Day thirty-one

The sky is black and a huge dark foam-spewing wave is crashing down on us.

Day thirty

There are pirates. I wait for the smugglers to fight the pirates but they don't. Instead, they jump on the pirate ship. They're abandoning us! We starts passing the ball around. A pirate sees it and kicks it. I know I should let him but my leg is faster then my brain.I kicked it and he falls. The other pirates laugh. He kicks me hard. I managed to sit up after Rashida rubbed my hip for ages. The pirates are finally gone.

Day twenty-nine

Its Bibi's birthday. We plan a birthday party and thought of having it when we reach Australia.We start talking about the good things that might be in Australia.

Day twenty-eight

I wake up. I am not seasick anymore. I heard smugglers shouting. They yelled that the price we paid was wrong and we had to pay more to get to Australia. The sailor in yellow holds out a bucket to everyone. Rashida takes out a watch and says 4 person. The sailor in yellows looks at the watch and walks away. Rashida said that her father bought the watch with the rest of his savings, he knew that this would happen.

Day twenty-seven

I feel seasick. The waves had gotten bigger. The kids thank me for the bread. I kept reminding myself why I was doing this. I hope we get there soon.

Day twenty-six

The nasty sailor was sleeping. The three other sailors are watching me bake bread on a diesel engine. Its not easy miming to them but I had to. The sailors are impatient. It was really nice of Rashida to let me use the flour.

Day twenty-five

The teenage girl offers us to sit on her blanket. A woman offer us some soup but I refused seeing she has 3 kids. The teenage girl introduced herself to us. Her name is Rashida. She asked if we had food. We said our parents had all of them. Rashida opens her suitcase and offer us a can of suitcase and a bottle of water to each of us. Bibi hates sardines. I offer to teach her some football skills. She offer us sun protection cream when we were sunburnt. I peek into Rashida's suitcase, she has got something very precious, flour.

Day twenty four

Omar keeps throwing up. We haven eaten since last night and Bibi is feeling hungry. the girl in front of us is covered with a blanket. The edge of her blanket catches fire I yelled. I steps on the fire until the flames are out. The sailors does not allow the girl to have food. But the girl said thet they proberbly didn't waszh their hand before opening the packet.

Day twenty three

We told the man in yellow overalls that we are on the wrong boat but all he do is spit onto the deck. Bibi started to go ballistic. The sailor walked towards us. Then a smuggler told him to get to work. i said to the smuggler that our family is on the other boat and I begged him to send a radio message and they'll be on their radar. But he said he haven't got a radio or radar. I started to panic. A voice said, my parents is on that boat too.' I turned around, its the boy. He introduced him to us and I introduced us to him. His name is Omar.

Day twenty two

Bibi and I are in the water. I feel something pulling us up. Its the man in yellow overalls. I hugged Bibi tight. I thought of Mum and Dad. I looked around I could not see them. I looked at the other boat, I saw them, Mum and Dad. The gap of the two boats is about two football pitch.

Day twenty one

The gate opened, everybody is rushing to get on board. We almost lost Dad and Mum. Bibi wanted to get the ball. I tried to stop her but its too late. The boy who tried to steal my ball help. But he lost his balance and tumbles into the water. On the deck, there is a man in yellow overalls holding a long pole with hook, perfect for saving the boy. I tred to tell him but he don't understand. I tried to grab the pole but he slaps me.

Day twenty

The smugglers keep us shut in ahot and stuffy house all they with only one meal of noodles a day. There are only two boats and there hundreds of families in here. Bibi kept asking questions, I told Bibi we would have football practice before, Mum and Dad go mental. People look shocked and amazed. Then, a person joined in, it was the boy who tried to steal my ball. The boy said that it was his ball, Bibi yells at the boy. He tried to grab the ball from me, he can't get it and I can't too. He looks over to Bibi and said that she could have the ball if she'll be his girlfriend. She kicks him on the leg, he staggers back and I fall on him, the ball soars over the fence and disappears between the boat and the dock.

