A very starry night drafted

I took breaks by looking up at the sky, and pointing out the sheet of stars to Shayma'. The sight was breath-taking.

This starry sky was the canopy hanging over the destitute houses we had entered and exited, leaving some foot prints and money and pieces of ourselves behind.

I doubt the inhabitants of these houses pay much attention to the illuminous blanket the covers them--I doubt they care, considering they don't have much to cover their own bodies:

Why would the triplet care about a dot in a dark weightless atmosphere when she sees and feels the burned semi-circles that cuff her arm? Why would the seven children notice a chain of lights when they only could see the backs of each others' heads as they sleep in rows in one room on one floor--a room that doesn't fit the two other younger siblings who sleep in a corner near a door? Why would the mother find her diamond up above when she worries about protecting her son from the F-16s and Apaches that wake them up every night, and worries about the imprisoned husband that has yet to meet his son?

"3ndik billaphone?" Everyone wanted to give me their phone number. I have one written by An3am on my hand now.

"Don't forget us." The number of times I heard that tonight is quite close to the number of stars I counted in the sky. How can I forget after experiencing this kind of show and tell? How can I collect enough clothes and money to help these people out? There are so many stars in Beit La7m and mukhayam El Deishe, it's difficult to even imagine being able to help each one shine a bit brighter.

There will be more to come from this story...my eyes and brain are seeing too many stars to continue right now.