Unexpected

• Zainab Shah, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2014

5th of February 2014

I woke up knowing that my mum was going for a thyroid operation. And I was so happy the she will be cured and not be sick anymore. I quickly get ready had my hair opened to school that day. I told Sarah Bui that my mum was going for a simple procedure today and going to go to one of the best hospitals with one of the best surgeons in town.

That day I had Maths, English, Science, bible and Literacy. My grandad comes to pick me up and I ask him if the operation has been done he said ‘ No the doctors are still working on the procedure’ I went quite and sat back to my seat listening to music.

I go home do my homework have a shower and realised that the back of my gold earring my stud had gone into the drain. And I was like how am I going to tell mum she will be so angry at me for being so irresponsible.

Then dad came home I asked ‘him if we could go to the hospital to see mum’ he said ‘there is no point because she is still not out of the theatre.’
‘Ok but can we go tomorrow’ ‘Ok I will take everyone tomorrow’

I went to bed with my iPad which means staying up till twelve at night. I was watching the hundredth episode of a T.V show. And exactly at ten thirty my grandad leaves the house I thought that maybe she is out of the theatre. I went outside and asked my grandad’ where are you going’ ‘ oh just filling up petrol for the car’ ‘at this time of the night’ ‘ yeah anything wrong with that’ ‘no not at all daddy’

He leaves having a guilt look on his face I knew there was something fishy going around. I went to bed with a butterfly feeling. And that night my brother was sleeping with me because normally he would sleep with my mum. But instead he slept with me that night.

Seven forty five in the morning, my brother woke me up and saying that we are getting late for school. I rush get up and run outside and scream at whoever switched off my alarm clock. But I was not expecting what was waiting for me around the corner. I open the door and my uncles father in-law was their, my uncles girlfriend was their, My grandads sisters were their. Then the story was coming to mind. My grandma then said’ Zainab my girl come to me. I was in the hospital room waiting for your mum for ten hours. I didn’t go out because that is where your dad his heart surgery. Zainab I was waiting ten hours wishing that your mum would be safe, and would be out sooner or later, but no they killed her they killed your mum.’ In shock I fell towards the ground and all that was going through my mind that this cannot be possible my mum cannot be dead you guys are lying, this is not real.

I wanted to call my uncle telling him that I need you here with me right now at this moment. But he was a day away from me. I wanted to scream but no I had t stay strong for my family but I was broken totally from the inside. Shattered into a million pieces of glass.

I walk away have water to drink and then have a apple, and walked to the other side of the house and took my phone book, looking for the Gilson College number trying to call and it would straight go to message bank. And I didn’t know what to do who to talk to. I walk towards where the family was sitting and my uncle comes hugging me and crying and I couldn’t help crying he hugged me so tight but that is what I needed. And I could not stop crying I was in such a pain not knowing what to do and didn’t know where to go. And while I was hugging my cousin came in my mums aunty/ best friends that couldn’t live without each other. Came in screaming saying “ what a bad morning this is hope no one else sees this morning” she would keep on repeating it. I saw my cousin crying standing by my side. I had to let go of my uncle, after I let go of my uncle I grab hold of my cousin we cry so much together I said to her “ Fatima remember the last time we came to your house and we said that we will go Pakistan together. But now who are we going to go with. Who!?”
She told me “ Zainab you have to stay strong she has gone to a better place trust me…” she couldn’t keep it in she cried so much letting her tears flow down her cheeks and not wiping them away.

I called school and one of the administration ladies pick it up I said “ Hi its Zainab Shah here the Shah family kids wont be coming to school today or for the next week or so because our mum passed away.” And all she says “ Sorry to here. I will let your teacher know” I closed the phone and I would be getting calls after calls and I was getting pissed I didn’t want to talk to any one I didn’t want the information given to me be true.
People started coming and going, I just sat in the corner knowing that my life was all good but then why? Did it have to suck now.

I wanted the time to reverse I wanted everything to be fake I wanted someone to tell me that she is still alive not that she is dead. But no one wanted to tell me that instead they would mourn.

Hours went past I went back to normal I would laugh I would be talking normally, but I couldn’t control my own emotions. I didn’t know what to do. I would loose my stuff even though my stuff was in my hand. But then the pain came back four thirty in the morning. I woke up and I was having a bad stomach ache, that is when I started missing mum I wanted her to be with me help me.

The next day came it was a Friday my uncle would be arriving soon, I was waiting desperately, and I see my cousins mum coming crying and not coming in the house, I just stop what I am doing at I look around the house and all I see is that all the happiness is gone. Just because one member of the family is gone the whole house has changed.

