Land Mines

• Josh Nyberg, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2015

It was a Sunday morning and I was getting really bored siting in the house will dad was getting fuel in the taxi mum was sleeping and Jamel was outside with his friends Mussa, Aziz, Yusuf and Zoltan, wish I could play. Girls in Afghanistan can’t go outside without a male relative or play soccer. That’s it I say I will write mum a note so when she wakes up she would not be so worried. I go outside and run for the soccer field and Jamel and his friends just look at me like they just stepped in camel poop. I go and tackle Jamal as he tells his friends to tackle me; I have remembered all the soccer skills Jamal has taught me in the house. I run for goal I don’t stop and pull up my skirt at all I just kick it really hard and Yusuf dives and misses it goal I hear Jamal whisper.
The ball wizzes through the goal, over the rocket crater and into the horizon. The ball got stuck on and old tank Jamel keeps yelling my name I don’t really know why I think it’s because he thinks I’m too young to get the ball myself. Jamel catches me and I stop Jamel says ‘go home and step in your own foot prints’. I start going home and I see a whole wing off of a fighter plane I think to myself, that would be great for my project at mums illegal school at home. I start run off of my own foot prints then I feel my self-step on something I look down and see a land mine I start yelling and screaming, Yusuf comes and puts his hands on top off my foot witch is on the land mine Jamel finally comes over he puts his hands on top off Yusuf’s hands. I am so scared I say to Jamel, Jamel reply’s and says ‘so am I Bibi’. Jamel stands up and says I am going to slide my foot on to the landmine and you slid your foot off of it, but then you will be on the landmine I say Jamel says ‘don’t worry if I’m on it the Yusuf can take you home and get me help’. Ok I say I start running home and I get half way and look back I start running back to Jamel I jump on him not thinking that he will fall over. And then he does I land on top off him on the ground no bang it did not blow up. I am still shaking so is Jamel, then Jamel yells ‘get off me’ sorry I say. We begin walking home and Jamel says ‘we need to hurry up and get home to rip up that note and hope dad isn’t home yet or mum isn’t awake’. Then I say to Jamel thanks for saving me, he says ‘ its all right you.