LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The day the Taliban took over Afghanistan’s capital city of Kabul, life was drastically upended for hundreds of thousands of people who live there. Months later, more than 200 people are resettling in Louisville with the help of local charities.
Mohammad is one of them. He was born and raised in Kabul and built a family of 10 with his wife there. As a member of the Afghan National Army, he said he worked with the U.S. government and NATO against the Taliban.
But that made him an immediate target on Aug. 15.
Anguish in Afghanistan
"Every day was killing," Mohammad said.
A Taliban blitz burst the country at its seems, people running from everything they knew, Mohammad included.
"They have spies, so they knew where I'm living," he said of the Taliban fighters. "So that is why — I just — the first thing like call to my wife and my children, just change the location."
He was at his work in downtown Kabul when he got the call. He left with only the clothes on his back and went into hiding.
Chaos Amid Crisis
Hundreds of thousands of people were trying to flee at the same time, crowding Kabul's airport.
After 10 days of hiding from the Taliban, changing locations each night, Mohammad said his U.S. advisor told him it was time. The family, including the eight children, ranging from a baby to 21 years old, tried to get in to catch a flight.
"Unfortunately, the first time, I couldn't get in because of that threat," he said. "And also, there was a lot of crowd, too many people."
The advisor told Mohammad to try and make it to another gate, the family splitting in two different cars. The oldest two children — 21 and 19 years old — rode separately in the second car.
The first car made it through. The second car did not.
"Many times, I call them, 'Just come close to the gate if you can, if you can come in.' But they couldn't," Mohammad said.
The family waited inside the gates for two days to board a plane, frantically calling the kids, trying to find a way to get them past the Taliban.
Sacrifice Sinking In
There was no way for Mohammad to get his two other children safely past the Taliban and close enough to the gates to the airport.
"That was difficult for us ... to say to our children, 'You cannot come,'" he said.
The plane was boarded and left Kabul, Mohammad's two oldest children left with a bleak future running from the Taliban.
"Safety is other threat for them ... especially now for most of Afghan peoples," he said. "Economic or work, job, food ... everything is threat for them."
Mohammad said the plane his family was on took off from the airport about an hour before a bomb went off, killing dozens of Afghans and 13 U.S. military members, symbolic of the horror he was escaping.
Freedom Found
Mohammad, his wife and six of their children eventually arrived in Washington, D.C., and were greeted with smiles and relief. For the first time since they went into hiding, his months-old son cried.
"He never cried because he was afraid," Mohammad said. "But when we reached here, he felt relaxed. So he cried."
They went to a military base in Virginia where they stayed for about 45 days before officials helping move refugees told Mohammed and his family they would be headed to Louisville.
"I talked with my wife, and we searched Google about the house, the rent of housing, economic and everything," Mohammad said. "We searched, and after that, we become satisfied. So that is good city and good state."
Catholic Charities of Louisville set the family up with all the necessities needed to resettle. His kids started going to school, and Mohammad is working on his English and looking for a job, thankful for a shot at a new life.
"Here is secure. Here is relaxed," he said. "So everything is OK. I think it is my luck, and thanks for all things that U.S. done and U.S. people done for us ... I'll say thanks to all of them."
And thanks to modern technology, he's able to still have contact with his two children and other extended family still in Afghanistan.
Longing For His Children Still Lingers
He said there's no clear timeline of when he could try to get his children out, so he's asked his family there to help. He's not giving up on them.
"But maybe I'd be lucky to in the future," Mohammad said. "I will find some way."
He has hope and is determined to have his family back together again.
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