Life is like a puzzle, and sometimes it's hard to see how the pieces fit, especially if you have been through a war. But as you grow older, even these pieces often slip into place.

When Nidal and Abeer Tebawi were children, their lives were in pieces. In the summer of 1990, Iraq had invaded their homeland of Kuwait, and their country was falling apart.

This Indianapolis news bureau traveled to Kuwait in 1991 and talked with Nidal and Abeer, then 15 and 10 years old. Still carefree at the time of the invasion, they were afraid of the bombs falling around them but enjoyed living in their basement.

They have spent the years since putting their lives back together, including coming to the United States to attend college. Last year, Nidal received his business degree from Indiana University, where Abeer is a sophomore. Recently, the siblings visited Y-Press to update their story.

Looking back, Nidal and Abeer find it hard to believe they lived without electricity and running water for three months. They had to be creative in finding ways to cope -- for instance, Nidal raised a garden and Abeer wrote poems.

The hardest thing was seeing the war's effect on their parents.

"My parents had a nervous breakdown. For the first time in my life, I saw my parents actually weeping," Nidal said in 1991. "This minute they are alive, the next minute they might be killed."

Eight years later, Nidal and Abeer said the trials of the invasion have helped them focus on what is important to them: peace, stability, family.

"The invasion is what made us close," said Nidal.

"I've learned to appreciate things a lot more, be it school, family, medicine, stability, relatives being around," Abeer said.

"You really realize how important every day is, 'cause so much can happen in one day. I really like the quote 'Dream like you'll live forever, live like you will die today,'" she said.

Their attitudes toward their oppressors have changed, though.

In 1991, Nidal explained his opinion of the Iraqi soldiers: "They ate the cat food out of the tin. They thought the cat face was a brand. They are dumb."

In 1999, he said, "I take that back. They were helpless. They had no choice. If they went against the leadership, their life could be in danger."

Film offers another view

The recent movie Three Kings helped change the Tebawis' minds about the Iraqi people.

"The movie was a real eye-opener. It shows the suffering of the Iraqi people," Nidal explained.

"It's very harsh. The truth hurts," added Abeer.

Many of the worries of 1991 are still with them. Chief among them is concern for their parents, who still live in Kuwait City. Iraq is still Kuwait's neighbor, and Saddam Hussein is still its leader.

As Abeer explained: "There are still a lot of U.S. troops in Kuwait. Every eight months or so, there's a lot of tension -- either the U.S. is bombing Iraq or Iraqi troops have just moved closer to the Kuwait border. Everyone gets flustered; all the supermarkets go empty 'cause everyone is shopping and thinking another war is on the way."

Nidal worries about the day the U.S. troops leave. "There's a limit to how long one country can help another one.''

Once the Gulf War ended, the Tebawis worked to ensure a bright future for their children.

"Our parents wanted us to have a good education, so basically all their hard work and savings was put aside for us to come here," Nidal said.

"Typically, most people who leave Kuwait come either to the U.S. or U.K. for higher education," Nidal added. "Over there, to get a good job, it's very competitive; and the job market is limited, not like here in the U.S."

Opportunities may be wider in the United States, but some Americans' views of the Middle East are pretty narrow. Nidal and Abeer have had to face a few stereotypes in Indiana.

For instance, Abeer has been asked if she rode a camel to school. Nidal has been asked if his family lived in a tent.

"Back in Kuwait, we watch the same shows that you guys watch here. They have the malls. They have the movies," Abeer said.

Another adjustment has been to the friendliness of people here. Americans are much more outgoing than Kuwaitis, they said.

"I would pass by someone on campus and they'd be like, 'Hey, what's up?' This guy doesn't even know me," said Nidal.

"Everyone here seems to smile when they're walking on the street," added Abeer. "If I smiled when I was walking around on the streets of Kuwait, people would think I'm up to something."

EDITED BY: Laurann Brown, 15, and Marian Duselis, 14.

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Jama Riley, 17.