Month: January 2018

Friday night I came home at 1:00am, after Rocky’s my boyfriends 21st birthday bash. I opened the door slowly so my mum doesn’t wake up, and besides who wanted a lecture at 1:00am? As I creeped my way into the house, I heard someone clearing their throat upstairs, I could hear the footsteps being taken closer my way, but I didn’t acknowledge it. As I continued to take my heels off, I lifted my head up, and there I saw mum standing on the stairs, I could tell she was mad. Before she could say anything I made up a story on how Mia’s my best friend car wasn’t starting since it’s winter and it’s freezing out. Mum looked at me up to down and asked “ why are you in such a short dress and why were you wearing heels? Weren’t you at one of your university lectures?” Obviously she had no idea I was at my boyfriends birthday bash, forget that she didn’t even have any idea I even had a boyfriend. I twisted my words, and changed the topic. I quickly ran out her sight to my room before she could question me more. After, about 15 minutes I heard a knock on the door it was mum she had brought me some dinner. She came into the room and here started her lecture on how I need to be careful about my surroundings, and not let anyone to close to myself, stay away from boys that gave me the wrong vibe. She kept going on and on, while I was just trying to eat dinner as fast as I could, so I could tell her to leave, because I was so sick from these everyday lectures.

I woke up the next morning, I was really excited as today I was meeting Rocky. Rocky had told me he has something special planned for me! I was so excited to spend time with him alone today. Rocky and I started to dating just about two weeks ago, and even though he didn’t gave me the best vibes in the beginning I now feel as if he was one the best things that has happened to me in a while! Rocky is 4 years older than me, but he is such a mature, smart, vulnerable individual!

I started to get ready in the evening to go out with Rocky, I was just so excited to spend time with him alone! As I was getting ready, mum came down to my room and asked where I was off to, I let her know I am going with Mia out to grab some food and than to her house to work on a presentation. Mum seemed a little suspicious and confused, but she didn’t really say anything. I took out his favourite colour sweater dress out to change into and mum was standing in my room, I quickly pushed her out and her finger came into the door. Her finger started to bleed, I said sorry and quickly shut the door to change as I was getting late.

As I was leaving, and closing the door behind me, I heard my mum words “Please be careful hunny!” I walked out and rolled my eyes. I was so sick of her stupid lectures and all, but deep down I had this weird feeling about today.

I sat in Rocky’s car and we drove off as fast as we could from my house. Rocky stirred up the conversation between the two of us. I started to open up to him about mum and how I was so tired of all her bullshit. He gave me advice on what she is saying is not wrong, how she is only concerned for me, he also told me how I should’ve helped her when her finger started to bleed. I was starting to feel guilty, I let Rocky know that the first thing I will do when I get home is apologize for my behaviour, he started to laugh and said under his breath “that’s if you get home tonight”, that did weird me out a bit, but I didn’t thinking much of it, I just thought Rocky was joking around with me.

After we had dinner, Rocky whispered in my ear, “time for your special surprise!” I got super excited, Rocky made this day already so special I was excited to see what’s next.

Rocky pulled the car up to an end of a alley. It was dark, I could hear the wind whistling. I started to get a little uncomfortable, and asked him what are we doing here, but he just wasn’t replying. He locked all the doors of the car. That’s when I knew something was wrong I grabbed my phone. When I looked up Rocky was getting closer and closer to me. I told him to back off, and let me go. But he surrounded around me and started to touch me with the wrong intentions. He ripped the top of my sweater dress off, I started to scream but no one was around. I tired to push him off me, as I was trying to calling 911 and mum, but he was not letting go of me. He had me pinned down to the seat. Rocky knocked the phone out of my hand. Tears shed down my cheeks as he beat me, and raped me. The vibes I got when I first met him were true he was just an animal using me for the wrong intentions. I was raped and beat to death by him. As my eyes started closing I could only think of mum’s words.

Next time I woke up I was down by a river surrounded by a bunch of officers, and people looking down. I was confused why no one was acknowledging me. Suddenly I heard a voice. When I turned around to look behind me I saw it was mum. She ran towards me, I opened my arms wide to give mum a hug and to tell her everything that had happened with me. But mum just ran through me, my body I was confused, scared of what was happening. As I turned to look where she went I saw her down my the river holding on to a body. Holding on to my body. That is when I realized I was in my soul. I was died.

But what about mum?

What about my apology to mum?

What about the animal Rocky?

What about Mia, everyone thought I was with her?

What about everything I left behind?

What about my justice?

Will I ever get justice?

I guess these will stay questions forever.

I was died.

