Completed

I completed all 42 chapters of the blog. Yay!!

Day 42

Andrew was sitting in a small office in one of the buildings. He was very apologetic of not being able to bring us to Australia and giving my hip an X-ray. He told me about the cruel truth of why we could not go to Australia. He than handed me a football. He mended it with a patch of Australia's flag. He asked if I knew the secret of football. I answered him. Its never give up. He told me that everything would be fine. I looked out of the broken window. I saw Mum, Dad and Bibi walking together at the edge of the water. Although they were picking their way through plastic bags and rotting seaweed, they seemed happy and my chest filled with love and I felt I was very lucky. I knew I was not in Australia but to me, it felt just like Australia.

Day 41

I did not know I still had tears for me to cry but I had. I told Mum and Dad we were not on Australia but they did not seemed astonished. Mum hug all of us and said that she only cared about us being together and safe. We introduced Omar and Rashida to Mum and Dad. Mum cried even more when she knew that Rashida's flour saved our lives and hugged Rashida. Omar told them that he saved my life too and Dad hugged him for a long time. i then told Mum and Dad excitedly of my plan.

Day 40

I woke up. My hip hurt. I got a plan. Then, the survivors were on a rubber boat. Omar was hugging his "family", I noticed someone else there. Its Mum and Dad! At first, the warship did not see them. Then, they did! I was overwhelmed with joy and relief.My family was backed again.

Day 39

Bibi was finally asleep. Then Omar told me something. His parents were not on the boat. His parents died a long time ago. I found out that his ancestors were the thieves. I told him about my ancestors. I told him I was half desert warrior, half baker.

Day 38

Rashida spoke to the radio operator. They said the war ship tried their best. They could only find three young survivors. Rashida placed something flat on my hand. Its my football. I punctured it on the barbed wire. After I finished, Rashida was gone. Only Bibi and I were left.

Day 37

I searched around for Andrew. I realised he was out on a warship. I told a sailor to get a boat launched but he did not understand. I used a stick and draw on the dust. I could not believe that there were people like them in Australia. They told me I was not in Australia. We were somewhere else.

Day 36

Bibi passed the ball to me. I was able to sidestep pass the Aussie sailor. Then, Omar told me that there were rumors that Mum and Dad's boat sunk.

Day 35

We were almost in Australia. We were waiting for Mum and Dad's boat. However, there was no trace of Mum and Dad at the jetty. I suggested to the others to go for an exploration. Andrew gave me a strange look. Thankfully, Australians were very good at thinking of others.

Day 34

An Australian serviceman was peering into our cabin, its Andrew. He gave me some fish fingers, chips and peas. he asked about my hip and he said that I needed an X-ray. Then someone came into the room. It was Omar.

Day 33

Luckily, Rashida was still alive. She was at the top of the ladder. There was a huge warship with rockets and machine guns with laser sight. They were pointing their guns at us. However, I was not panicking. It was the Australians, they came to save us.

Day 32

I had lost Rashida, Omar but not Bibi. Bibi said that the boat would sink and we needed to inform the sailors. Bibi was thirsty. Even though we were surrounded by water, we could not drink any. Bibi was constantly scooping the water with her eyes closed as she was very tired. Some men kept looking at her as they could not believe that a female was able to keep going for so long.

Day 31

I am Dubbo Abattoirs United and i had got the ball and everything is still good. The sun is glaring. The grass is green. My hip hurts but it could not stop me from from dazzling the cup final crowd with my footwork. However, the sky is black and a bitter wind sliced through the huddled people on the deck. A huge dark foam-spewing wave is crashing down on us.

Problem

There's a problem with my computer/internet/blogger hence I cannot continue the blogging for quite some time. So if I could not keep up with the requirements of the number of posts, please pardon me.

Day 30

A boat approached us. At first I thought it was Mum and Dad's boat but it was too big. The people on the boat kept saying a word that made my insides very cold. Pirates. I waited for the smugglers to fight the pirates but I found out that they were with the pirates and they were taking our valuables away. They were dragging girls to their feet and carry them to the other boat. I told Omar to give Rashida his hat and put the knotted T-shirt hat on Bibi. While passing the ball to each other while sitting down, a pirate took a step back and swings his foot at the ball. My feet reacted faster than my brain. I trapped the ball and slide it to one side. The pirate fell over backwards. In anger, he kicked me hard in the hip. Rashida rubbed my hip for a long time till I could get up. Luckily, the pirates were gone.

Day 29

It was Bibi's birthday! I totally forgot about it! I made up some myths about the Australian government would give during someone's birthday. We got into a big conversation about this. Then Rashida told us about her life, we were very sorry for her family. Due to that, I kept thinking of my ownuncles and grandparents and Mum and Dad. THis made Bibi's birthday not so happy anymore.

