Waiting

• Alexander Campion, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2011

I sat, watching my shadowy silhouette against the filthy, crummy wall. I felt so lonely, yet I was sitting in a room with twelve other boys. They were all fourteen, just like me, from Iraq, just like me, and they were all illegal immigrants sitting in a detention centre. Just like me.
I am waiting for news of my mother, Farrah, whether she is alive or not. I, Aban am waiting to know if I can ever see her again. I do not have high hopes, as she fell in the water trying to run away from Australian officers. They took everyone out of the illegal immigrant boat and brought us to this detention centre I am sitting in now.
Obviously, my mother never learnt to swim, as we are the lowest class, slaves, waiting for orders from someone else continuously, not being able to control our own lives. This was supposed to be our step to freedom, but she was left behind.
The lights are starting to turn out in this prison cell and I should start to go to bed. I am too anxious, I cannot control it, it’s like there is something deep inside pulling me back. It makes it impossible to do everyday activities such as sleeping. I hate it! I cannot control myself; I have to know about my Mum now! I scream as hard as I can “Mum! MUM! Where are you!? Please COME BACK!”
All the boys around me immediately wake up, saying, “What are you doing?” “Why are you screaming?” “What is wrong with you?” I am so annoyed, I can’t understand, I thought they would get what I was saying. I start banging on the metal door guarding my room until my hands start cutting and bleeding. I won’t stop until I know, I feel as if my mind is slowly taking over. I don’t know what to do. I do not just want to know, I need to know.
Finally, the door opens and an officer starts to bring me somewhere, almost knowing in his mind what information I need to know. Then I see it, my Mother’s body sprawled across the grass. I instantly bend down, hopeless and push the wet hair from her face. I can’t understand why this had to happen to her? Why did she die? Why wasn’t it someone else, someone I didn’t care about? Why did it have to be my only parent, my only family member, my best friend?
I glance onto the dark murky waters and think, ‘If she can jump in, so can I.’ For a moment, the whole world leaves me; I can’t hear anything, see anything or feel anything. I just jump. I can’t live anymore, I felt like all I wanted in life has been grabbed out of my hands in an instant. I have lost the will to live.