343Please respect copyright.PENANALAxv6llvu1
343Please respect copyright.PENANAg1Pi1A2xsq
343Please respect copyright.PENANANSURRv0Txs
343Please respect copyright.PENANA1b1JzzRCg7
343Please respect copyright.PENANACYMtKqRn0m
The Knock
343Please respect copyright.PENANAr4E6SdcFiD
I had been pondering about the time my dad had put the phonograph and all of my family was listening, the tune was soothing and calming. We were a small family of 4, me, my annoying brother, my mom, and dad. Now, back to the pondering, the room was quiet and the melody was bouncing back and forth through the white cemented walls not to mention, the entire black neighborhood we lived in. Mom and dad were headbanging with the tune as well as tapping their foot on the ground.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAwXqI2rBr0L
My brother, who was annoyed by family night, whispered to me, “This is probably old people fun.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANA5l0sCHZMIb
I shushed him and said, “Just shut up and listen, it's about to end.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANA2TyBk2PY6U
Admittedly, I was a bit annoyed by it too, family night was a waste of time, I thought.
The tune ended, and we were relieved. “Ok, now both of you, go to your room and sleep,” my mother ordered us.
343Please respect copyright.PENANADvh2C8KhxB
“But, we don’t have school tomorrow.” I told her, “and I am not sleepy”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAtbEzEemPvp
“Yes, but you have to sleep early, remember? Tomorrow, Summer vacation starts, and you can’t be sleepy on the first day can you?”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAwZDCgC72uC
I decided not to argue with her, so me and brother, Alex, started walking towards our room. But as we were, a loud crash came to the door.
343Please respect copyright.PENANANRllEnaL6z
My mother commanded me and my brother, “Hide in your room and lock the door.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAOSUbg8GlUv
“What about you mommy?” Alex resisted her command.
Then, father hurriedly backed up mother and exclaimed, “Don't worry, we will be safe, now go and hide,” his voice cracked.
343Please respect copyright.PENANA0eC5Yu8NcZ
Then, I grabbed my brother's arm and sprinted to my room, as I firmly locked the door with a key, Alex asked me, “Do you think they are buyers?”
343Please respect copyright.PENANA0CqsouLHlc
“It could be,” I replied. Not knowing that as an older brother, I should have instead comforted him.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAn1k7pdPCPO
Both of our ears were stuck to the door, we were trying to listen to our parents. Then, a split second later, we heard a loud crash and suddenly there were voices of people I’ve never known, they were shouting and I heard pieces of a metal crash. I got really scared and didn’t know what to do, so, as an instinct, I hurriedly took the key out of my pockets and unlocked the door. Next thing I knew, my brother was shouting at me from my back and in front of me, I saw my parents forced to sit on the ground and they were handcuffed. Standing behind them were 3 armed people, 1 of them told his comrade to handcuff me and my brother, who I didn’t know had followed me. I saw the tears and pain in my parents' eyes as we were captured, my mom shouted, ”WHY DID YOU --”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAPHgprq7Bqb
Her voice was overridden by one of the man’s who shouted,” SHUT UP.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANA5TF071iPBj
But I think I knew what she was saying.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAT3j7n0Hkzg
343Please respect copyright.PENANAxGGNvvWQ0B
343Please respect copyright.PENANAx86JO4mgMc
Back To The Present
343Please respect copyright.PENANALU0bvvgOnc
Now, 1 year has passed and we are all fortunately over the tragic events that were held. We have just been transported to a new labor camp named Swahili, and we’ve been given a small room. It’s night and my family just laid down after a long day of work, my father and mom slept on a bed with an old and lumpy mattress while my brother and I slept on the sleeping bags. Laying down, I was wondering, ”What is going to happen, how will we survive?”
343Please respect copyright.PENANABZ51nD0ps2
Suddenly my mom screamed, ”Abraham, go close the light switch and sleep!”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAClmw9bKUVH
“Yes mom,” I replied as I took off my blanket and got up to switch off the light. The switch was white, unlike the rest of the wall, which was brown and had black mold covering them.
343Please respect copyright.PENANABJYotrbfIP
Soon in what seemed like a blink of an eye, it was 7 am and all of us woke up, we all quickly took our buckets and raced downstairs to fill our buckets with water from the fountain in the middle of the residential area. After we were all done, we all ate an insignificant amount of dry, old gravy despite knowing today was going to be a hard day since potato season had just come and the owners were overwhelmed. Soon after, we all headed to the field along with about 50 other slaves. There, it felt like we were in a furnace! Throughout the day, my job was to hold the ladder for my family when they were picking the potatoes from the trees, so they wouldn’t injure themselves. I had to rush to anyone who screamed my name, and even though I was the one who wanted to pick the potatoes, my dad kept telling me I was too young. Though I didn't get how that was logical, I didn’t argue because he was never in a good mood these days.