Day nineteen

The plane's taking off, we should be delighted but we're not. I try to take my mind off the candlestick. One of the overhead cupboard doors fell off. Other passengers looked afraid too. I tried to reassured Mum telling her that there are machine guns and rockets but Mum said that this was a passenger plane and passenger plane don't have machine guns and rockets. With no candlestick we're going to have to look after each other.

Day eighteen

We were in an airport. We walked to the plane but was stopped by security guards. They said bags have to go in a hatch at the side of the plane. Dad refuses. He has heard too many stories of people putting their bags on boots and never seeing them again. The security guards said angrily that no metal objects are allowed on the plane. Dad said there was no metal objects. One of the security guards with the sword glides the sword over the bags. I remembered Mum's candlestick, it's made of metal. But the alarm doesn't go off. I checked the bag, there was no hard object. Mum must have sold the candlestick.

Day seventeen

I pleaded the police not to arrest Dad. But Dad gave me pleading looks, Mum appears beside me and I asked her what is going on. I saw Dad giving money to one of the policemen. At first, I thought Dad was giving money to the policemen to not arrest him but he was giving money to get the policemen to help us get to Australia. I told them everything I hearsd about Australia but Mum does not look happy. 'Maybe we haven't found out about the bad things about Australia' Bibi said.

Day sixteen

I decided to bake bread, not only can I feed hungry people around me, I can also attract Dad's attention. But I need salt. The boy who tried to steal my ball, gabbed my hand offering to take me to my family for a dollar. But I don't have a dollar. He wants the ball. I did not have time to say anything he grabbed my hand as he zig-zag past tents. He leads me to a road where a modern car drive past, the boy said United Nations give people tickets here. I tried to get the tickets but there are just too many people. The men yelled to the crowd but they wouldn't listen. The men got into the car and drove away. Suddenly, I see our tents, with Dad, Mum and Bibi outside. I panic as I saw policemen surrounding Dad.

Day fifteen

There were thousands of tents. We made ours too. Dad tried to find ways to get to Australia and I practiced my ball skills. A ball with a gloomy face asked if I wanted to buy water, drinking water. I said no. I offered to play football with him. I kick the ball to him and he runs off with it. I chased after him, when he saw me getting nearer, he drops the ball. I picked it up. I was at a different part of the camp, filled with hungry people waiting for shipment of food. I stopped a truck which its driver told me about what had happened to those people. I told them I wanted to go to Australia. Another man appeared saying all the good things about Australia. He must be from Australia. I tried to find my way back to our tent but I could not find it.

Day fourteen

Bibi kept asking if we were there yet. We lying under smelly old sacks in the back of a truck. I asked Dad where exactly are we going, Dad was reluctant to say but Mum said he should tell us. He finally said we were going to Australia. Suddenly , the truck slow down then stops. I could hear a few men shouting. Mum told us to lie still and not to make any sound. Dad suddenly said goodbye, we must have crossed the border and Dad is saying it to our country.

Day thirteen

Bibi and I ran back to the shop, crying. I kept asking myself if they were going to be ok. We arrived at the shop and Mum and Dad were not there yet. While I was packing everything, Bibi suddenly screamed I rushed outside. Mum and Dad had arrived. They said we were going on a trip. I helped Dad repaint the taxi, which Dad said he would sell it to get money for the trip.

Day twelve

There are hundred of people outside the football stadium. I saw that people are going in without tickets. We went inside. Suddenly, the stadium was quiet. A army truck drove on the pitch, they open the back and drag out a few woman. suddenly, a woman broke away. There was something about the way she ran, it was mum. A taxi drove in, mum got into the taxi. The taxi then drove away, it was dad.

