Narrative About Moving Away

Growing up in a country that has a lot of distractions such as wars, fights, and death was very difficult for my family to live. One day, it was raining the whole night and in the morning my mom woke me up because it was time to go to school, as our daily basis my sister and I take a shower, dress up eat breakfast, I saw my mom was not happy that morning. I start my first class but I couldn’t stop thinking about my mother the whole period. In my second period of classes, my teacher told me my parents need me to leave early from class. I saw my sister outside of her class too and I was confused why we are leaving early from school. My stepdad and my mom weren't acting normally after that I realize something bad was happening. I asked my mom
where we are going and she said to grandma. I was really confused because my grandmother is in Ethiopia and we are in Eritrea, these two countries are in a war at that time. I didn’t ask my mother how or why I miss my grandmother and I was really happy to leave the country that is always in war and go to a peaceful country where my grandma is. I know it is really risky to cross the border of Ethiopia and Eritrea, most Eritreans decide to move out from the country because of safety and to find peace. I have heard how difficult and scary is to cross the border of Eritrea and Ethiopia. The city we live in was really crowded and full of the residents moving a lot, the day was very calm and it feels like those normal days without no sounds of guns. After they pick us up from school we go to shopping, my mom bought us hats and coats to wear it during the long journey. My older sister said, “is our mom crazy why is she taking us to a risky place.” That makes me wonder if my mom is really going to her mother or something happened. I saw different reason in my mom’s reaction to leaving our country. I know she is not leaving to our grandmother who was in Ethiopia for a long time. I know she was against the war because the war was reasonless the countries doesn’t have a reason to fight. After while I realize that might be the reason that makes my mother leave the country because she is against the war. But, I was really sad to leave the place I grow up my friends, my toys, and my home. We sat for a lot of hours inside our house to make sure that we don’t get caught because it’s illegal. My mom was packing a meal for us she was rushing and shaking, that makes me feel uncomfortable about what we are doing. All the sudden, my uncle came home after two years I was really excited to see him but I was surprised at the same time why he came at this time. My mom wasn’t excited to see her brother she was talking to him a lot I was sitting in the living room with my sister looking at them they look like they have seen each other lately. They were done talking and my mom said: “get ready we are leaving in ten minutes.” A black van comes to in front of our house, and my uncle said: “that’s our ride till the jungle”. My stepfather, my older sister my mother uncle and me was in that van. We start our journey at 8:30 pm we live in the city Eritrea and my uncle drove us to the west side which is like a village and not a lot of people lives there. It was really dark, I fall asleep in the car. I heard my mom and my uncle talking a lot I woke up, I thought we arrived in Ethiopia but, we didn’t even start. My uncle gives directions to my step dad he sounds very familiar when he talks about the directions. My uncle said goodbye and left four of us in the middle of nowhere my mom said “it’s going to be okay let’s just walk” we start walking. We follow the directions my uncle told us and it was dark but, we kept walking, my sister was thirsty and tired I was tired too but I didn’t want to make my mom angry so I just suck it in and walk. The jungle was full of trees, after half hour walk we couldn’t tell which way to go and my stepdad just started guessing which way to go. My mom tells us to take a break but my step dad said we will be late and it will be morning if we are late and we will get caught. My mom want to rest her kids but she can’t it was really risky. I was holding my step dad’s hand and my sister was holding my mom’s hand. I was exhausted my step dad understand that I was tired and he carries me on his shoulder. I heard a sound when he carries me, I was not sure if it was animal or a soldier I told my step dad I heard something and I was right. My step dad makes us hide by the three and two more solid was walking around for checking, and my stepdad cover my mouth so I can’t make any noise and my mom did the same thing to my sister. We know what it means to hide for stranger people we weren’t babies at that time, I was 12 years old and my sister was 13 years old. My mom and my stepdad were really scared nothing will have happened to me and my sister if we get caught but, my mom and my stepdad will go to prison or get shot and no one wants that. My step dad decided to make us stay in one place so the soldiers can leave.
Which was to sleep in the grass; my mom was tired and she throws our closest away into the lake. We don’t have anything to sleep on and my step dad put his jacket on the ground and he make my sister and I a little bed. I couldn’t sleep I was really cold and scared my mom and step dad was whispering about how they are going to pass the guards without them hearing us. They were really worried and sad about me and my sister I heard them saying we should’ve left the kids at home. They decide to wake up around 5:00 AM which is the time the guards go to sleep after searching. Around 4:30 AM my step dad wakes me up and told me to get ready to see grandma I feel like it was impossible because of the things that are happening to us. We start walking it was kind of brighter and we can see where we are going. My mom told us to not talk because we are in the dangerous place she told us “if you want to see granny be quite and pass this border.” The hope kept us to be quite and carefully pass the border of Eritrea and Ethiopia. I have never seen my mother that happy in my entire life. She was really happy to leave her country and to go to her mother, she was happy to land finally in a peaceful country. The journey didn’t end after passing the border, we have to walk to the city where the police station is which takes a half hour
walk.
My sister starts throwing up and sweating really bad.
She was really sick I feel bad for my sister; the fact we can’t do anything makes me mad. We don’t have water, food or any medication to make her feel better. She starts crying because she was scared and her body was shaking and freezing. After sitting for a long time holding her I decided to walk and find someone to help us. I started running I don’t want to lose my sister at that time I don’t really know where to go when I was running after a while I saw one little house. I shout out for help and one young man came outside the house he said “are you okay” and I told him what happened and where I came from. He goes back to his house and tells his parents they come out holding food, drink and they ask me where my sister is so we ca take her to the hospital. I told them where they are and they start walking with me to my family, they were really nice ad helpful, they help us carry my sister and took us to the nearest
hospital. My mom feel guilty when she saw my sister sleeping in the hospital, she thinks the journey was really risky to me and my sister. My sister starts to feel better and my stepdad decided to take us to a hotel so we can rest and take shower. The Ethiopian residents were really nice to us when we arrive they didn’t make us feel separated or scared of them because of the war they are having with our country. As our plan, we went to the nearest police station to tell them where we came from and to ask about my grandmother’s address. I was surprised how the police didn’t freak out when we told them we cross the border. He welcomes us and he asked a lot of questions to my step dad and my mom. I couldn’t believe how we survive from the journey we almost get caught and It was very risky and danger, that experience is always in my mind I will never forget the day. After all, my family and I survived the long journey to a better life to find a peace and happy life like others in this world we used to always wish which day will be the day we don’t have to hear the sound of guns every day. We had a big hope in a life we believe that we can make it if we try. This experience left me a mark in my life, I always use that experience I took as my daily motivational example if I survived a lot of deaths and risks to come to a better life I have to always try harder and work harder in life to achieve my dreams. That experience makes me believe how anything is possible and in life, if I have a hope there is a good result.