343Please respect copyright.PENANA3r1aAQf4rR
343Please respect copyright.PENANAn922O1avVK
343Please respect copyright.PENANAShZPeCUrnC
343Please respect copyright.PENANATWeGErmmEL
The Escape Plan
343Please respect copyright.PENANAEBfrwAmKH4
Soon after many tiring hours, we all gathered for dinner and my family sat on the table which was on the far right side.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAgjr1V1220N
We all took deep breaths after all that work and started eating food, I must have been about halfway finishing my food when father sneakily whispered to us, “So any ideas for the escape I told you to brainstorm about 1 week ago?”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAtQVhcmb9CH
My brother and mom stared nervously at the table, which I assumed was because they either forgot about it or were too nervous to even think about it.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAci3IegaoKX
I replied silently, ”Yes I do.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAGiSJ9biROF
Both of them looked relieved.
343Please respect copyright.PENANA9z2cirbbwS
When I got their attention, I added, “I’ve been observing the guards every day. When the guard who secures our side of the camp changes shifts at 6:30 am, there is a 35-second gap in which no one is securing it. In that window of time, we can run to the barbed wire wall beside the crop field and climb it by using the ladder which is used for picking up the potatoes, which dad will have taken the night before with the owner's permission to pick up corn over the night.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAkWuPqRWA6P
“One question.” My dad uttered, “what are we planning to do after that?”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAEwETBQP0Sy
“We will keep running until we are at the Nairobi Seafront, and once we reach, we can take a boat to America with our savings from mom's purse,” I answered.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAhAwXSfggZY
My mom continued and asked, ”When can we do this?”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAurOQoaB30S
I nodded towards my father, we all knew it was his choice.
343Please respect copyright.PENANA8pknqzlffe
Father told us, ”We will gather our supplies tomorrow, since the day after, we will escape.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAoPRsqziqyL
As soon as he said that, we all fell back to our chairs, relieved, the plan was made and we wouldn't have to whisper anymore.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAgpQ91cvEhU
343Please respect copyright.PENANAlK5lgoa43m
343Please respect copyright.PENANAydRcZVp4zW
343Please respect copyright.PENANAdKgEXZ1nm1
Ready! Action!
343Please respect copyright.PENANAPhDOEy2bWX
The next day, my mom asked me about how I was feeling about the escape, I said, “I’m ready,” but deep inside I knew I was nervous and not ready because all of this was happening quickly, but for my family’s sake, I knew I had to be brave and put on a little acting. Throughout the day, I waited eagerly thinking about our old life, ”It seems like it was a lifetime away,” I wondered, missing it.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAzwh16V4NwF
As darkness hit, we were discharged, all of us gathered in the room and got ready. My mom packed all our valuables like money, snacks, and sleeping bags, while dad went outside to ask the owner if he could borrow the ladder to pick crops during the night and earn extra money. Once everyone was back, we all went to sleep, but I couldn’t. I kept thinking about any flaws in the plan and wondered if there were, it would be my fault. “What if they changed the shift timing? What if we can’t run quickly while holding the ladder?” I thought. After a lot of committed tries to fall asleep, I did.
343Please respect copyright.PENANA86XpPzlvj7
A few hours of rough sleep later, I heard someone saying, ”WAKE UP,” it was my dad who had managed to wake all three of us at the same time. I looked outside the curtains and it was dawn, we all got ready in a rush and now it was time for the time of my life.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAd9MAR7W21Z
While we were in a hurry, in the middle of everything, my mom named my Alex and I to the corner of the room. “Are both of you sure you are ready? And please, you don’t need to lie for the family.” She begged.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAcVjSPUb3F1
My dad asked us,”Is everybody ready?”
343Please respect copyright.PENANA84VbIDukuQ
We all replied with, “Yes,” and we walked outside.
343Please respect copyright.PENANA9o9cpsLXwR
My mom and brother were carrying the sleeping bags and the necessities while my dad and I were carrying the long and heavy ladder. Outside, it was silent, some of the room lights were already open and people were beginning to wake up, it made me less nervous. Once we were a few meters away from the barbed wire, dad told us to stand still and silently behind a wall and then checked his watch, “1 more minute left.” At that point, I was sweating and my heart was pounding, ”This is it,” I thought,” Either escape now or stay here for the rest of your life.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANANo60Dfs9l8
Then dad said,” Go,” and we all ran, as planned me and my father quickly put down the ladder and mother went first. Once my mother jumped to the other side, I asked her, ” Are you okay,” and I heard,” Yes.” Then my brother went with one of the sleeping bags, I followed him with the other one, then finally my dad climbed it and we were all outside!
