Before starting off, tell me how you would want your mornings to be? Cheery and motivational right? Today begun with a rather unusual beginning, nothing what my father’s folk tales begin with. According to father it was 5:09 in the morning and this time, I didn’t wake up with the shrieking voice of my mother nor with the excitement for school next day instead, it was the thunderstorm that woke me.
Thunderstorm boomed in the sky making me rise from my sleep. I tried to sit straight and shake away the sleepiness but my eyes refused and finally I was forced down to continue my sleep. The thunder struck again after a minute or two, only this time I was determined to sleep so I hid my head under my hard pillow and thought of happy-memories which could make me fall back to sleep. My brother lying next to me was getting disturbed with me wriggling in the bed so I smoothly moved, placing the tough pillow upon my head. Don’t get me wrong but we never had such joyful events back in Waziristan or here so it was hard for me to search through my memories and find one that really made me happy. I thought of our house back in Waziristan. In the huge garden I visualized my brother and I playing hopscotch while my mother prepared refreshments for that evening. My dad sat in the veranda with the fellow villagers enjoying their talk. Voices could be heard of wee babies weeping while the mothers calming them. For once I was able to sleep since nothing else would make me happy than the thought of going back to where we belong. I slept safe and sound besides the deafening noise of the thunder didn’t bother me anymore all thanks to my pillow which rested upon my head.
“Shireena! You sleepy head wake up! Wak- Oye! Get the clothes in!”
I refused to wake up and give in to the person who was trying his best to wake me up so I further hid my head under the pillow and wrapped myself in the blanket, the noises canceled out for once although this time, I did not sleep. Next someone kicked me and was shaking me with haste: “WAKE UP AND HELP US!”
I forced my eyes open and what I saw made my blood run cold. It was something that you might not have experienced nor wanted to see when you wake up. Mornings are supposed to be cheery and bright unfortunately this was never the case with me. With the exit of the tent stood my mother all soaked up trying to grab the clothes off the clothing line without getting them wet. At the other side Voices of my brothers quarrelling was to be heard.
It was raining cats and dogs and when fate hands us a lemon, let's try to make lemonade.
Without any second thoughts, I yanked myself from my mattress and piled my blankets with the others which were now piled in the center of the tent where water could not possibly flood in. Next I dashed out of the tent and carried the pans and pots in. I still hadn’t completely woken up so I struggled in walking around and I was clearly wriggling like a worm. There were a lot of them outside in the temporary kitchen and I needed help to carry them. “Oye Brother! Come and help me out!”
“Finally decided to wake up you clumsy cow?”
“Would you help me or rather have all your food and food supplies wet?”
My brothers agreed with the picking up of the pots and pans while I cleared off the food supplies. While picking up our supplies I noticed my friend along with her father struggling to fix the tent in place. It must have detached from the hook as the ferocious wind blew. Loud noises could be heard from the surroundings of people shouting to one another, asking for help. Obviously I was soaking wet and was ice cold but I didn’t pay attention to that possibly because I was engaged in protecting some of our food from the rain water. Carefully placing the food supplies near the blankets where they were away from the water flooding in, I rushed in service of my mother. The water was continuously flooding in the tent and the rain seemed to get more loud and harsh. The horizon would lit up as the thunder would be heard and the daunting boom would make me jump. Mother continued getting the water out by filling the buckets and throwing the water at the other side but that was clearly not helping.
