Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (47)

Edited by Mohsen Kazemi

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (47)
Edited by Mohsen Kazemi
Soureh Mehr Publishing Company
(Original Text in Persian, 2000)
Translated by Mohammad Karimi

The day after that night, they called that Isfahani student and announced he was free. He said goodbye to us and took his clothes and went. He went and I do not know anything about his destiny. But, whenever I remember his heroic resistance, I admire him in my heart. He was a real resisting fighter and even to the last days he did not confess what he had done or who he was to the agents and even not to us. His behavior would reveal that he was connected to small Muslim armed groups and it was his first time in prison. He never asked me who I was or what I had done either. I always remind him as a resisting good believer fighter who would bring us tranquility and peace with his prays and fasting despite the miserable conditions he had. I wish him he would have had a good destiny.
Three days after it was cleared that I was not about to be pursued by Rasouli, a guard came and told me to gather my clothes and go; I was freed about November 6th 1973. (1) Then he closed my eyes and took me out of the row. Near to the iron back gate of the prison, he opened my eyes. Before going out, Manouchehri took my hand and called the other agents to turn back. Then he hit my chest and said: “Ahamd! You’ll go and will be a guerrilla and if I arrest you once again… I’d be a mother fu… if I don’t shoot you in the head! I won’t ask you anything or make you confess; I just shoot you in the head to make all the people free of you. Wherever I see you I shoot you. So be careful! If I see you, be sure that you’ll be dead…” I laughed at his hate about me in my heart and told myself: “May God wishes that I kill you one day!”
He came with me to Sardar-e Bagh-e Melli (The National Garden Gate) and threatened me a lot. I came out with a pair of slippers and went toward my home while I remember when they were taking me to ACC I had a pair of new patent leather shoes which belonged to my marriage day…
I took a taxi and asked the driver to take me home. I had no money on so when I reached home paid him 15 Rials. He was so happy of that money and went away.
Evaluating ACC
Anti-sabotage Common Committee was e new organization but so strong and terrible. My prison days there were not so long; however I learned a lot and could be more familiar with fight techniques.
It was in ACC that I practically experienced the techniques of keeping secrets and information even from my cellmates. We would write some notes on the walls of toilets to warn others to keep their information; such as: “Dear palls! Take care one of each two people is a spy.” So, my cellmates did not tell anything precise about themselves and their activities. Prisoners did not know each other by name and would call each other by the number of their cells. For instance, they knew me as “No. 17”.
I felt closely the power and success of the clergy (e.g. Mr. Lahouti) even on merciless agents of SAVAK and ACC. I also felt and tasted the brutality and savageness of butchers like Manouchehri and Rasouli.
Later, I thought a lot about why I was arrested and kept there in ACC for about forty days with no reason; but alas. I just guess God wanted me to be imprisoned to nurse those two savagely tortured prisoners.
The Fate of Siege
When I reached home, my Mum was dumbstruck when watching me. She was not good. I saw my father who was still twitching because of that night’s incident. My wife, the so-called new bride, was also there. I went forward and kissed my parents’ hands. My mother’s eyes became full of tears. I asked about Mahdi and his family. They said they had escaped all. Unintentionally I smiled and became happy. The story of Madhi’s escape along with his family is so interesting.
That house was bought by the financial help of my brother and had several rooms with particular situations. One of these rooms was near the main gate where the SAVAK had deployed its agents. His wife and children were in the back rooms. One of the rooms had way to the neighboring yard. There was also a small wooden door in backyard that would open to the alley behind the building.
Two or three days after my arrest, the ladies in the back rooms would hear the sound of children playing football in the ally about 2 o’clock in the afternoon. One or two voices seem familiar to Mahdi’s wife. She becomes suspected and would think that it was abnormal for the children to play football there at the time of afternoon rest. She would go to the backyard on curiosity and suddenly hear the sound of hitting the ball to the door for three times. She would go to the door…and see paper there. She would pull out that paper. Then when one of the kids who was watching inside through a hole, pulled himself back, she would look out through the same hole and see the children of former partner (who shared buying that building) were playing with some other kids. Mahdi’s wife would get back to the room so fast. Then she would find Mahdi had written in the note that she had to go to somewhere around Moniriyeh square along with her children and find a particular car with the specification mentioned there in that note.
Mahdi’s wife would tell the details to my wife. Fatemeh would tell her that feel relax about my parents and she would surely take care of them. My brother’s wife would join Haj Mahdi along with her three children and run away from the siege just based on the plan. They would go to Mashhad after some time and follow their hidden life there.
My wife narrated that one day Mohammad-Hassan Enb-ul-Reza would go there unaware of anything. When he would knock the door, he would see SAVAK agents. Based on his experience, he would note the abnormal situation there and would ask about me. The agents would lead him inside and keep him arrested there all day. But he would not say anything. Enb-ul-Reza had managed to hoax the SAVAK agents very cleverly and even change his name and say that he was a teacher and one of my friends at the time that I was a teacher. Finally the agents would free him at night. Ebn-ul-Reza right after being freed would contact other friends and warn them not to go around Mahdi’s house!
The day that I was freed, the phone ranged at 9 o’clock at night; it was Haj Madhi. After greetings I objected why he had called and told him: “Why have you phoned? They chase and find you through the phone line.” He said: “Don’t worry. I know when I should hang up. Ok, how are you? ... I called to see if you are ok or not...” He would think that I was angry with him so he said: “I did not introduce myself to the police because I was sure they cannot keep you for a long time without any reason. So, take care! Ok?” I said: “All right. You did correctly in not introducing yourself. You see that I am finally freed….” Then I insistently asked him not to call any more and take care of himself and his family.

1- In the file of Ahamd it is mentioned that he had been freed on October 30th 1973. The difference here about the date is because of the delay in informing him about his freedom that happened because the hate that Manouchehri had.