343Please respect copyright.PENANAjeW6c2IcC1
“Everything went to plan,” I thought,” But it’s not over.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAczkh6WxWdt
343Please respect copyright.PENANAU8p7xUQdOv
343Please respect copyright.PENANA4la3q8nDWz
343Please respect copyright.PENANAjjkfmSFiQq
The Silent Run
343Please respect copyright.PENANAS9KTzWZsH0
All of us took deep breaths knowing it was going to be a long sprint, then we started to run. We must have run a few hundred meters when we were beginning to see the coast, which was about 2 miles away, I estimated. After a few more minutes, we all stopped to breathe again, mom especially looked like she was derived from oxygen.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAlxEDjVYjy4
“I don’t think I can do it,” she muttered while breathing continuously.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAMu5lT2nsy3
“No mom, you have to.” Replied Alex,” Or we will get caught.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAHALcIEFlaP
“Alex is lucky he went to the sports program,” I thought during that time
343Please respect copyright.PENANAMH0DT6Vt8l
Suddenly when we were standing still gasping, I heard footsteps behind while my family was busy in a conversation so I decided to look behind. I saw four guards running towards us, I screamed at the top of my lungs to my family and warned them, ”FOUR GUARDS ARE COMING FOR US, LOOK BEHIND! RUN RUN”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAs7ByzrrjjK
All of them got a glimpse of the guards. Hastily, we all gathered around our mom and ran as quickly as we could and dad shouted, ”Try to run quicker if you can, they are catching up.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANASg9AVW0Jjj
I looked behind and while they were catching up, luckily for us, we were about to reach the Seafront so we could blend in with the other slaves. I told my family, ”We could blend in with the others, and the guards won't be able to follow us or they will get beaten up inside.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANArWFDH1d22R
I don't know if anyone heard me since they were focused on sprinting but the guards stopped and we reached. As we entered, I noticed my father went into deep and dark thought, I wondered if he had bad memories of here, I but didn’t ask him knowing he wouldn’t give a correct answer. Soon after, father told us to wait and asked my mom to take out the money, as he counted it, he told us he has an old friend here and wanted to ask him for a cheap boat price.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAxH7jGft9hM
When my dad was gone, I had a terrifying talk with my mom about the long voyage and out of the blue, she started to cry.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAHc8SU29V8y
I replied, ”It’s okay mom, we will get through it.”
Then my dad came sprinting and sarcastically said, ”I managed to get a boat ride but it's leaving as we speak so I suggest walking a bit faster.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAm4sUabLrhA
My mom hesitated for a split second.
343Please respect copyright.PENANADLVVN7y1IM
“They won't wait for us mom,” my brother reminded her.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAADR8iu5Dc8
“Okay, let's go,” said mom.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAz20uGKvTKt
343Please respect copyright.PENANAxo74cNDIFC
343Please respect copyright.PENANAhP51ayP83B
343Please respect copyright.PENANACBeQ8TJNXL
Boarding
343Please respect copyright.PENANAWL9kbdy0jZ
It was a small boat, at the front of it was a room for the helmsman, in the middle was a space for the slaves to put their sleeping bags on and at the back part, was a deck for people to stand on. The floors were wooden and the color of the ship white. We realized we only brought two sleeping bags so my brother was sharing with my father and my mom and I was sharing, luckily though we had brought food for multiple days. People were settling in so we decided to also do it and find a good spot in the middle instead of the edge. All the people were saying bye to their loved ones over the loud noise of the ocean and soon the boat took off.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAVVQmwhHMHJ
As the land disappeared, father went to the helmsman and whispered, ”Don't tell the family I’ve worked on this ship, I told them I went on business trips when I was required on long voyages.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANArJAJpB7vEV
“Roberto, my friend, don't worry about it, they will never know. After all, you were saving lives.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAi5Cm1Qk5Ke
“Thank you Francisco!” Roberto muttered respectfully.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAVygjs9RA6U
“That’s what friends are for!” Exclaimed the helmsman.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAhlJ3TZpwvL
“And Francisco, one last question, how long will it take to reach America? Never been there before.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANATlFoBJu9JZ
“About three weeks,” Francisco replied.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAq9bbjoIFpy
“Alright Francisco, I will go take a nap.” Said, Roberto
343Please respect copyright.PENANAohxkc1uuF5
“Bye, old friend, we will be meeting each other a lot in the coming weeks, like the old times,” said Francisco as he sat on his seat and stared out on the big blue ocean.
343Please respect copyright.PENANADxzaiathrR
That whole day all of us slept, we were all exhausted from sprinting, when everyone woke up I asked my father,” How long until we reach?”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAwHHfaIMUFK
“Three weeks,” he replied, ”I know it’s tough here but we gotta make it, we’re so close.” As he realized everybody was staring at him, he added,” We will make it safely,” trying to comfort us.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAuBtnIeaOh5
On the ride, everyone was quiet and greedy, nobody shared anything knowing they might run out of it themselves. My brother hadn’t spoken anything since we had taken a step on this ship, I could tell he was nervous and seasick. All he did was lay on the sleeping bag with the blanket over him, his skin was pale and he hardly ate. My mom asked him multiple times to eat or to even talk but he just nodded his head in disagreement. During the night, it was extremely cold and the days were passing by slowly.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAR8XC9eXcOg
One day, I noticed my mom was feeling tired and looked like she was depressed, so I decided to ask her, ”Are you okay?” It took me a while to find the courage for that because we never had a close relationship.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAZGq3IsmC3m
“I am not a son, don’t think like that.” She replied.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAYlFxwzReZu
I knew she was lying but I just said, ”Okay,” for her to not get pressured. That night, I was thinking about my family worriedly and just like before yesterday, I couldn't sleep. So this caused me to stand up and go to the back of the boat to hear the ocean sounds and feel the breeze.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAtvOV1VRDkn
As soon as I stood up, my heart sank! My whole life was about to change, millions of questions went through my mind at once!
