From the time he learned he was going to be taken to the reserve army service in regime army, Imad, who is over thirty in stays inside a rented house in Jidaydat Artuz.
Imad is not leaving his house at all for fear of detention and being taken to reserve army service. He also stopped practicing his profession in construction. He sat in his house, relying on his wife's domestic work in making carton boxes and applying them for a factory.
Unlike Imad, Saleh, who is the same age, left the capital and fled to Lebanon for fear of being taken to serve in the reserve army.
Saleh, as he says to Ammar Johmani, arrived in one of Lebanon's safe towns. "One of the Lebanese Hezbollah vehicles brought me from the door of my house in Damascus to the door of a house where someone from my acquaintance lived."
For young Syrians who flee to Lebanon or the liberated areas of northern Syria, the reserve service is not only the main motive for escaping; they flee the compulsory army service of education and fear of arrest and search for a better job is a major concern for many who rely on smuggling to reach areas beyond control of the Damascus regime.
Abu Kenan (a pseudonym) works in smuggling, "we have safe roads to and from most places," he said, explaining to Eqtsad the details of the profession, which made surreal profits under the Syrian crisis.
"All roads are insured, a car comes and drives the person who is smuggled from his home to the area where he wants to escape," Abu Kenan said.
Smugglers charge fancy from inside to Syria and to Lebanon on the border with Syria.
"From Damascus to Lebanon and vice versa, we receive 1700 $, from Idlib to Damascus and vice versa, the same cost, $ 1,700, but from Idlib or Latakia to Lebanon, and vice versa, the amount is $ 2000," Abu Kanan said.
Abu Kanan says his roads are well secured, "even if the young man is dissident or wanted for one of the security branches or for military reserve and mandatory service, he will arrive safely to safety but for a respectable amount of money equals the life he may lose on one of the fronts of fighting with the regime."
But for Imad, who is still a prisoner in his home, he says that he does not have that money to leave Damascus for Lebanon or the liberated areas.
Imad says choking, "I wait here until God permits the release."
