HE IS IN MY HEART, IN MY VEINS

Mrs.Marineh, Armen Hovanisyan’s mother tells

– I’ll be frank, there was no thought in my mind to raise a hero, even I didn’t think about patriotism. Only I wanted my son to become a dignified, kind, responsible person, to defend the week, help the needy, be honest, have his own opinion.

My son was an ordinary boy as his coevals. My Armen was loved both at schoоl and neighborhood. He had many friends, a lot. He took responsibility, made decisions, united friends…

Now there are two persons inside me: one lives in a huge grief and the other speaks with you, gets medals of her son “For Bravery” and “For Service to Homeland”…

– What could console you?

– At least the idea that 8 guys of his age now live, breathe, dream, rejoice owing to my son’s interrupted life. I would have been consoled if the same bullet hits my heart so I could feel the same pain as my son felt the last moment of his life, what pain he experienced. They say that the last moment he said – “Mam jan!” (dear Mom).
Now my son gives me strength. He is in my heart, in my veins. I should be a mother worthy of Armen. You know, now it is very easy for me to die, but very difficult to live… I know now what to live for. Those mothers who lost their sons should learn from me… and live.

I must sanctify those few meters of land for which my son died. That land was dear for my son, more than life, more than me, and it must be dear also for me…

GAYANEH POGHOSYAN
Photo by GARIK ARMENAKYAN