343Please respect copyright.PENANA467CY8jrKA
I screamed over the ocean waves, ”MOM, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”
343Please respect copyright.PENANA2d39C9M08v
She looked at me and replied, ”NOTHING SON, LOOK BEHIND.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANA0eHYyJj1Bl
“NO MOM DON’T SAY THAT,” I replied in horror.
343Please respect copyright.PENANA4R4Wu6zBLE
She stood up on the railing and was ready to jump, tears were running down her eyes. Unfortunately, I didn't consider just one flaw, feelings. A few minutes later, my brother came and stood right beside me.
343Please respect copyright.PENANA9gMMlK20sT
“Mo-,” he cried, “DON'T DO THIS,” he said as he teared up.
343Please respect copyright.PENANALAr95UZmuR
During this time, I was going closer to the edge as mom listened to Alex. I knew as soon as Alex stopped, I had to run and risk it. My father also joined, with a blank face and was shook in surprise.
343Please respect copyright.PENANA1wN3RMaZ7R
Soon after, my brother was forced to stop talking to hiccup and that’s when I knew I had to run, so I started. Weirdly, I was just standing there, I knew I didn’t have the guts.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAIzQaRDOdf9
My mom read her prayers and said, ”Bye. It's been a pleasure, Roberto, from the moment I met you till now. You two, never give up and move on, I love you the most.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAcZn7Y0jh4V
All three of us shouted, ”NO STOP,” but she knew she couldn’t change anything now.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAWMKe2Vv1Xu
She jumped into the cold ocean.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAGqesIPVAfK
All of us sprinted towards where she was, but she was gone, there was nothing to do now. Father hugged us tightly and muttered with his cracked voice, “Move on, listen to her final wish.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAVDlhdzBQGP
I felt empty throughout the trip as if a piece of my heart was broken. I cried every day and every minute, I held my brother during those days knowing he was my responsibility and told him, ”This is not the end, it’s a new beginning.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAm0UIVPzdyV
Deep down in my heart, I knew it was my fault she was gone, if I had the guts to sprint she would be alive. I told my father about it and he said, ”It’s not, it’s nobody's fault.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANApO65K3Wokd
The rest of the trip was unclear to me, we reached America but no happiness went through me or my remaining family. We all had lost the most important person in our lives. A new chapter had begun.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAYY6f2fIj3x
343Please respect copyright.PENANAA2yjoZEtWi
Settling In
343Please respect copyright.PENANAmnh4x3liX4
Settling into the States was a pain, especially when we were just dropped off in a cargo port with nowhere to go. We were owners of just a little money which mom had left behind in her purse and didn't have anywhere to go, no relatives, no friends, and no final destination, we just needed to survive with each other.
343Please respect copyright.PENANA7qLJkspBld
“So, any ideas?” Asked my brother.
343Please respect copyright.PENANADr797cCGRK
We were all drifters.
343Please respect copyright.PENANA70OiZ8HQUE
“No,” I said.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAY4wPSk9cE3
“We can go to a camp until conditions get better I guess,” Father said
343Please respect copyright.PENANAdw1R6yF9WW
This was the first time I had seen him clueless, and unfortunately, it was in the worst possible condition.
343Please respect copyright.PENANALNhAsSHcwD
“But, which camp?” I replied
343Please respect copyright.PENANA1X1r09Hn0e
Father nodded towards a street sight, it said, “International Rescue Committee of Charlottesville, Virginia, 4 km North.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANALrXirUFOT5
“Ohh, so this is where we are. History teacher told us that Virginia is in East America towards West Africa,” my brother realized.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAdY0lzkPrp1
“Anything more that can help us?” Dad asked
343Please respect copyright.PENANAg7ZVRSdhXm
“No,” Alexy sadly replied.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAFj3G9dkvOq
343Please respect copyright.PENANAdFYw7AttLW
New Home
343Please respect copyright.PENANAroO4hZbu0i
We quickly speed-walked there and what I saw was beyond my imagination. The camp was a HUGE slump looking area, tents were cramped and it made me miss my old house even more. But I wasn't going to say that out loud, because I knew both of them were going to give me that disappointed look.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAdJKxJc0CVW
“So this is our house for the next few months huh?” My brother muttered.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAQrSiibBs6e
“Yup, I guess so,” dad sighed.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAhLATUpW8E7
Afterwards, we went to the small reception building and my dad told us to shush ourselves and behave if you don't want to be homeless.
