Looking For a Future E-Book

Abdulatif Adem

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Sachliteratur, Reportagen, Biografien
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 93

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Looking for a future is not just a story. This story is a true story of a 13-year-old boy named Abdul who wanted a simple future like everyone else. Abdul left his hometown of Keren with his grandmother to look for his own future. This book tells how he crosses four different countries to get to the land he dreamed of. Abdul recounts the difficulties he faced alone trying to escape over the various borders. How it feels to walk on thorns and drive through the Sahara heat to reach Europe. Abdul also recounts some scenes he saw along his way that are hard to believe and impossible to forget.

Leseprobe

« Everyone has a dream, some make the first step to achieve their dream, and may encounter difficulties along the way, these difficulties make them more haunting to realize their dream. And others have not yet dared to take their first step. The first may be successful and can reach their goals. And the others still have the chance to take their first step».

Abdulatif Adem

Table of Contents

Chapter One: Abdul and His Grandmother

Chapter Two: The Old Friend

Chapter Three: Aunt Aisha

Chapter Four: Lost in Sudan

Chapter Five: A Second Migration Across the Sahara Sands

Chapter Six: The Terrible Scene

Chapter Seven: The Capital Tripoli

Chapter Eight: On the Boat Full of Water

Chapter Nine: Welcome to Italy

Chapter Ten: Did Abdul Find his Future?

Chapter One

Abdul and His Grandmother

One day, 13-year-old Abdul was with his grandmother. She told him stories from her childhood. When she finished her first story for him, she wanted to start telling a second story. Something came to Abdul's mind and he said to his grandmother

"I want to emigrate to Sudan."

The grandmother was surprised at what she heard from her grandson. She answered him:

"What are you saying, boy, are you crazy? Do you know how dangerous this thing is? Never think about it. And don't tell your family what you told me. Because they won't accept anything like that from you."

Abdul was silent for a bit at first and then said to her: "Why not, grandma? Where is my brother?".

He meant his brother, who had been arrested six months before by the army of the Eritrean dictatorship and up to then nobody had heard from him.

"My fate will also be like the fate of my brother and his friends. There are no good schools in this country, no universities, there is no freedom. How can anyone have a good future, grandma? The people of this country are still finding themselves between the living and the dead. No one will sleep well as long as this unjust power stands," said Abdul with a sad face.

The grandmother was touched by what she heard from her grandson and said:

"It's okay, my child. I understand what you're saying. Let me think a little about this topic. Tomorrow we'll talk about this it. It's lunchtime now. Go have lunch with your brothers."

Abdul went and ate his lunch, he then went back to his grandmother and asked her: "Grandma, have you thought about it?"

"Didn't I say, I'll tell you tomorrow?" his grandmother said.

"Ok," Abdul said, shook his head and left.

Abdul did not tell his family what he had spoken to his grandmother. Because his grandmother told him not to tell anyone. That day he wondered what his grandmother would say to him the following day, would she agree or say no? The next day came. Early in the morning Abdul went to his grandmother who lived near their house. He came to her and asked her:

"What are you thinking, grandma? Tell me?"

"This decision is very dangerous. But what you said is true, Abdul, no one has a future in this country. But I am very worried about you. What might you encounter on the way?" asked his grandmother.

Abdul pointed to the sky with his hand and said to his grandmother:

"Don't worry grandmother. God will be with me because God will not further oppress an oppressed person anymore".

"What you say is true, little one. God is with the oppressed," said the grandmother. And added:

"I also decided to come with you to my daughter who lives in a small village near the Eritrean-Sudanese border. We will also stay there for a few days to make sure the road is good."

"Dear Grandma, that's a great idea," said Abdul and was delighted.

The grandmother didn't want to tell his family about it. Rather, she would tell them that she was taking her grandson to visit her daughter, who lived near the border. They would also stay with her for a few days.

The grandmother told her grandson that they would leave next Sunday, which was only two days later. Abdul was very motivated and kissed his grandmother's head. The grandmother informed Abdul's mother that she wanted to take her grandson to visit her daughter, who lived near the border. And they would stay with their daughter for a few days. Abdul's mother agreed because Abdul had accompanied his grandmother on almost every visit. Abdul prepared for this trip and gathered his clothes and other items that he needed for his journey.

It was Sunday and that morning Abdul began his flight to Sudan, accompanied by his grandmother, who accompanied him to the Eritrean-Sudan border. Abdul said goodbye to his family and told them that he would come back with his grandmother in a few days. He went with his grandmother to the bus station, which was about a 20-minute walk from their home. They came to the bus station in Keren, the town where Abdul lived with his family, and took a bus to Tesseney. Tesseney is another town not far from the Sudanese border.

