The village in Cyprus where I am from is called Peristeronopiyi, near Famagusta. I left in 1971, three years before the war. I haven't been back since. My brother went back in May 2003, as the border opened for the first time in 29 years. He found the village but the house has been demolished. My father is a farmer, and when we fled our home, he wanted to take his life-stock with him as it was his made trade. It took 5 days to travel 15 miles as we took 150 sheep with us.

I refuse to go back. There is nothing left but the old church. I don't want to see it now, I want to remember my village as I left it.