343Please respect copyright.PENANA04LGGRAcCt
As my dad went to the counter, the unusual white lady, like everybody else in this new country, said, “Hello sir, would you like to ask anything? My name is Raisa.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANApzuMNpnFm5
“Oh, well hello Raisa, is it possible for me and my two kids to live here for a couple of weeks? Oh, and my name is Arthur.” informed father kindly.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAHuMG5lWcd0
“Well I am certain you can, follow me. Also, don't mind my curiosity, but where's your wife?” Raisa curiously asked
343Please respect copyright.PENANAD6M2nscFRS
My dad teared up a bit as the bad memories flushed through him, “She passed away a few days ago,”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAwdszoWAUJy
“Oh, I'm so sorry for reminding you, hope you get better.” Raisa apologized.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAkDGSwZEVc3
Then she showed us to our tent, it was considerably big and was brown. In front of it, was a zipper for the main door. Then, she showed us through the entire camp, the kitchen/dining area, the fountain in the middle of the entire camp, and lastly the small school they had.
343Please respect copyright.PENANA2ncuCXuaux
“I hope you don't have any more questions?” Raisa said
343Please respect copyright.PENANAI19mgOAhyy
“Nope that's it, thank you,” dad replied
343Please respect copyright.PENANAhSINOz11iF
“Bye,” Raisa said.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAxlbdOCQvXd
“Bye,” dad replied too.
343Please respect copyright.PENANA44qomhff6P
The school had no walls, but was enough for studying. Inside our tent, were 3 sleeping beds, a small side table and carpet covering the entire inside.
343Please respect copyright.PENANACyvgHJWvVx
“It's pretty cozy,” my Alex said.
343Please respect copyright.PENANA0lPLNXO2Nr
My dad and I said nothing, not because it was bad, but because we were too sleepy.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAh9Aax7CJts
343Please respect copyright.PENANANpWYtfLfeA
343Please respect copyright.PENANAoQHGFk2WXe
School Time
343Please respect copyright.PENANAOWo3okUpnm
“WAKE UP WAKE UP, ITS SCHOOL TIME.” dad screamed at the top of his lungs
343Please respect copyright.PENANA9euemIV733
“Okay okay, gimme a second, stop shouting!” My brother angrily replied.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAgALlpaTXBn
Dad gave him an eye, “Keep your manners, doesn't mean you lose them if mom is not here ok?”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAoOs957PJU3
“OK, I'm sorry, now will ya leave me alone?” Alex said rudely.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAEUadtknNVC
And dad did, he walked off angrily. I did feel bad for him and scolded him.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAhu4uhCBkcR
“Why did you speak like that huh?
343Please respect copyright.PENANAmoDrmGBqXG
“I am sorry, just got pissed off when he said the mommy part, I don't know how to apologize to him now,” Alex replied
343Please respect copyright.PENANA6B1HQtetfF
“Just… do it later, right now, get ready.” I commanded him.
343Please respect copyright.PENANApLAUYetn0C
I was kind of nervous for the first day of school, “Would the boys like me? Would I get bullied?” All these questions were going through my head.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAW3DOaWgBkg
As I walked off, my brother to the so-called, “School,” I went to my class. It wasn't really a class, the children were sitting under a huge tree to avoid the shut and in the front of the students, was a blackboard with chalk and the teacher standing there. There were all kinds and races of students, black, white, Asian, etc… The teacher was an American, she was white and to me, very unusual looking. That's what I liked about this school, different types of kids all in one place learning together, this proved that diversity is better than superiority.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAFs2hmVNbJE
“Class, this is Abraham,” the teacher announced, “He will be joining our class now on and will be studying with all of you. Abraham, my name is Emma, you can call me Em,” she said as she smiled at me.
343Please respect copyright.PENANA4ygobAJp9W
“This class is welcoming,” I thought.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAMHNUB7kxAQ
“Now, class, give Abraham a welcoming introduction.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAyomMt8Bi5r
“ Good morning Abraham!” the kids screamed.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAJmjUt8xpw1
At this point, a smile broke out, I already knew this was going to be a good year.
343Please respect copyright.PENANADhBSy9CyWO
Finally, after the long introduction, my teacher showed me where I was supposed to sit, it was a concrete pavement right at the edge of the class. The teacher told me today was, “ Humanities,” class. She told us to write an essay just to test our skills, she even gave us a paper and pencil, which came as a surprise to me!
343Please respect copyright.PENANARxHal1vbjz
Days were passing, and it was quickly. Day by day, we were all getting used to the camp, “It's not half as bad I thought it would be here.” I said after a few weeks.
