Ava

PART 3

Two days later I saw those gangsters again. This time, three of them were bullying someone. I don't know where the other guy was. When the bell rang, two of them left while the other was still pulling the poor boy's hair. I saw the boy crying in pain. I went to them and yanked the guy 's hand from the boy's hair. The guy tried to slap me, but I said something unwanted. "Stay away, don't you dare bully someone again, do you think bullying someone is fun, how would you feel if someone would bully you?" He just stared at me and left. I was shocked again. He just left, without saying a word or doing something to me? During lunch break I again saw the gangsters fighting. I didn't know what they were saying but I just saw the guy from earlier left.

Our mom picked me and Levi up from collage. - "What wrong with you? you seem to be lost". "Sweetie are you ok?". They asked me worriedly. I told them what happened. Levi was shocked but mom wasn't. "So, your dad was right, you have the power". Mom whispered slowly but enough for me and Levi to hear. "What?" we both asked at the same time. My mom looked at me and continued "I think it's the time for you to know the truth about yourself, about the power you have".  I just looked at her. She continued "Your voice has the ability to change people's perceptions through the words you speak. Your father was also the same." Our jaw dropped. My mom just smiled at me. – "Your father didn't name you "Ava" by accident. In both Persian and Urdu, Ava means "the voice"." – "So, she is not a normal human?" Levi asked being all surprised, but he continued "Well, I don't care, for me she's still my little dumb sister..." I slapped his shoulder playfully as he started to laugh". Mom looked at us with a smile on her face.

Suddenly mom stopped the car. We looked around. There were a lot of people standing next to the road looking at something or maybe someone. We get out of the car and as we were expecting the officers were there. We went closer. There was a black man on the ground panting with a bleeding nose. On the other side there was a woman with a child who looked around four. They were crying. Obviously, his wife and son. I looked around. Why is no body showing any reaction? They were just looking at the poor man getting beaten up by officers. Everybody gasped the moment one of the officers pointed a gun at the man, aiming his forehead. Suddenly I remembered my friend's father. The way my friend was looking at her father with tearful eyes and they just killed her father in front of her eyes. After that, she got into depression. I looked at the eyes of the small boy. He was looking at his father the way my friend looked at her father that time. That's it, I can't stay quiet anymore. "STOP". I shouted. Everybody turned to look at me including the officers. - "please don't... he did nothing wrong". – "Mind your own business young lady". The officer said while being annoyed but also surprised because a teenage girl has just talked back to him. – "You have no rights to kill someone, how would you feel if you were in his situation right now? In front of your family?". He just looked at me. He put the gun back and left with his colleagues.

**********

That night, I started to think of the things that have happened these days, the gangsters, the officers, and everything. I changed their perspective with just a few words. Till now my voice saved a girl from being harassed, a boy from getting bullied and a man from getting killed. I start to believe that my voice and my words can do a lot. I decided that I will never stay quiet the moment I shouldn't be. Since then, "Speak up if you want to bring change to the world" has become my motto.

I read the last sentence and closed my diary. Everybody started to clap. The audience was filled with cheering. Later, journalists ran to me while asking questions. I answered all of them with a smile. I'm now 32 years old and the author of the book "Ava". Things have changed a lot since then. We are living in a better community. There is justice between everyone. People are living with each other in peace. This was the world I have always dreamed of. A world filled with humanity.