(MENAFN- Jordan Times) Known for his easy-going demeanour and infectious smile, Ahmed Zoubi was admittedly uncharacteristically edgy as he served customers at his roadside coffee stand near the Jordanian-Syrian border on Sunday.
Hands slightly trembling as he poured the latest fresh cup, Zoubi said that rather than trading niceties with friends and neighbours, his mind was preoccupied instead with an event that occurred several hours earlier and a few dozen metres away: the landing of a Syrian rocket.
"If I had stayed at work a little bit longer and if the wind had been blowing a little bit harder, I wouldn't be here right now," Zoubi said.
"I would be in my grave."
Although the unexploded ordinance did no damage and left no injuries, citizens say the incidents have served as a "wake-up call" for residents, who despite being separated by Syria by mere olive orchards and stretches of border watchtowers, have long felt "a world away" from the massacres and battles that have dominated television screens.
"For months we have been living with all the signs of a war - sounds of gunfire, refugees, injured men and women arriving in Jordan on the verge of death," said Khaled Abu Eissa, a 48-year-old Ramtha taxi driver
"But this is the first time we have had the real fear of war."
The missile landing in Ramtha, 90km north of Amman, combined with the landing of four errant Syrian missiles last week, has left an impression on younger residents in the border town, who have never before lived through a period of war.
"At first we thought the missile was just fireworks," said nine-year-old Mohammad as he circled his bike around the gravel-laden Ramtha bus terminal.
"Now I don't think I'll know the difference between a wedding party or a Syrian attack."
While Sunday's missile landing became an instant spectacle, the incident was far from surprising for those living on the outskirts of Ramtha, who for months have listened to the gunshots, mortar shells and missile explosions roll ominously closer and closer to their homes and farms.
"At first we heard an explosion once a night, then once an hour, then 10 an hour, until it sounded like the war was going on in Ramtha, and not in Syria," said Mohammad Fadhal, who crafts homemade yoghurt out of a three-storey apartment building some 300 metres away from the missile landing and within view of Syrian border watchtowers.
"Now we know that these aren't just sounds anymore."
The missile landings, along with heightened public rhetoric over Damascus' alleged possession of chemical weapons, has even driven some more alarmed Ramtha residents to prepare for the worst.
Um Mohammad, a 45-year-old Ramtha resident, said the rise in tensions prompted her and her three sisters to spend their Sunday stocking up on canned goods and other non-perishable food items to build up a "reserve" in the event that war should arrive to northern Jordan.
"We all pray and hope for the best," the mother-of-three said as she stacked cans of boiled chickpeas into a shopping cart at a downtown supermarket.
"But we must also be prepared for the worst."
Jordanian authorities have warned against panic, stressing that they are taking "all necessary measures" to ensure the safety and security of residents in the northern region.
Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications and Government Spokesperson Samih Maaytah stressed that emergency response teams are on "high alert" to deal with any potential incident and that Amman is following up with Damascus to ensure that no missiles enter Jordanian territory again.
Yet as missile strikes and gunfire once again echoed through the rolling hills of northern Jordan late Sunday, Ramtha residents said they need much more than government assurances to secure a sound night of sleep.
"All those who claim that nothing could ever happen here are ignoring the first lesson of war," Zoubi said as he boarded up his cinderblock stand.
"The only thing certain in war is uncertainty."
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.