343Please respect copyright.PENANARpSOxmMnsc
One day when we woke up for school, my dad was wearing a fancy suit, “Special occasion?” I asked
343Please respect copyright.PENANAYJ9fgZn2KE
My brother was in the tent too.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAbcNJmb6Kl7
“Yup! It's the interview for the job I was talking about since last week.” My dad said excitedly.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAXvIWxN7SGi
“Woo-Hoo,’ my brother got nervous too, we had been all waiting for this moment, a money source.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAGi3f76J24M
As he got out of the tent, he told us to take care and reach school, “I shouldn't get a letter from mrs. Em today alright?”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAjQxOXSmKH7
“Yes,” both of us replied
343Please respect copyright.PENANAJgAVV8HYQk
As I reached school, all the kids were settling into their places, and mrs. Em got the board ready. Weirdly, she was actually very silent with a grim face today.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAGaFhG5VuY8
Today was Maths class, we were finally going to learn what was named, “Algebra.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAYKkPy0oy8d
Our teacher had been preparing us for this topic for a long while now, and once we started, I wasn't happy. I raised my hands and told the teacher, “Mrs. Em, this is just ABC, aren't we supposed to study like in KG 2?”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAItP8thvzLj
“Abraham! GO BEHIND THAT TREE AND FACE THE OTHER WAY, DO NOT DISTURB THE CLASS ON THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC!” screamed mrs. Em
343Please respect copyright.PENANArndP9Pui4E
Believe me, she isn't always like this, something must have gotten to her today. The rest of the day was boring, Maths was my least favorite subject, I thought. And ofcourse, she told me to pass on a letter to my dad, even though I just said a single sentence.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAVhIfrELN4r
When I was walking back home after picking up my brother, he told me, “Man, I am excited to see what happened to dad's job.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAOaueJwzacD
My mood suddenly became excited, I had totally forgotten about that.” Oh yeah, me too!” I squealed.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAcG1w2jW8K6
We walked faster and reached the tent. My brother opened the zipper as I was standing beside him, as soon as we entered, we saw dad looking grim.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAPe65NfQDvZ
“You didn’t get the job huh?” I muttered as I realized our one chance of earning money was gone, erased.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAraIeZeGLmT
“Nope, I did-“
343Please respect copyright.PENANAN0BgIc8omF
“I’m waiting for the ‘but’ par to come,” Alex interrupted him.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAN7yX8I7AeS
“But, we will have to shift...by tomorrow.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAJFrJc6elU8
“WHAT!?” Both me and my screamed, “YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME, WE JUST GOT SETTLED IN.” My brother got angry, both of us were staring at him.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAqWZ2k4kwfe
“I’m sorry Alex, but it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. And, I have found a good apartment in the city for us to live in, I mean aren’t you just getting tired of this tent?” My dad said this to try to convince him.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAvx5RzHEr8K
“I am, but I have better things here, such as friends and an actual life!” Alex replied.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAfWKTIc5c5v
“Well, I guess it’s our destiny then, we have to move, I am sorry Alex.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAFiN2Gafdee
Alex teared up and went to his bed and covered himself with his blanket.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAiOjokjtKy8
“Whoof… that is one kind of a child, isn’t he?” My dad asked me.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAe66AKerLVH
“Yup, it will take a while for him to understand I guess.” I replied
343Please respect copyright.PENANAkKmiEJTY6x
343Please respect copyright.PENANAWqb9FRgI9C
343Please respect copyright.PENANA3TAmfJu91G
Bye, Camp.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAEW0i7zyevF
The next day, me and my brother both said a tearful goodbyes to our classes, as we went back home, our father was ready with our belongings and a Taxi was waiting for us.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAZjO7GIbfAY
“Ready?” My dad asked, “Yup,” we both replied.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAIQU99Ai7uA
The ride was silent, it was a half an hour trip to the city and our building, it was a big brown square with white windows, “This is so dead,” I thought to myself.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAfpjAukTvVR
We used to lift, and pressed floor 9, when we reached our doorstep, it said, “Room 209,” and we lifted the carpet to get the key. As we entered, my brother, the most excited, rushed inside. “Not gonna lie, it does feel good to have a home.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANA1DlCdGOCDl
“Agreed,” I followed
343Please respect copyright.PENANABiCK6h38NR
“Me 3,” my dad again followed, all of us had smiles.
343Please respect copyright.PENANA993hNUZwjd
The main room had yellow lights and a 4 seater wooden table, better then what we had. There was still one room though, but we did have an extra mattress, so we decided my brother would sleep with my dad in the bed and me on the mattress. There was also a kitchen, similar to the ones in hotels, with small cabinets and a sink, with an oven and a microwave.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAsC5MMpt8W2
The next day we were to visit our new school, “Virginia International School(VIS).” As I reached, I noticed that it was a huge school, “Does the whole Virginia come here?” I thought. It had a huge bell in the front and was made out of maroon bricks, old school style. But of course this meant one thing, more children, more bullies. I had really hoped this was like my last school, but it wasn’t. As I entered Mrs. Olivia's classroom, she quickly introduced me in a bad manner and a couple of kids from the back shouted, “DWEEB, MRS. Abraham,” and guess what?
343Please respect copyright.PENANAyIzIke5hpz
“THE TEACHER IGNORED THEM.” I thought, “WHAT A BAD TEACHER,” I I thought again but this time, angrily.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAQRbirjLdrU
At recess, I wanted a friend, but obviously couldn’t, all the students were white, and I was black, “The ‘INTERNATIONAL’ part in the name was clearly a lie,” I told myself.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAotp1RVYLOn
More bad things happened in recess. As I was sitting at the corner behind a tree, 3 kids came up from my classroom, Elijah, Lucas and James. They were absolutely huge, but I didn’t have the guts to tell them. As they walked right towards me, they clenched their fists in a tough manner, their leader James screamed, “GIVE ME YOUR LUNCH MONEY RIGHT NOW, OR GET AN ABSOLUTELY FREE PUNCH, NERD.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAXefC2Pzk8T
I stood up and clenched my wrists too, “WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME?”
