Day 20

We had got off the plane and were being shut in a hot stuffy house for ages with only one meal of noodles a day. We saw how the boat that we are going to travel on look like. The wooden sides looked splintery. Bibi kept asking Mum which one was our boat even though she had been asking for a millionth time. While we are waiting to get on to the boat, we practised our ball tricks and some people looked shocked as they probably have not seen a girl playing football before. The boy who had tried to steal my ball was here again, he wanted to get the ball due to the deal that we had made last time. The boy wanted Bibi to be his girlfriend if I wanted my ball back. Bibi was angry and gave the ball such a hard kick that it bounced off the the side of one of the boats and disappeared between the boat and the dock.

Day 19

The plane had taken off. We should be excited because this was our first flight but we were not the least bit excited. I was trying to take my mind off the candlestick by trying to imagine what Yusuf is doing now, dreaming about the tiny pieces of his football. One of the overhead cupboard doors just fell off, old planes simply cannot take all this bumping and jolting. I was thinking of all the things inside this aeroplane, like its functions and etc. Now with nothing to protect us, we are going to look out for each other.

Day 18

This was the first time I had been inside an airport. I had only seen an airport on TV once. We were on the bus and I was trying to tell Mum some fond memories of her friends in the village to cheer her up which apparently did not work. All our bags were being fling on to the tarmac and being put into the boots of taxis, Dad was scared that he will never get to see his bag again so he did not let go his grip on the bag but he eventually did. We need to pass through a security check to ensure that we are not carrying any weapons before we can board the plane. Metal objects are forbidden and I remembered that Mum's candlestick was made of solid metal and jewels but there were no flashing red lights when Mum passed through the security check. Mum's candlestick was not here anymore, she had sold the candlestick which had kept our family safe for years. Without it, we are not protected anymore.

Day 17

The government had spies everywhere, I think that they must be here because they had spotted Dad and had told the local police to arrest him. I tried to plead with the police but Dad was giving me pleading looks to me instead of the police which left me in complete confusion. I saw Dad giving a stack of paper money to the police so he is paying the police not to arrest him. I wondered where did he get so much money from. Mum asked Dad when are we leaving. Dad said that we are going to Australia in the next couple of days. I told Bibi all the information about Australia that I had found out from the man earlier. Mum still looked miserable, there must still be some more bad things that we have not discovered yet.

Day 16

An idea struck me. I decided to bake bread, this could help feed the hungry people in this camp and the smell of bread can attract Dad so that he would be able to find me. I just need flour, water, salt and an oven to bake bread. I knew how to build an oven out of dirt, I could get flour and water from the people easily but not salt, nobody would pack salt at this point of time, so baking bread seemed out of the question. The boy who tried to steal my ball, grabbed my hand saying that he will bring me back to my family either for a dollar or my football. The boy was pulling me towards a car which was parked there,there were two dressed like English Premier League managers giving out tickets. People were pushing and shoving, I also wanted tickets, I tried to show them my football tricks but there were too many people and I ended up getting nothing and the managers also started driving away. I was finally back at my own tent and I saw Dad being surrounded by uniformed police!

Day 15

I have never saw such a big crowd in my life before. This refugee camp has many tents with lots of people. We are trying to pitch our tent and at the same time trying to find a way on how we can get to Australia. While I was practising my football antics, a small boy came towards me, trying to sell a bottle of drinking water which I declined the offer politely. Suddenly, he made away with my ball when I kicked it towards him. I tried to keep up with him and ended up in a different part of the camp where tents are worn and ragged, the people looked sickly because of hunger. I went to block an oncoming truck trying to get the attention of the driver to help the people in this camp. A man wearing a shirt with a flag unknown to me got into a conversation with me, which I got more information about Australia, where girls could play football not like here in Afghanistan. I tried to tell Mum abd Dad about the information that I got but I am lost in this different part of the camp. I an not going to give up so easily.

Day 14

Bibi was getting more and more impatient as time passed, questioning Mum every now and then, wanting to know when we will reach our destination. Bibi and I were lying under smelly old sacks in the back of the lurching, noisy, cold truck, causing us to feel rather impatient. Finally, I found out where exactly are we heading. We were going to Australia, a place where there is certainly no team in the English Premier League and I do not know where its exact location is. Dad had chose Australia as it is too far for the government to locate us. Suddenly, we heard some voices outside, but after a conversation with the driver, the truck took off again and we had reached the border.

Day 13

We were already out of the football stadium, trying to find out where Mum and Dad were. Of course, Mum and Dad did not know that we had witnessed the whole incident at the stadium. While Bibi was crying, a vehicle stopped at the place where Dad had parked his car moments before. Out came Mum and Dad, we hugged each other for a while, then went to pack our things and paint the taxi in another colour so that the government would not recognize. I also heard Dad said that he was going to sell the taxi which he had driven for years, which might cause him to feel pretty down. I am having thoughts of my new plan again.

Day 12

We went to the football stadium. I was trying to hide the gender of Bibi by getting her to wear my clothes which appeared to be very baggy on her. We were trying to find Mum among all that crowd. An army truck was there, with lots of women having their hands tied up, trying to warn us that what the consequence was when women play football. I finally found Mum among the women, she was trying to run away from the soldier. The soldiers had Mum at gunpoint but Dad managed to save the day by rescuing Mum in the nick of time.

Day 11

I had just woken up on the floor of my Dad's taxi. Mum was still not here yet, as usual when Bibi woke up, she was hoping to find Mum. Dad was going to leave us at the shop to go to the football stadium, probably he had the same plan as me. How I wish Mum and Dad are really going to convince the government football official.

Day 10

We were going to the city. The three of us, Dad Bibi and I had to leave without Mum. Everyonewas still chattering about the EXPLOSION and what vivid imaginations they had, claiming to have found bits of us. I will miss Afghanistan, but at least the four of us can still stay together as one family.

Day 9

The perfect way to get football practice is in the night when the whole town seems to be sleeping. I was practising my ball tricks when I heard a familiar voice. Bibi had sneaked out, she saw me creeping out and was also looking for Mum and Dad. Within seconds, she flicked the ball, with her AMAZING SKILLS and talent, she gave the ball one hard kick. The ball thumped into our house door and EXPLODE! Our house was gone, the government had blown up our house.

Day 8

I was watching football just a few moments ago in Yusuf's grandfather's house,which gave rise to an idea. I thought that if I could play football really well and represent Afghanistan, perhaps the government would stop being cross with my parents for running an illegal school. For this plan to happen the way I wanted, I need to practice on my football skills.

Day 7

I was so angry and shocked at the same time. This piece of shocking news had come too suddenly which cause my mind to be in a state of whirl. We had to leave for good and I went to pack my stuff. All of us did not want to leave, everyone looked so miserable, for once I am determined to find a way for us to stay.

Day 6

Bibi was a much better football player than me. Dad and Mum were so gloomy, I found out that it had nothing to do with me breaking the windoes but because of a much graver thing-the governmant had found out about our illegal school. We have to leave right NOW!

Day 5

This was the worst day ever! Even going back to my own house, I still need to creep back just because of playing football. Worse still, girls are not allowed to step out of the house without a parent and Bibi did it. Also, I was being accused of something I never did but eventually did which was breaking a window of Mr Nasser and ended up being escorted back home by our father.