Day 28

I woke up. I found that I was no longer seasick. I also found out something. The engine stopped. The smugglers were demanding more money! To my relieve, Rashida got a watch to help us pay. If this happens to Mum and Dad, Mum would give her wedding ring without a fight.

Day 27

Bibi helped me in giving some of the bread to the kids. Omar used his fishing rod to catch a fish but he had no bait. I was having seasick and i wondered how long it would last. Omar said it would last for about one week. Rashida knotted her spare T-shirt on my head to keep the sun off. Suddenly, i felt that I was going to vomit and urine but I struggled to keep it down. I knew I was getting to Australia, the laughing people, Mum and Dad and Dubbo Abattoirs United.

Day 26

I used the diesel engine as an oven to use the flour to make bread. Making bread in the night was hard without adequate light. I was very kind of Rashida to allow me to use her flour. I asked the sailors if this boat was leaking but they did not seemed to understand me.

Day 25

A woman beside us offered us some of her soup but her three small children needed the soup more. The teenage girl's name was Rashida. Omar tried to squeeze in to the conversation. Rashida opened her pink suitcase and passed us each a sardine. Bibi hated sardines but because she was hungry, she just had to eat it in a mouthful of water. I showed Rashida how I could keep the ball bouncing from knee to knee while sitting down. While she opened her suitcase and passed us a bottle of her sun protection cream, I peeked into her suitcase. I saw something among her clothes, something even more precious than gold or Manchester United season tickets for us then. It is flour.

Day 24

The deck of the boat was very crowded. Bibi groaned that she was hungry. The man in yellow overalls did not noticed that a person's blanket was on fire. I dragged the blanket off the person and flung it onto the deck and jumped on it till the flame was extinguished. Bibi and I were not given a serving of soup. However, I knew I had to be optimistic. The teenage girl confronted me by saying that the sailors might not have washed their hands before opening the soup.

Day 23

I confronted Bibi that we could radio the other boat in order to be with Mum and Dad. I asked the smuggler whether he had any radio on the boat but he replied no. He threaten us to sit down or else he would throw us off the boat. Then Bibi started to cry. When I turned around, I saw a wet figure with a mournful face holding my ball. It was the boy. I thanked him and offered a space for him. His name was Omar. He said that we would be able to see our parents in Australia if we were lucky.

Day 22

I wished Bibi would do her big kick so that I could see her. Out of the blue, I felt someone pulling my back. I was surfacing. I saw Bibi on the deck next to me. I saw two figures on the boat in front of us. Its Mum an Dad. Mum and Dad were on the other boat.

Day 21

I thought that every one was going for the ball but they were not. They were going for the boat. As we were getting to Mum and Dad, Bibi said she was getting the ball. I shouted for her to come back but she just would not listen. Then, i was shocked. The boy was going for the ball! However, he lost his balance and dropped into the water. i shouted for the sailor but he did not seem to understand. I was panicking at that moment. Bibi then kicked the sailor, the sailor picked her up and flung her over his shoulder. I staggered towards them but Bibi was already over the side of the boat.

Day 20

Bibi wanted football practice with me. Someone tackled me hard. It was the boy who wanted to steal my ball. I returned him a hard tackle to get back my ball. Bibi then scolded the boy. The boy lunged at me to grab the ball. He made an agreement with Bibi. If Bibi be his girlfriend, he would let me have the ball. Bibi hitched up her skirt and kick the boy hard. The ball was dragged towards him and I fell on top of him. Bibi gave the ball a hard kick. It flew over the compound fence and bounced off the side of one of the boats and disappears between the boat and the dock.

Day 19

The plane took off. I was very excited maybe because it was the first time I was taking a plane flight. One of the overhead cupboard doors fell off. I thought there was going to be machine guns and rockets. However Mum told me its a passenger plane that does not have any machine guns or rockets. Without the candlestick, we had to take care of one another by ourselves.

Day 18

After we alight from the bus, we stagger onto the plane. Men were checking our bags. Red lights started to flash but there was no alarm. I grab Mum's rucksack. I was hoping for the shape of Mum's candle stick but I could not find it. Mum sold the candlestick for this trip. We were not protected by Mum's ancestors anymore.

Day 17

i beg that the police would not catch Dad. I hope that I could sell my football for money to help Dad. then, Dad said that we would leave in a few days. I heave a sigh of relief. The police were helping us to get to Australia. However, Bibi was not cheerful.

Day 16

I thought of baking bread to attract Dad's attention. Then the boy who tried to steal my ball grab my hand. He brought me to the people of the united nations. I was delighted as I could not believe my luck. I walked for ages, then I saw our tent and I saw something else. Something that made me panic. Dad was surrounded by uniformed police.

Day 15

We were at the refugee camp. A boy came to me and asked if I would like to buy some water. I asked him if he wanted to play football. I kick it to him but he picked it up and runs for it. He was stealing my ball! I chased after him. Then, he drops the ball on the ground. I pick it up. Then I asked someone in a truck with a red cross. He told me all about Australia. Then I found I was lost. Am I a desert warrior?

