Aram Demerjian: my grandpa was taken away for questioning and his family never saw him again

PanARMENIAN.Net - Submitted by Aram Demerjian:

My father, born in Diarbekir in 1901, told me about the real events as I was growing up. His experiences of what happened to his father and how he made to escape death were not pleasant for me to hear. I was born in Lebanon. I would like give you some of the accounts related to me.

My grand-father was an iron smith. He made hand-cuffs for the prison inmates. His own hand-cuffs clamped his own hands by the Turks. He was taken away from his home for questioning and his family never saw him again.

I consider my father a very talented man. For instance, he could play musical instruments, he could sing with a vibrant voice. He was not fanatic about his religious practice. On his way to exile, he stopped at many villages for few days or for few months. Some religious man (sheikh) gave him shelter during one stop. This host noticed that he has a good voice. So he invited my father to sing in the mosque. Of course, having nothing to support himself, he could not refuse Sheikh's request. I forgot to mention that my Dad also spoke Kurdish.

Three months later, my father who is also a good horse rider, left the village at night time. Not knowing anything about his destiny. At this time, I have not many details about how he made to Aleppo (Syria).

Someday, I shall sit down to write many other events regarding his brothers and his mother whom survived this genocide and how my Dad was able to meet them again in Lebanon. His older sister was forcefully taken away by a Turkish soldier.

I also have some recollections told to me by my mother's side whose family was also exiled from the town of Konia.

On my mother’s side, the story is different. Her father (Sarkis) was a merchant. Sarkis owned some wealth. He converted his assets into gold coins. But he did not make the exile with his family made of 3 girls, one boy and his wife (my grand-mother). Sarkis was taken away one morning and never came back. The gold coins were hidden inside underwear of the women. A local Turk helped them ride the train out of Konia to Tartousse against a certain amount of monetary payment.”