343Please respect copyright.PENANA9XcxqloZBr
“I SAID, GIVE ME YOUR MONEY, NERD.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAjj2jdcZJL3
The anger got the best of me. I punched him right at the nose and he fell down, just like my father had taught me.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAOGZRS3iBCI
His other sidekicks stared at me and came to attack, I hit one on the ribs with my shoes, and one punched another one on his stomach, all three of them had fallen down.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAX3hS1KDXEa
I felt worried about the consequences, “But they deserved it,” I thought.
343Please respect copyright.PENANARQmdg3nwcC
“What’s wrong with you, FREAK?” Asked James rudely.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAg7YyPPjCYy
I thought of a reply quickly and said, “Well, I was raised in the slumps, wasn’t I?”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAUiG1akLz8H
Everybody who was staring at us, screamed, “OOOOHHH,” happily, I felt like I had done the school a good deed, especially to the new kids.
343Please respect copyright.PENANA2nIrD8H5fR
The next day, my dad came to the school during after-school time, we went to the principal's office and while we were walking there, he said, “Did you really humiliate that kid? Who was he? Are you a bully?”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAaYTTmN183u
“Yes, his name is James Fielder, but believe me, I might have humiliated him but he’s the bully here, he takes everybody’s money in the grade, and when someone stands up, his knuckles clench. So when he asked me for it, I gave him and his squad of hypocrites a beating.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANA0W9TwivnpC
“Ok, don’t tell that to me, tell that to the principal.” My father was relieved.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAhdmyPA5Q7E
When we sat at the chairs in front of the principal's metal desk, he introduced, “Hello sir, my name is Oliver, I’m the principal.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAPHpcqnossR
“Oh, hello principal, my name is Arthur, I am Abraham’s dad.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAHmUGJkNnla
“Thank you. Ok, so your son Abraham, just yesterday bullied three kids and their parents were complaining to me, Abraham would you like to describe what happened?”
343Please respect copyright.PENANApy0G7qu9KD
“Yes sir, here’s the story, I might have humiliated them but he’s the bully here, he takes everybody’s money in the grade, and when someone stands up, his knuckles clench. So when he asked me for it, I lost my anger and gave him and his squad a beating. You can ANYBODY and I mean, ANYBODY in the grade to back that up.” If you hadn’t noticed, I was mimicking exactly what I had said to my dad, with polite words.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAjM2NUDuWr4
“Ok, he might be a bully, but that doesn’t give you an excuse to break his nose and severely hurt his friends. Mr. Arthur, I will decide the consequences with the teachers over the weekend, until then, wait.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAQQtkmwcFLJ
My dad and Oliver stood up and shook their hands, I just followed my dad out of the gate where the Taxi and my brother were waiting.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAoKEwsvNgtk
“What happened Abraham?” Alex questioned
343Please respect copyright.PENANA0zYrfRM5XI
“Nothing, I just beat up bullies since they started to fight me first.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANABsGafRmnl5
“Oh, okay, hope you beat me up real good.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAtqCN1AHEmi
“Oh boy, you have no idea..” I said as I silently giggled with my brother.
343Please respect copyright.PENANADEmGQpR0sJ
Turns out my dad was listening from the passenger seat and got angry real quick, “YOU JUST GOT NAMED TO THE PRINCIPAL AND ARE STILL LAUGHING!? I HAD TO CHANGE TO NIGHT SHIFT JUST TO COME TO THE SCHOOL!”
343Please respect copyright.PENANADpq6Lmxbrj
“I am sorry dad, won’t do it again,” I comforted him.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAgyJVjoYVrQ
Over the weekend, we just stayed at the house, we hadn’t really found a place to have fun. On Sunday, finally, we went to the post box office and retrieved the letter. As soon as we entered our house, my dad ripped open the paper with his hands.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAgObGO6KqSm
Name: Oliver, headmaster of school
Date: 26 August of 1963
343Please respect copyright.PENANAA4MVmvF11m
Dear Arthur,
343Please respect copyright.PENANAPrOdzv9ADr
I, regretfully announce that your son, Abraham, will be expelled from Virginia Middle school, effective immediately. This decision has been made with the school board and is irreversible. We have chosen this path since Abraham broke James Fielder’s nose and assaulted his friends. We have checked for all of Abraham’s personal belongings, none are here at school.
