"If I tell my story, a book will be written..." This is how we started our conversation with grandma Goharik, who is 85 years old and lives in the Verishen community of Syunik province.
Mrs. Goharik is Persian-Armenian, she moved to Armenia during Soviet times.
"A bird flies to a branch, builds a nest and takes care of its kids, this is my life... I was an orphan and my younger uncle took care of me. Then I got married and moved to this town. My husband didn’t have parents as well and we built this house together. I worked on the farm for 25 years doing all the work..." says Mrs. Goharik, who is also very concerned about the border situation. "My son was a 90s war veteran, and my grandson was injured in the 44-day war in 2020. He is able to move his hand after two years since the injury… what else can I say, thanks to God, I'm not complaining, just wish there is no war in the future.
There were shootings on September 13, we went down to the ground floor of our house with my 15-day-old, 3- and 10-year-old grandchildren. Then we moved to another community, Hoktemberyan. I went with my grandchildren, but my children stayed here..."
During our interview, grandma Goharik was separating the seeds from the crushed husks of the beans grown in her garden and when I asked her how many grandchildren she has, she replied with a smile, "... if I say I don't remember, would you believe me... and she starts counting with her daughter-in-law: I have 15 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren...
"The neighbor's house was damaged by the grad rocket. It is good that at least there were no human losses. 2 months pass, another war, other victims... I want peace for my world. I don’t understand what they want from this stone land..."
