Yusuf, Musa, and I were playing football in a rocket crater. I managed to get the ball near the goal post. Zoltan asked me to pass the ball to him so that he can score. But I wanted to score the goal myself. I shoot, and I failed. Aziz said I was weak. I waited for them to say more bad things about me, but they were all quiet, staring at something with their mouths wide open. At first I thought it was the Taliban officer with a black coat, holding a long cane, waiting to cane us. But it wasn’t. It was Bibi. She must have forgotten that girls weren’t allowed to come out of the house without a parent and a head cloth covering their faces. Bibi said she wanted to play football. She scored a goal, low and hard. The football flew to the other side of the crater that was covered with landmines. Bibi forgotten that they weren’t allowed to go to the other part of the crater and went to get the football. The football was half squashed under a tank. I thought the tank was going to shoot me when the engine started. But instead, the tank reversed and let me get my ball back. While we were running away, Bibi accidentally stepped on a landmine. It didn’t explode. She managed to escape without setting the landmine off. We met Mr. Nasser while creeping through a row of houses. He said that we broke one of his windows. I told Mr. Nasser that we didn’t break his window. But he didn’t believe us. We decided to show him some ball tricks to prove to him that we didn’t break his window when Dad came. I was distracted by Dad so I accidentally broke the other window. Mr. Nasser said he would call the police. Dad said he would pay him for the damage they did and does not need to call the police. Dad brought us home. When we went home, Mum and Dad hug us both and they love us very much. Mum started to cry. I wondered what made her cry. At first I thought it because of Bibi playing football, and the landmine. But It wasn’t. Mum said that the government has found out about their secret school, and we have to move out of the house immediately. Bibi and I spent the night at Yusuf’s house, while Mum and dad went out. I guess they were going to warn the students that the government found out about the school. I watched a football match with Yusuf’s grandfather. After a while I was bored. I decided to go out of the house to practice football. My football was in my bag and Bibi was sleeping. I didn’t want to wake her up so I borrowed Yusuf’s ball. After a while, I saw our house exploding. The government must have blown up our house. I went back to Yusuf’s house. Then Dad picked us up and thanked Yusuf’s grandfather. When I wake up, I found myself on the floor of the taxi. My neck was stiff and my eyes hurt in the sunlight. Dad stopped his taxi under a row of trees. I asked Dad where Mum was. Dad said she will be here later. Bibi asked how long more. Dad looked as if he was going to lose his temper but he said he promise that mum will be here. Dad grassed a bag from the taxi and leads us through the tape of trees to an abandoned shop. Dad said that we would be save here until he came back. Dad hugs us both and said he got to go pick Mum up. He told us there was breakfast in the bag. Dad said he wont be going far and the football stadium was just over there. He told Bibi to get the breakfast out and then he steers me out of the shop. He gave me a note and a wad of money. He told me to find a taxi and give the note and the money to the driver and he’ll take us back to the village if he was not back by late afternoon. I can see Bibi struggling not to cry, so I tried to cheer her up with stories of some of the best goals I’ve seen. Suddenly I thought I know why mum and dad are going to the football stadium. They’re going to talk to the government football officer about me and Bibi. They’re going to explain how our football skills will help Afghanistan have a national team one day. So the government would not kill us any more. I used the money Dad gave me and took a taxi with Bibi to the football stadium. There were many people out there. We tried to find Dad’s taxi where all the taxis were parked. But we couldn’t find it. I suggested that we go to the high seats so that it will be easier to spot Mum and Dad. Suddenly the stadium was quiet. I thought it was because the people around us have recognized us as students from illegal school. But it wasn’t. An army truck has driven onto the pitch. Soldiers jumped out of the truck, then they opened the back of the truck and drag out several women. Then I realized what was happening. It was a warning from the government showing what will happen when women play football. Then one of the women started running away from the soldiers and run towards our end of the pitch. Everyone started yelling rude, nasty things at her. Then I realized it was Mum. The government must have captured Mum before blowing up our house. Those women must be illegal teachers, here to be punished. Suddenly a taxi rushed into the stadium. Smoke was pouring out of the back windows. Grits were being sprayed. Burning oil cans were being thrown at the soldiers. The soldiers dive for cover. The passenger’s door flew open Mum ran into the taxi. Then the taxi drove out of the stadium. We were out of the stadium and almost back at the shop. When we arrived back at the shop, Mum and Dad weren’t there. Dad probably wanted to make sure they weren’t being followed. I decided to pack our bag so we could have a quick getaway. A taxi came and Mum and dad got out. When dad was painting his taxi, I kneel next to him and catch the drips off the bottom of the door with my sleeves. We boarded a truck. We were hidden under smelly, old sacks in the back of this lurching, noisy, cold truck. The sacks were really itchy and smelled like they have goats in them. We needed to hide under these sacks in case the government patrol stops the truck. I asked Dad where we were going. Dad said that Mum and he had decided that they would go to Australia as Australia was a good place to start over a new life. And people living there are safe and happy, it’s too far away for the government to find us. Suddenly the truck stops and people were talking outside. After awhile, someone thumped the side of the truck and the truck jolts and move off. Dad said goodbye. I thought he was saying it to me, but I realized that we just crossed the boarder. I felt like crying.



ps... this is lit assignment... dunno where to save so juz put here lorh..