20th of September 2001
It's a cold breezy day and the tears run slowly and painfully down my face till I can taste the saltiness sting on my tongue. My dad had just left for one week to go to Afghanistan. You are probably thinking it's just one week but the Taliban were now in control and my Father was travelling there. The gloomy weather didn't help either but at least tomorrow the future literally couldn't be predicted because here the weather changes from cold to hot very quickly. The Taliban are a group of people who want to get rid of all country ways of living and shoot people even if their neighbour just gave a tip that they were going to do something the Taliban didn't want!
22st of September 2001
Dad called just as I hoped in the pool to cool me down and he is in prison, yes you read right prison! 😓 My dad can't come back for my Birthday on the 30th of September. I woke up mum gone dad in prison and me all alone in my bedroom with a note laying beside me. It read,
Dear darling
Please don't be scared I have gone out to steal money to send to your father to bail him out if prison I love you and want you to take care of Mei, if I don't return there is money in an envelope on the desk use it to buy bread and butter then a bus ride to jail and we can stay together till I get out
From your dearest Mum.
I pray to God he will keep her safe and she will return, Amen.
23rd of September 2001
Mum returned! It's cold and stormy, it is so cold that I have to wear my mittens as I write this. She has the money to bail him out but when mum went to cook I snuck into her closet and looked in purse I realised she had $100's of extra money in her bag I wonder what it's for. Thud. Dang it, I had just dropped mums bag and I heard the rustle and creak of a bed that sounded like Mei's bed (Mei was so tired she had slept an hour ago). That's when Mei woke up and came storming in loud enough to alert mum and cause her to come. Simultaneously Mei turned on the lights and mum grabbed me by the arm.
23st of September 2001 (continued)
The hot summer wind blew a light breeze on my young 9 year old face. I had just been dragged into my parents room from the closet and I had every clue why. Now my mum had a wooden spoon in hand ready as if to spank me, Amanda. I felt like jumping and scramming out of the room as fast as a cheater but the manners manual mum had been reading to me in the night times as bedtime stories strictly was against that kind of behaviour. I sat in my seat palms sweaty, knees weak and arms heavy waiting for the wooden spoon to lash on my back but it didn't, to herself mum said its time then my mums usually gentle voice cried out in a worry we are going on a boat to Afghanistan!
