Yahma
Through the thin plain window of her classroom, Yahma, a 15 year old girl, tries to see and figure out what is going on with the teachers outside. She looks around the classroom. There were girls talking and chatting about how cute a guy looks from a band that recently became popular. Some girls discussed about their upcoming exams and some sat lonely in their last benches, a little scared, while some sang their favorite song harmonizing and synchronizing with each other. Yahma had no close friends but she had a mutual liking for all her mates. She looks back towards the window again but all she could see was her own reflection. Her heart's pace of beating was a little faster than usual. Not being able to figure out what was happening, she took out a locket from her bag that her mother had made for her birthday. It was in the shape of Dalai Lama's picture and also had writings in it that said "to my beautiful daughter". Her mother had said, "Keep this with you always, it will protect you."
She remembers her mother's words when suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by a teacher rushing inside the classroom.
"Girls! Get your things together and pack your bags. Fast!"
Whispers, murmurs and anxiety spread the whole classroom.
"Listen to me very carefully. There is nothing to be scared of.", the teacher said trying to calm the girls down.
"Because of some difficulties, we are cutting off our classes and sending you home. There will be a school bus standing outside the gate. The bus will take every one of you home with teachers by your side. No one is to go home alone, no matter how close or far they live."
In spite of repeated assurance that nothing is to be feared of, the girls were terrified. They were scared anyway and they were not wrong.
Yahma's heart started beating even faster. She put her locket inside her skirt pocket, collected her things and stood up to get in the line. She could feel her legs shaking and it felt cold. Her teeth were jittering and she felt her eyes filling up. As the line proceeded and she came out of her classroom, she saw the whole school terrified just like her. It was chaos. All the teachers running from one classroom to another, trying to handle a situation that they have never been in before or had never thought of before.
"Come 'on girls! Faster!"
"Bring the 1st and 2nd graders first. Get them to the bus!"
"There should be at least 3 teachers in every bus. GO GO FAST!"
Everybody gathered outside the school in the playground. The teachers took the young ones to the bus first. Yahma stood in her line waiting for her turn. Her head was starting to pain. She looked to her left and saw some girls crying out to their fathers and mothers. Yahma touched her heart and closed her eyes. Her heart couldn't be faster than it already was. All she wanted at that moment was to get back to her parents and her little brother.
Everybody left to their buses and were on their way home. Yahma's class was the last one to get on to the bus. Yahma knew by now that something had went terribly wrong. The teachers couldn't hide the fear in their eyes as well. She took a seat and tried to calm herself down by assuring herself that it's not too long now to be with her family. The bus moved and she started praying. She looked out of the window, the streets were empty. It was smoky outside. Houses after houses passed and there was no sign of any people anywhere outside. Yahma saw a wall painted, "Tibet! My home!". She gulped a huge lump inside her throat. A girl got down at her house with a teacher by her side. She waited for the teacher to come back impatiently. She was restless. The next stop was her house. The teacher got back and the bus moved. Yahma stood up and went towards the front, ready to get down as soon as the bus stops. As the bus turned towards her street, she saw the smoke growing denser. People running from their houses screaming out prayers and crying their heart out. Yahma started to feel a little dizzy, it was getting hard for her to breathe. As the bus neared her house and Yahma expected it to stop, the bus instead took up the speed.
