I’m sure most of the Americans don’t have an idea about the ration food card the Iraqi families have. Simply it’s a card by which the government supplies the families with their monthly needs of basic food substances like oil, flour, sugar and other things. When the family has a new baby, the father should go to the office of ministry of trade to register his new kid to be added to the family in order to have its share of the food substances.

Yesterday, my brother went to the center to add his new born daughter. They added her name to the list easily and everything was great. At nigh, my wife told me “laith, your brother just added his new daughter to their ration food card. It took him less than five minutes to finish the procedures”. I reminded her that I went to the office the last month and I have been told to apply in June. She insisted that things had changed and I can add our son to our food card. As a role in my life, I don’t argue women because she wouldn’t ever change her mind no matter what I say. I went to the office and I applied to add my son to my family’s food card. I was surprised when the employee said “you cant add your son to the list now. You have to wait for one month”. I asked him about the reasons, he said “it’s the roles of the ministry of trade”. Again, I asked why the roles don’t allow me to add my son any time after he passed his first year, doesn’t he need food to grow or he is not any more a member from the family? The man couldn’t say a word but “it’s the roles of the ministry of trade”.

I cant describe my shock, not because my son doesn’t have his food substances. I was shocked because the roles of my country are so strange to the extent that no mind can find real explanations for them.

I went back home and told my wife about the whole thing. She didn’t say a word but her look asked me thousands of questions that I one answer for them all. Dear wife (its the roles of the ministry of trade)