Day 14

We were on the truck. I asked Dad where we were going. I hoped that I would be going to somewhere where has a famous football team, like Barcelona, Brazil or Manchester. Then Dad told us that we would be going to Australia. She said people in Australia are safe and happy. We laid still there, luckily, we were able to get pass. I thanked Mum's ancestors. I would not let them down.

Day 13

I squeezed out of the crowd. I hope Mum and Dad would be okay. We returned to the shop. Mum's candlestick was still burning. Then, a red and green vehicle sped to towards the shop. It was Mum and Dad. Dad then started sticking chewing gum on the bullet marks and paint over it. I used my sleeve to catch the drips of paint in order to leave no trail. I was having thoughts about my new plan. I wonder if it would work then i chose. I would do it.

Day 12

There were hundreds of people there. I thought there was a match. There was no sign of Mum and Dad. We squeezed through the throng searching for Mum but to no avail. Then on the pitch, I saw a familiar body. It was Mum. Out of the blue, there was shouting coming from the stadium entrance. It was a taxi speeding into the stadium. It was Dad.

Day 11

I asked Dad about Mum as i was very anxious about Mum's whereabouts. I looked at the cassette tape trees. The tapes were confiscated by the government to warn motorists. Then Dad put us down and asked me to get breakfast. I had an idea, i need to go to the football stadium too.

Day 10

Dad carried me and Bibi into Yusuf's grandfather's cellar. I asked Dad about Mum. I thought my voice was bomb-affected or Dad pretends not to hear what I said. After Dad embraced Yusuf's grandfather, Yusuf's grandfather blessed us. Mum was informing other school parents about what happened to the school. I wanted to give Yusuf my ball but he rejected it. I knew we will not be in Manchester but we would always be united.

Day 9

I waited till everyone was asleep, then I sneak out and practise my dribbling skills. However, I was spotted. Not by Dad, not by Mum but by Bibi. I froze at that very moment. I thought I was caught by someone. My sister then flicked the ball away from my feet.I tried stopping her. However, she sidesteps my tackle and steered the ball down the street. My sister is a football natural! Then, our house exploded. The government had blown up our house.

Day 8

I was at Yusuf's house. I was unable to focus on the football match. I was thinking of a plan to prevent us from leaving. Then suddenly, a plan hit me in the head. I thought that if I get very good at football, maybe I could convince the government to allow us to stay.

Day 7

I was very angry. Mum instructed me to pack my things while she helps Bibi. Dad was feeling sad about leaving the oven that was left by his grandfather and father. i knew I had to do something. Something to allow us to stay.

Day 6

I braced myself for a scolding by Dad but he did not. I was shock when I was informed that we needed to leave the house. Bibi and I were left in the dark of what was happening. After these years living in Afghanistan, I developed feelings for it. I knew I would miss my friends.

Day 5

While I was returning home with Bibi, when Mr Nasser accused me of breaking his window. I felt accused(obviously). Due to a mistake while showing, I broke another window of Mr Nasser's house. Thanks to father's heroic appearance, Bibi, Yusuf and I were saved from Mr Nasser. However, Dad was angry at us.

Day 4

I panicked as I ran to my sister's aid. Luckily, there was no explosion. My sister's leg was still not blown off. Suddenly I had a crazy idea. I decided to slid my foot on while Bibi and Yusuf run for it. I was scared at that moment, its like having a time bomb that would explode any time under my feet. Hey it is under my feet. Unexpectedly, Bibi ran back and flings her arms around me. Due to the awesome force, I fell off the mine and luckily, there was no explosion.

Day 3

I was shivering in fear as I pulled Bibi down with me. When we stood up, the gun barrel of the tank is still pointed at us. I did not know why but I was still shivering. I apologised to the tank hoping that I would forgive my sister of throwing stones at it. I even pleaded with him for the ball. To my relieve, the tank moved away and I got my ball back. When I got my ball, I heard a scream, it was my sister. I wondered what problem did my sister got into this time, she stepped on a mine.

Day 2

I was afraid of Bibi stepping onto any landmines. Since I could not see her, I prayed to the landmines that she would not step on any of them. When I saw the tank, I was afraid that it would spot Bibi and bring her away. But to my relieve, it did not. Bibi did a heroic thing to save the ball. She threw stones at the tank.

Day 1

On the first day, i was dreaming myself as a Manchester united player. Being so engrossed in playing, I did not notice Bibi coming. In my country, girls are not allowed to step out of the house door. It is against the law. However, my sister broke the law. Before I could react, Bibi snatched the ball away from me and delivered a hard powerful kick towards the goal. Due to having no net, the ball rolled towards the other side of the rocket crater. Bibi sprinted to retain the ball. I was shocked at that moment but for her safety, i need to chase after her and fast.