Day eleven

Dad told us to wait in a shop, he said he had to pick mum up. He gave me some money and a note to find a taxi and pass the money to the taxi driver if he was not back yet by late afternoon. He pointed to me where he would pick mum, it was at the football stadium. I was eating breakfast that Dad left for us when it struck me that Dad and Mum had the same plan as me, to explain how our football skills would help. We are going to the stadium as they will need us there to convince the officials.

Day ten

Dad told us that Mum wanted us to go to the city and we'll meet Mum there the next day. I gave my ball to Yusuf as his got blown up in the explosion but he refuse to accept. Dad made us lie on the floor in the back of his taxi in the back alley where nobody noticed.

Day nine

I waited till everybody was asleep then I crept out to practice my football skills. I needed to practice if I wanted my plan to work. Just then, Bibi saw me. She wanted to play with me and before I could stop her, she took the ball from me and kicked hard. The ball thumps on the door of our house. Then, our house explodes. I thought it was because of the kick but it was not, I found out that it was the government who did it.

Day eight

Yusuf's grandfather and me were watching a football match but my mind wasn't in the game, I was thinking of a plan so that we don't have to leave. Yusuf's grandfather said that a Liverpool player had gone overboard. I asked him the meaning of 'overboard' and he said that it means to do something that is bold, wild, dangerous and daring. Then, it hit me that if I can become the star of Afghanistan national football team, then we can stay.

Day seven

I don't want to go, I can't bear to. None of us wants to leave but we have to. Mum took down all the school stuff and buried them in a hole in the cellar and Dad's saying goodbye to his beloved oven. Suddenly, I'm determined to find a way for us to stay.

Day six

I expected a yelling from Dad and Mum for breaking Mr Nasser's window and Bibi playing football but they did not. Instead, they hugged us. Then, they had to break the bad news that we must leave as the government had found out about the school.

Day five

Me and Bibi creep into the village with Bibi in disguise as a boy. I saw that Mum's shutters are closed which means she's still asleep and Dad's taxi isn't there yet. Just when we thought that everything was fine, Mr Nasser accused us of breaking his window. He threatens to call the police but Dad's taxi pulled over and Dad manage to stop him.Dad drives us to our place and told Yusuf to get off. Dad looked really angry, which I hope he is pretending to but no, he isn't winking as he should if he's pretending.

Day four

I didn't hear any bang which was good. I rushed to Yusuf and Bibi, the mine hasn't gone off because Bibi's weight is still on it if she moves, the mine will explode.Bibi stepped on the mine because she saw something she wanted for her project. There was only one thing to do, to exchange places with her. Bibi was reluctant but I manage to convince her into doing it. My leg is on the mine already, Bibi was on her way back when suddenly she ran towards me and hug me she moved to fast and we both sway and fell off. But the metal plate hasn't flipped up. I dragged her to the village, we survived.

Day three

I told Bibi to go home while I talk to the tank. She wants to argue but I told her to help Yusuf. She does not argue as she would always help a friend. As she leave, I started talking to the tank, direct but polite. Then from inside I could hear radio static, the tank started to back away. I quickly grab my ball, thinking that everything was fine now but I was wrong as I heard Yusuf yelling,'Your stupid sister's stepped on a mine.'

Day two

Bibi was at the desert, her shot gone even further than I thought but luckily it was stopped by tank.I put my feet exactly on hers and when I got closer to her I heard a creak, the gun barrel of the tank is moving towards Bibi! I could hear my heart throbbing. Then I knew what was going on, when the tank was abandoned, they must have forgotten to put on the brakes.But when i was picking up the ball, i realized that the armor plating was vibrating, it's the throbbing of the tank's engine. I screamed at Bibi to run but she did not instead she was throwing rocks and yelling at the tank.

Day one

I was playing football with Aziz, Mussa, Yusuf and Zoltan when Bibi came wanting to play with us, without a parent and not keeping her face covered. She must have forgotten. She remembered every single ball skill I taught her. She shot a great one and the football landed into the rocket crater. She runs off to pick the ball but on the other side of the rocket crater is the open desert. Bibi must have forgotten why we don't go there.