An original story about myself when I was a kid and how the life was when my country was in the middle of war. It's the second series that I am writing, but it focuses on a child living in the midst of war, that's why I called it Between Life & Death. The first series "Rejected Since Childhood" focused on my life at schools with classmates it was written from the first point of view while this one I have written it using the third point of view since I have found it easier to narrate the story.
My motive is not to grow sympathy for me but instead, I am just showing the reality as it is for children whose living with war condition in their countries. Consider circumstances to be even tougher than mine that I have experienced in my life. Hope reader will get out with something to carry on after reading this story.
If you missed the first chapter you can click here
The war started in that country and everything changes. People scared of going outside, but they have to go to their work to live, or they will die from lack of food. They don’t know when one of them will become the next victim. The only solution you have is to complete your everyday life as usual.
Voices of fire gun are all over the place; they were able to hear all those noises. The mother was scared to stay alone with her kids in the apartment, so she took them to her father home. The grandfather house is so big comparing to her's. It had four bedrooms, three roofs, two living rooms and two kinds of kitchen. Every room is greater than the other. Also, the house is closed with white tall vertical stones that cover the front of the house and big walls on the back. The grandfather was a commander in his days, and he served in the military until he retired. Now the question is, does that mean being a soldier make you rich? From her father experience, the answer would be wrong. Her father would take $50 every month for serving in the troop, and that barely was able to keep them alive. Sometimes they would eat one meal or two but not more. They weren’t even able to buy a new pair of socks to the children. The life was tough, but as long as they are living and in good health, nothing matter to them.
The father is not near the family anymore, so the girl brother becomes the man of the house now. Every time the mom wanted something from the stores, he will get out comfortably to buy whatever the mother need. The neighborhood was still quite acceptable and safe. Now because of the lack of electricity, they use a generator to light their home, and they need gasoline to make it work. The little boy had to carry the gallon to the station and wait for hours in lines to buy the gas. Not mentioning how much it heavy to the kid to carry all the way and climbing steers to reach the apartment.
In spite of all difficulties they are going through, this little girl was living in that reality without making it affects her life. She walks to school with her brother every day, with no fear. In her way, she sees trees with green leaf, birds and a small red insect with a black dot(Coccinella), that only appear in spring. She loves to grab and play with every time she encounters one of them. In her way there was a house that looks like it's empty and old, there was a white dog with a black spot that lived there. She meets the dog every day, talks and plays with him with her brother and then completes her way. The weird thing is that the dog seems to live alone in that house. Every time she passes by the dog would run directly to welcome her. He lives either on the roof or the back abandoned garden. You might ask yourself how he could travel from the roof to the ground? Simply, there was a steer that made out of wood and had no holes that connect the ground with the roof, so the dog used to go back and forth, up and down whenever he feels like to do. The house was old and abandoned from a long time ago; she could say that because every piece fills with dust. Also, the garden is not taking care of with all that tall grass that been growing there with no care.
One day on her way to school with her brother, she stopped to say hi to the dog and play a little with him. Usually the dog would run to her as soon as she approaches the house but this time was different. She kept looking through the old doors trying to catch a trace that could lead to him. Suddenly, the dogs came down from the roof running to her. The dog was happy to see her: they played a little together after she heads to school. Before she says goodbye, an old man out of nowhere appears from the tall grass just like a zombie, yes a zombie and not a ghost, scaring her with his “who’s there?” words that came out from his mouth. Immediately, she ran out without even looking at the back since she was so scary to figure out the truth. The man had an old ripped cloth that seems just like the ones the zombies had; he was obviously a real living man, but the girl couldn’t stand the shock of him coming out from nowhere, especially when she thought that there was no one in that house. That day was the last for her seeing that dog.
Thanks for reading :)