I had to go and see my primary school teacher and then had a doctors appointment because I had a sprained ankle. And my grandads sister took me and told me keep watch of time. But I was not in control of anything, nothing at all. I go and meet my teacher and she is crying and in my mind I was thinking that why the hell is she crying like there is nothing wrong with me or my life, so don’t cry over me women. Coz they ain’t anything wrong with me. My aunty calls me saying ‘ that we need to go for the doctors appointment” I went off not saying a word to my teacher.

I go to the doctors and the doctor was asking “me what happened ?” “ sprained ankle “ “ don’t worry its nothing you can go” and without arguing I left, and it hurt so much.

I went home there were so many cars parked on the front porch I went inside remembering what happened in the last twenty four hours. And things were rushing through my mind and suddenly I remembered that my uncle, aunty and baby cousin came from New York, I sprinted inside and my aunty came rushing to me leaving her kid on the couch with her sister, she hugged me saying ‘ Don’t worry I am here for you, look don’t worry Zai look me and your uncle are here for and Layla.’ ‘ Where is he’ ‘behind you next to mummy’ I fall to the floor next to him hugged him so tight and he would not stop crying I had never seen my uncle cry like that before. He whispers in my ear “ Zainab don’t worry i am here and I am coming back to live with you, I will do anything and everything for you.”
I realised that he hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday so I got up wiped my tears to seem strong and got him a glass of orange juice, and something to eat, the house was packed of people, I get the food and drink and give it to him. He takes from me and puts on the floor and hugs me really tight and says “ I don’t want anything but your mum to come back.” I take the glass of juice and give it to him.

I walk to my baby cousin to hold her thought it might me feel better but no, it made me feel worse, because she will never get the chance to know what a beautiful and good person her aunty was.

I go to the kitchen and try drinking water but it will hurt my throat I was not able to drink it and memories will be going through my mind of me and my mum.

My aunty comes to me and hugs me saying “ everything will be okay”. I walked to the door opening it and asked one of the guys if there was anything needed in the men’s he come in the lady section and asks me “ if I was alright? “ and I see tears in his eyes he hugs me telling me if I remembered on my birthday when he saw us at the front of Watergardens shopping centre and he was going for a hair cut and he met us, that was the last time he saw my mum.

I was like so many people remember my mum and have prayed for her even this dude/ my uncles best friend / a very close family friend.

Night falls and the body gets released, they take the body to this place to wash it and get it ready for the funeral. My friend stays with me and realises that I have a very high fever and I shouldn’t go, but I knew that it was just an excuse so that I don’t go so she tells me to lie down and sleep but I wasn’t able to. Because I missed her so much!

It was 8th of February, the day of the funeral came something that I was not waiting for. I push the couch a little bit, to make a position where I could lean against the wall an get curled about and cry all I want. The girls that were around me sat down and cried with me. They brought the hearse to the house and parked it in a position where it would be easy to bring the coffin into the house. They brought the body I wanted to see my mum but then my family members weren’t letting me they wanted me to remember my mum in a positive way not a negative way. My uncle asked Asad (dude/ my uncles best friend / a very close family friend.) to take me out of the house but I didn’t want to. But instead I went, and told Asad to stay with me, because I needed someone’s support to keep me in one piece.

They started taking the body out of the house and put it in the hearse. I follow the coffin to the car and watch it take off. Everyone quickly leaves to get to the mosque for prayer of the body. And to have one last look. I get in the car and head to the mosque. When I reach the mosque I go inside and I see some of the Gilson staff members. I meet everyone and they give me their condolences.

I go and sit with my grandma and she cried so much because my mum was her first daughter-in-law and the first girl in the family. I gave her water to drink. And I just sit next to the coffin, didn’t know what to do but mourn.

It was time for prayer. We prayed for my mum, and then had to head to the cemetery. On the way to the cemetery I sat I my aunties sisters car. On the way we had a minor car accident. All of the ladies that sat in the car got out and we were in head scarves. The guy who was driving the truck was so scared that he gave all the details with out arguing.

We headed towards the Fawkner cemetery. And it was all in dead silence.
We arrived at the cemetery and we could see that the grave was finished getting ready, I got out of the car and was at a fifty meter distance from the grave. Because I knew I couldn’t handle myself. The group of guys go around handing bottles of water to everyone because it was a very hot day. The funeral had finished and I went towards the grave everyone around me said especially the boys “ that the grave was nice, smooth and cool from the inside it was one of the best graves I have ever seen.”

Asad’s brother Haider gave me a bag of flowers to put on the grave. I spread the flowers to make the grave look colourful but it was dull with darkness and grief. I left the grave but I didn’t want to because I knew my mum would be all alone.

But I had to I had to go home, where everyone was waiting, in pain in sorrow.

Life changes people change loved ones die but this is life you cant stop anything from happening.

By Zainab Shah
8JM