and they are still fighting the Taliban.

Najeeballah

About 20 years ago, before the American government came to my country, our people fought with the Taliban. The Taliban were trying to come inside the Panjshir. But our people prevented this from happening.

Most of my family and I arrived in America three years ago. When the Taliban came to Kabul, the American military helped to bring us here. But, we had to leave one of my brothers behind in Afghanistan.

Zabiwallah

I was in India studying.

Najeeballah

The American army told me to bring all of my family, but the Taliban took over parts of the airport and it was hard to bring everyone.

We had to run. There were too many shootings everywhere. There was an explosion, and he was at the airport but he couldn’t come inside.

We had to leave our guns on because everybody was in danger. We left our brother in Afghanistan, but we eventually helped to get him to Pakistan.

The rest of my family got out before me. I had to stay because I worked with the American army.

Two to three days after my family left my country, the American army said the time was right and they helped us get out of Afghanistan. They had a plan. Day by day they moved all the people. They moved everybody step by step.

I left Kabul and went to Qatar first. After Qatar I went to Germany. After Germany I went to Blackstone, VA, and stayed at Fort Pickett. I lived there for two months, but my family was sent to New Mexico City.

When we arrived at Bowling Green, we sent money to my brother and told him to leave Afghanistan and go to Pakistan, a safe place. But when he arrived in Pakistan after two or three months, somebody fought with him and he developed a mental problem. We had to send Zabi [Zabiwallah] from India to Pakistan to help my brother. But after six months, he died.

Zabiwallah:

I was in India for some studies. I spent around three years there and was getting ready to graduate from my university when I found out the situation was getting worse in Afghanistan. I was so worried. These things were happening all of a sudden.

I was waiting for my flight two days before August 15. I was in Delhi, waiting for my flight and everything happened. After that, I was stuck.

India didn’t give me any trouble. They knew about the situation and they were helping students extend our visas.

Najeeballah

It was a little hard for my family to arrive without me because they can’t speak English and they don’t know about America. I knew about everything because I was with the American army. It was a hard time for me and for my family, because we were very worried about each other.

My mom was very sick at the time. She has health problems. I thought about her and my sisters who were with her. They can’t speak English, so it was a little hard. My sisters couldn’t go outside in Afghanistan. They just go to school and come home, and they don’t go anywhere.

But, after like two or three days I met a woman who could help us. She worked at Goodwill. Her name is Mona. She’s a good friend now.

I went to Goodwill to buy a jacket because it was very cold weather. When I went inside I met her and she helped me.

The second friends are Alice and Daniel. They know about us and they come by our house and they help so much. Every time we need help, they help us.

At first they put all seven of us in a basement. But, it was actually a good time to be in the basement because we were safe from a tornado.

We were asleep and a friend came to my house and he asked me if I knew what happened. I said no.

He said, “Come with me, I want to show you something.”

We went out and I saw everything destroyed. I asked what happened and he said, “A tornado hit last night.”

So that part was good but the basement was trouble because our neighbors upstairs fought with each other all the time. And the police came all the time.

So Alice helped us and we live in a new house now.

I have a job at a factory, over at Berry Plastics, but I got another job too. I work with Alice and Daniel. I teach driving.

I help Afghan people and other people that need to learn to drive. I like to work with Afghan people. Many don’t speak English and I help them. I show them the law and I teach him how to drive in the United States.

Zabiwallah

I don’t have a job yet. I arrived on March 14 only a month ago. I was getting my Bachelor’s of Business Administration in India. I want to find something related to my studies.

Najeeballah

Yes, we have a goal. Now that my brother has arrived here, we will work, make money, save money, buy a house, buy a car and maybe in the future we can open an Afghan restaurant in Bowling Green, Kentucky. You can come to my house. My mom is a good cook! We have a famous food in Afghanistan, they call it Kabuli Pulao. They take rice, lamb, raisin, and curry and mix it together. My mom’s good, she can make good food for you here.

Now, my sisters attend English class. One is working and one takes care of my mom. She has diabetes and high cholesterol. She has too much stress because she lost one of her sons.

Alice and Daniel help us a lot. The AC was not working on our house and my mom was very sick. I called our landlord many times but he ignored us. When Alice and Daniel came to my house they saw what happened. They went to Walmart and bought a good AC. They put it on the window and got it working that day. I was at work, but they take care of my mom and my family all the time.

In Bowling Green, they help all Afghan people with anything they need.

I have a friend. Her name is Aneela. One day she bought a car from a dealership. It was a very cheap car. But they made it very expensive. That car was like $2,000 but they sold it to her for $18,000. Alice and Daniel helped her get her money back.

The advice I would give to others is to find good people. Make good friends..

Zabiwallah

I would tell people to make plans for the future.