They boarded the bus bound for Tesseney after buying the tickets for 70 Eritrean nakfa per person. It was a long way from Keren to Tesseney. The bus started moving at seven in the morning. On the way to Tesseney, Abdul kept asking his grandmother, "Haven't we arrived yet?"

"Not yet" replied the grandmother over and over again.

Five hours into the journey, as they approached the town of Tesseney, there was a regular Army checkpoint. When they reached the checkpoint, the bus stopped and two army soldiers got on and began asking passengers for their IDs. One of them came to Abdul's grandmother. He asked her for her ID and she gave it to the soldier. He looked at the ID and handed it back. Then the soldier asked Abdul for his ID. Abdul said nothing because he had no ID.

The soldier again: "Give me your ID, boy!". He was louder this time.

"I don't have any ID," Abdul said in an anxious voice.

The grandmother intervened and said to the soldier: "This is my grandson, leave him alone".

The soldier ordered Abdul and his grandmother to get off the bus and ordered the bus driver to continue his way.

Another soldier came to Abdul and his grandmother and asked them, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to my daughter who lives near the border. She's very sick and there's nobody next to me who could help her. We wanted to visit her and help her. As you can see, I'm an elderly woman. I can't travel alone. I can't see well. So, I took my grandson to help me with many things. I can't do anything without him, so please! Let us go," the grandmother said to the soldier.

The soldier went to his colleague, they talked for a while, then he came back to Abdul and his grandmother and said to them: "All right, you can go".

The grandmother thanked the soldier. And when another bus came to the checkpoint, Abdul got on the bus with his grandmother and they drove off to the town. After 10 minutes they reached the town of Tesseney. In the city, they treated themselves to a break in one of the cafes. After that, they went in search of a bus that went to the city of Omhajer near Sudan.

Chapter Two

The Old Friend

Abdul and his grandmother found a bus going to Omhajer. Near the bus in the bus station, Abdul saw someone he knew from their town of Keren. This person was a 22-year-old soldier. Abdul went to him and said: "Saleh!"

The soldier, whose name was Saleh, was surprised to see Abdul and said, "Abdul, what are you doing here?"

They hugged and shook hands.

"This is my grandmother," said Abdul. Saleh also shook grandmother's hand and said,

"Hello".

They all sat next to the bus. Abdul told Saleh his story and told him that he was on his way to Sudan and that his grandmother insisted on accompanying him to her daughter, who lives in a small village near the Sudanese border. Saleh was silent for a while and smiled, then he said,

"Well, then I would have found someone to accompany me."

Abdul was surprised by what he heard from Saleh.

"Are you going to Sudan too?" Abdul asked.

"There is no other choice, I’ve had enough of this country. In the end I decided to emigrate," Saleh replied.

Abdul was very happy because he would not be alone on the way to Sudan. He would even have someone to accompany him. Saleh asked Abdul not to bother his grandmother and she could go home. And she should never worry about her grandson. Saleh would be with her grandson in any situation until they safely entered Sudan.

Abdul went to his grandmother who was sitting next to them. And he told her as Saleh advised him. She should never worry about her grandson, and he told her that they would go to her daughter first.

"I'll talk to Saleh myself," said the grandmother.

She went to Saleh and they talked for a while, then she went back to Abdul and said:

"Well, little one, I'll go back home. Saleh will take care of you."

"I can take care of myself too," said Abdul. Then grandmother said with sadness in her face:

"Your mother will kill me if I go back to her without you, but don't worry, I'll make it."

Then she hugged her grandson and said to him:

"Goodbye, kid, I know you're a smart person and you'll take good care of yourself. God bless you."

Abdul and Saleh got on the bus. Abdul left his grandmother while she waved her hand at him from the window. The sadness was clearly visible in her face.

On the bus, Saleh said to Abdul, "We shouldn't sit next to each other because if we did, the soldiers at the checkpoints might suspect that we're fleeing from this country."

There were two army checkpoints between the towns of Tesseney and Omhajer. Abdul sat in the back of the bus and Saleh sat in the front. The bus reached the first checkpoint, stopped - and so did Abdul's heart. The doors opened and two soldiers got in the bus. Abdul was terrified and prayed that no one would ask for his ID. The soldiers began asking the passengers for their IDs one by one. They asked Saleh, he gave them his ID because he had a valid military ID. The soldiers questioned all the passengers who were on the bus,