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I wrote this short story to give awareness to the topic of rape, which has become so common in our society. I wanted to write this short story to give a voice to Zainab a seven year old who was a victim of rape and murder, and all those people who have been a victim of rape and murder.  Zainab story has really touched me. The fact people can be such animals is disgusting to me. Through my short story I wanted to give awareness so in the future we don’t see more Zainab’s, and so that the law takes strict action on such a sensitive topic.

 

The time you confessed your love towards me, I still remember how nervous you were,

Those warm greetings,

That first time we hung out, and you kept fidgeting to hold my hand in yours,

That first time your hand interlocked in my hand,

Those tight hugs where you would pull me deep into your chest  towards yourself,

That first kiss, when you lifted my face up towards you, and interlocked your lips with mine,

That compassion you would show towards me,

The way you would be so protective about me,

Those endless conversations, till 3am,

But that one mistake that ruined it all,

That day you cheated,

You didn’t respect me,

You didn’t respect that I wasn’t ready,

Ready for the next step,

I remember how hard it was to let go of something that was so special to me,

Special to us,

The regret showed on your face as the tears rolled down your fair soft cheeks,

But it was too late,

I had to let go,

We both had to let go of something so special to our hearts,

Now all that was left were those memories that still haven’t faded away,

Memories,

It’s all we’ve got.

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This poem was inspired by one of the class acts we watched Drama 30 perform, the act didn’t not have a title, because it was one of the seven silence acts. The act was about a love story and how things progressed from there. I was inspired by the innocence that was portrayed by the two leads through their body language in the act. Although my poem goes on a deeper level of emotions, and has a completely different ending. My main base starting point was, because of the inspiration I had received from the class act. Through this poem I also tired to portray how something so special can be shattered within seconds, and all that is left are memories that cannot be deleted from one. This is why memories are identified as such an significant part of most individuals. To every person a memory can be mean a different thing, and so much which cannot be explained in words.

 

 

Standards are set for us to establish them,

Standards are set to reach different heights in our life,

Standards are set because they’ve been followed through by generations,

Standards are set to reach excellence in our lives,

But sometimes these standards can create a fear,

A fear of not being able to achieve them,

A fear of not being able to accomplish something that has been going on for generations,

A fear of failure,

I’ve been afraid,

Afraid of bringing disappoint to my family,

Afraid of bringing disappoint to myself,

I’ve been afraid,

Afraid on how I’ll face myself,

Afraid on how I’ll face those who are important to me,

I’ve been afraid,

On how will I reach these standards,

I am a failure.

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I wrote this poem to outline the emotions one goes through when they have standards they have to achieve, and the fear of making mistakes, or not being be able to accomplish something their loved ones have so much hope for. An example to demonstrate this concept is a grade 12 student. Once a person hits specific milestones in their lives they are expected to achieve specific things. When a student comes into grade 12 they are soon to be expected to give the good news of being accepted into university. Sometimes, unfortunately one may not be able to accomplish getting an admission into a university for several reasons, but sometimes the people around one may not be able to understand what went wrong, and to them it’s just a big failure, although that is not true there are many more opportunities, but they feel to understand that. Through my poem that is what I tired to exemplified on how specific standards can take up on an individuals life.

The following poem has been written based on the journey of Alice V. She fled from Holland with her family to Canada during World War II when the Nazis in Germany invaded the Netherlands. During the interview, Alice shared her childhood experiences as a young girl who was born in Holland, to a Canadian citizen who built herself a new life in a foreign country.

The Spring of May, 1953

I remember those mixed emotions running through my body;

The feeling of leaving what was home was upsetting,

But the fact my family and I would be in a safer place together gave me a sense of relief.

I remember the last time I was walking down the streets of Holland,

Looking around the community I spent my childhood in,

The places I made numerous memorable memories.

I remember those peaceful days in Holland as a child,

Where walking out on the streets to buy a piece of candy from the nearby local store was no big deal,

But walking out on the streets during the war was not safe at all.

I remember the journey was long,

On the boat from Holland to Canada,

Those nights were tough, in the cold breeze in the middle of the North Sea.

I remember I would look down from the boat into the sea,

And search for fishes swimming around the sea alongside my brother.

My brother and I would compete – who found the most fishes.

I remember when our boat first landed in Halifax,

It was Mother’s day,  the first time we celebrated Mother’s day in Canada,

My brother and I went around the fields looking for flowers that we picked and gifted to our mom.

I remember that it was May, the spring of 1953,

But we were still welcomed into to Canada with a snowfall,

The sun was out, but snow was falling.

I remember that wasn’t all from the very tiring journey from Holland to Canada;

Once we had reached Halifax, we had to get to our real home – Calgary;

It took  5 days in a trailer from Halifax to Calgary.

I remember it took time to settle in,

But I also know what had happened in my life, all to lead up to these moments.

To cherish these moments.

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Thank you, Alice, for being an inspiration!

With Kind Regards,

                           Maha  & Sultan