Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 1-2 | Page 115

Longer Than You Think
Bradbury School, Sylvester, Ruby - 10
D
rips of river water race onto my forehead and run down my nose down onto my neck. I can feel a
cold feeling wrapping around my body. I step out of my cabinet that’s underneath the kitchen
sink. The room was how it had always been. Dark, damp and rusty. I take a deep breath and step
outside. The cold feeling tightens. Its dawn and the sun is just starting to rise.
“ Aarush why are you up this early in the morning” my grandmother says, without turning around. The sky
is turning a pinker shade of yellow. It reminds me of home, real home.
Where I come from homes are built up snug and tight. They’re like a part of us. They usually have a
welcome mat by the front door with a pink elephant in it. But most of all home is India.
Before we moved into this dusty boat we lived on the far side of the hill in Landor. My family built a path
leading up and down the hill. At the top you could find breathtaking views and awesome birds. At home I
feel I can be myself, but without a proper home I’m nothing. Ali and Abo don't need me. Naana is the only
one who listens to my thoughts and emotions. She says that Abo is only stern because I remind him of
mother. If only I could cure his grief. But how can you bring back the dead?
Abo, my father, was a journalist working for a popular newspaper. When he went on a tour of the
Governor's house he discovered he was smuggling drugs from Afghanistan into India. He wrote an article
about the dangers this could lead too. When the Governor found out he sent the army out to kill anyone in
our house and chop Abo’s head off. Luckily Abo and Ali were already preparing a truck for us to escape in,
away from our house. I had just come home from school to find guards at my door. They grabbed hold of
me and forced me up, up the hill. That's where I found mom racing towards me. They let me go and took
her. I can only guess that she made a deal to swap my life for hers.
I never saw mom get killed but I didn't see her survive. In my grief I managed to find Abo and we had no
choice but to leave, and after that it was a long drive to the Ocean, and maybe once we found a boat, safety.
Ali is cooking porridge for breakfast. As she serves it see shakes her hips’ trying to impress Abo. Ali is my
mother’s sister and has liked my father for many years. I feel like Hamlet sometimes! Once we are all seated
she asks “How are you Aarush”. “Fine” I reply glancing at her shirt. She has pulled it up high showing her
piercing. Abo is gripping on to his coffee cup and his face is wearing a frown. He opens his mouth and says,
“school starts now and we will be in Australia in three weeks”. Australia is our destination. I get up and head
of to Naana”s room
There is a hole forming in the bottom of our boat. It's all taped up now but every now and then I see water
coming in and out. I am responsible for laying more tape on each day. Scot is bouncing on top of me. Scot
is our sheep dog. He may be annoying but he is my only friend.
Two weeks later we have got all our supplies ready to be unpacked. We can see land in the distance but we
have to work out where to land, somewhere we won’t be caught. Naana is feeling sick, Abo cannot put the
motor on full speed or it makes it worse. One night I find Naana’s body lying peacefully on the ground. I
touch it. Its icy cold, “HELP” I cry. Abo comes running. “Aarush how could you” he screams. “But” I cry.
“Out” he points to the door.
I hear water running. I race to the hole, water is racing through the tape. Quickly I race upstairs and jump
off the boat . Soon Abo, Ali and Scot follow . I swim till I run out of energy. Then a giant, blue wave
crashes on top of me.
I wake up with an ache in my left arm. A white nurse lays a tray full of odd looking food on my lap.
“Welcome to Dampier, Australia, I am your nurse, Mrs Newton”, she says holding out her hand. I shake it.
She shows me how the tv works and how to take my medication every night but when she told me how I
would be in cast for a few months I fainted.
She wakes me by shaking my shoulders.