Till Heaven Reunites Us

The feeling of being a stranger is slightly comforting.

'Dua, jaldi karo, we're going to be late'
'Ma I said I'm coming'  I took one last look at my bare room, it had never been so clean.

I remember when I first moved here, my main complaint was the fact that the windows were too high, now that seemed too low. I moved here when I was in year five, my tongue was laced with a thick northern accent than none of my classmates let me forget. I was short, chubby, tan and most importantly young. Now eight years later I was leaving again, this home that I so quickly settled into was going to be left behind. It was overwhelming. I'd never though I'd be that person who would get overwhelmed by moving but here I was.

This place was not just a house but three levels of history that shaped me to be the person I am now I'm. The good, the bad, the ugly these unevenly painted walls had seen it all.

'Duaaaaa!'
'Okay, I'm coming' I yelled back, I can't do anything round here.

I closed by and jogged down the stairs putting my emotions to a side. I reader the bottom of the stairs where my two sisters- Sabr aged six and Trinity aged 15- were sat.

'Can you pleeease move out the way' I said trying to sound as kind as possible.

Noor huffed while moving from the stairs.
'Your going to miss me, I know it' I said trying yo tease her, I had gotten good at it over the years
'Eww you think too much of yourself" she swiftly responded.
'Shut up man"

"Ooo, the happiness of moving out has gotten your skin glowing' my mum gleaned as she walked out the kitchen to the hallway.
'You ready?'
'Yes let's go!'

We were about halfway on route to my new home, I had only seen it once in March when I went to view it, I had yet to meet any of my new housemates and furthermore know if I was going to be able to live with them. Sabr needed to go to the toilets, as per usual so we pulled up to a service station.

The feeling of these places always made me uneasy. The unwelcoming stares of people mixed with the subtle disrespect in their actions made me feel like an outsider. But I had no choice but to go in, I wasn't going to let these people be the reason why I get a bladder infection.

All went well till we were walking back out.
My sister saw the claw machine, I tried to grab her, I really did bet her small arms wriggled out of my grip and off she went. Before I could even run after her she had reached the machine and was staring wide eyed at the prized. In a matter of seconds a middle aged, slightly sad looking, white woman approached Noor and scornfully order her to take her hands off.

'EXCUSE ME, this machine in not for under thirteens!', as a young woman who has dealt with this type of micro aggressions countless times in my life before, I felt the need to say something.

'Oi there's no need to uses that tone with her yeah, she's a child not your bloody mate'
'That machines not for f*cking use though' she spat back.
'I don't motherf*ucking care what your not going to do is be disrespectful to a child whilst I'm standing here'

This argument lasted for what when by fast but was probably about five minutes. A crowd of people has gathered, I could tell that none of them were on my side.

Ironically, I the eighteen year old decided to be the the bigger person and walk away.

I reached the car that was parked at the end of the car park, a habit of my mum.

'What took you so long?' She inquired innocently.
'This ugly khoti started a fight with me, Noor was playing with she machine and she decided to be a b*tch about it'
'What! Who?'
'But don't worry I handled it, I'm not going to let her ruined today'
'These women always have a problem with everything we do, they want to scare our children.'
'Forget about it, lets get back to driving.'

Two hours later we were greeted with the classic 'Welcome to Birmingham' sign. My heart was racing, this is it.

My new home, the feeling of being a stranger to a city is strangely comforting. Nobody knows my name, nobody knows by past the possibilities of the future are endless. The moon and the earth are still the same but still I feel I am sleeping underneath a new sky. The diversity of this town is truest mesmerising, the limitless opportunities are never tiring. My new home where I am to find shelter, my new home come whatever weather.