343Please respect copyright.PENANA1mw1LABPyh
Regards, Oliver
343Please respect copyright.PENANAT0EofcTK9p
Addressed To: Arthur Queen
343Please respect copyright.PENANA8ArCiYeQK9
343Please respect copyright.PENANAnYxAXowV0h
“Martin Luther King Jr, well well well, finally, it’s your time, go on that stage and tell the world about all the racism around the world,” said the assistant.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAVE6pCWB0pH
Luther replied, Yup, it is my time, and yours, don’t forget, you helped me write it too, we will tell the world about, “I Have A Dream.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAH86nzaA1ZV
“Ok, now go on, show the world what racism is,” the assistant replied.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAJW5PPZofhp
Luther walked on the stage of the Lincoln Memorial, he paced around and started saying, “I say to you today, my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American Dream.
343Please respect copyright.PENANABNuCPczfYR
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident; thal all men are created equal.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAwTYy0wblFF
Abraham, Arthur, and Alex were all staring at the television, it was live broadcast of Martin Luther King Jr, the man who later abolished slavery.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAU6mXsQZxqm
“I have a dream that one day down in Alabama with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and little white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today.”
To give a bit of background information, after Arthur opened that letter and read it, he scolded Abraham A LOT, and then grounded him for six days in the house, no television, no getting out of the house, no entertainment at all! He had hoped this would be enough to, “Fix,” Abraham.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAyMso5vlA4Z
Even Alex had felt bad for Abraham, for his punishment, he knew that what Abraham did had to be done, he knew the real story. Alex had always been annoyed by this, he knew that adults were too arrogant because of their age, and never actually focused on the full story.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAOzOVccYsxy
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plains, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all the flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with.
With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.
With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.
With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning, "My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my father died, land of pilgrims' pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring".
And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
343Please respect copyright.PENANATNVjCg9lQB
Literal tears were popping out of Arthur’s eyes, both the children were surprised to see that. For them, their hero was Martin Luther King Jr., they had given him all the hope and were rooting for him to convince the government to abolish slavery, all around the world with the United Nations.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAjYbKVq8DWL
Days were passing by quickly, again. It was usually the same, boring old life. There was one tist, Abraham was now getting homeschooled by his father, whenever his father came back from work, he taught him Maths, and Science. Abraham had begged him to go to school, but his father won’t allow him even though he wanted friends and wanted to be a normal child, most importantly, he wanted to be white.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAI7Ne4NBAwP
He always told his father, “Why aren't we white? Why did mom have to die?”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAmziAIA3L5F
His father always replied with the same thing: “Be proud to be black. One day we will have money and will be eating in a house in Africa, we will have the perfect life.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANAU5WOE5HqKp
“But when? When?!” Abraham screamed, “Martin Luther hasn’t done anything, we haven’t even had a proper funeral for mom!” he cried.
343Please respect copyright.PENANALeP7wh4yWG
Everytime you thought things were getting better, they didn’t. All of them were beginning to get tired of living like this, and wanted to go back to where they belonged: Africa. And while you might have thought that they were over the mom, they weren’t, Alex openly said we can start facing it after we can have a funeral, not before.
343Please respect copyright.PENANA7lpEI6gLZn
The only good thing was that the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), Martin’s organization, was progressing slowly. The request had been sent to the United NAtions and they said they were processing it. The 3 of them thought that meant slavery probably still wouldn’t be abolished, but there opinions were about to chnage, not only that, also their life!
343Please respect copyright.PENANAYFzWCSui23
“Today’s finally the day our destiny will be written eh?” father said
343Please respect copyright.PENANAHQ8kiAXeht
Alex and Abraham nodded, they watched their father walk out the main door to the mailbox. “UH UH!” Arthur exclaimed, “I have the newspaper.”
343Please respect copyright.PENANANhFS4dG5yW
He rushed back inside to the house with the newspaper in his hands, they all waited eagerly as his father opened the newspaper.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAoWqGwAPtek
BREAKING NEWS!343Please respect copyright.PENANA90gdO6Fe2y
ONCE IN A DECADE!
343Please respect copyright.PENANApXsMg0TivP
July 2nd of 1963th:
Today, our reporter from the Guardian Newspapers reports from the Lincoln Memorial that the president finally announced the news we had all been waiting for! Here's a look at what John F. Kennedy had to announce:343Please respect copyright.PENANAfplrBEqMGq
Today, my fellow American citizens, and citizens from around the world, I happily announce what all of us have been rooting for. As I have said before, not every child has an equal talent or an equal ability or an equal motivation, but they should have an equal right to develop their talent and their ability and their motivation, to make something of themselves. We have a right to expect that the Negro community will be responsible, will uphold the law, but they have a right to expect that the law will be fair, that the Constitution will be color blind, as Justice Harlan said at the turn of the century. This is what we are talking about and this is a matter which concerns this country and what it stands for, and in meeting it I ask the support of all our citizens.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAmxe1x8ofWP
Slavery is no more.
Thank you very very much.
343Please respect copyright.PENANAXAmVYuV8wi
343Please respect copyright.PENANAFPL2X5HeJA
343Please respect copyright.PENANAGIuqHFytiJ
343Please respect copyright.PENANAfWAmPeMwd7
343Please respect copyright.PENANAzgDPRw6vck