Im Kanesha from Afganistan.

Because of the mistunderstandings between the religions in my

city,there started a war in 2001.I was 8 years old when this happend and I was very shoked.I couldnt
believe that this kind of things could happend right in front of me.So without thinking anymore,my
mother decided that we need to get out from this country as soon as possible.My father wasnt at
home at that moment,so we had to pick him up from the office first.After that,we ran into the house
and took the most necessary things,like some clothes and as much food and water as possible.My
father decided that is better if we use the car,so he left us for a few moments to go and buy some
canisters of fuel.Mom took our identity documents,phones,chargers and then she said that this is all
we need.We sat in the car and the atmosphere was really weird.I still cant understand how my
parents could leave our hometown city so easily,but there was no way we could stay there
anymore.So I tried to be strong and I looked one more time back to our house after I turned to my
mom and asked her where are we going to go.She was looking for the closest country that could help
us on her phone,while my dad was driving with a cold face.I was so scared of doing this,because
there was the posibility to get shoot by an military group.After a few minutes of embrasing
silence,mom told us that the closest country that could help us was Italy.I wasnt very good at
geography back then,but I remembered that Italy was very far from us.My dad proposed my mom to
go back,saing that this is just a minor war,it cant be that bad.But my mom was very sure that we
couldnt survive there,so she turned to me and said that we are going to an adventure,just like the
people in my favourite american films.I shaked my head happy and told her that nothing bad can
happen to us while we are togheter.If Id knew what was going to happen with us,I woldnt be that
positive.But the idea of an adventure,even the reason we were going in this adventure was a
war,was still very exciting for me as a kid.So my dad wasnt able to say anything else,seeing that I
wanted this too.After hours of driving in silence,my dad saw an military car and paniked.They could
shoot us if they think we are acting suspect.My mom promised me that there isnt going to happen
anyhing bad,so I can relax.Of course I trusted my mom,but I couldnt hide all my fear deep inside
me.They stopped us and I was so afraid that I felt like my ears were not there,I could hear just an
inffernal beeping.I was so scared of that persons that when I saw that the one that stopped us was
holding the biggest gun Ive ever seen,some random blood appeared in front on my eyes and I was so
close to scream,but something helped me to act normal.When I turned my eyes to that man,he
shaked his head to his teammates and let us go.I didnt ask my dad what was the reason he stopped
us for,because my poor heart was too occupied to feel relieved to see that we are still alive.But when
my mom said that we should better take some alternative routes,to prevent those kind of things,I
feeld even more scared.If they find us on an alternative way,they could find out that we re actually
tring to run.But if we have luck and dont meet with anyone,we should be fine.So once again,I trusted
my parents with the risk of my life and we took an alternative way.Meanwhile,the night arrived and
we decided to hide in a forest and sleep for a few hours.In the morning we where going to an shelter
for refugees in Iran.From there,we ll take an train to Iraq,where we ll stay for a night in another
shelter,then we ll cross on foot to Syria.If we could be fine until there,there will be a boat waiting for
us to cross the Mediteraneean Sea to Italy.My dad told me that this is going to take two months,but
we could arrive faster.So I fell asleep while thinking how other countries could look like.We never
leaved Afganistan,so it was even more exciting.In the morning,my dad waked me up silently and the
first thing I heard was shoots and screams.It seemed like we were in an war area,so we ran to the car
and leaved.After that,we where so shocked of the idea that we were sleeping next to the death,that
nobody were able to talk for a few hours.Meanwhile,we arrived at the border with Iran.My dad told
us to act excited and happy,like we were going to visit some beloved grandparents from there.So we
did.The police didnt suspect anything,but I think they let us in knowing that we are refugees,because
there were many afraid familyes saying that they are going to a vacantion or a trip.We feel relieved
to see that we did it,but after a few minutes of driving,our relief dissapeared.We saw dirty and skinny
kids,scaried moms and blooding dads.There were ruins just like some parts of my city and military
groups running.My mom told me that is better for me to dont look,but those people I saw blooding
reminded me of the blood that appeared in front of my eyes when I saw that ared guy that stopped
us and a weird feel runned trough me.I decided that sleeping is the best way to escape from these
horrible things my mind was creating,so I layed down on the back seats of the car and instanlty fell
asleep.When I woke up,I was sitting next to my mom on a blanket in an abandoned building.Mom
told me that we arrived to the shelter and she didnt want to wake me up so she just lift me up and
entered in the shelter.My dad leaved to buy the train tickets and when he arrived,he lended us some
strange snaks,but we eated them,because the food we took werent enough for two days.My mom
told me that we cant leave the building yet,because outside is very dangerous.The train arrived at 12
at the night and until then,we just played with some rocks in that building and tried to ignore the
screams and the shoots from the outside.The first thing we saw when we walked in the train were
clean seats and bottles of water.I dont know how this was posibble there,but we didnt say no to all
those things.After tree days of traveling with the train,we arrived in Iraq.The things there were a little
bit peacefully,but there was still very much poorness(dacă se zice altfel la sărăcie,scrie tu).The earth
were very dry,and on our way by foot we didnt see any lake,but happily we got enough whater from
a shop at the sheltter in Iran.After another two weeks of walking,we arrived at the sheltter and there
were even more blood...People around looked so sad,like there were no way things could be ok for
them.In this shelter I met a boy,Mahmud,that was 9 years old,from Afganistan too.Our parents
talked a little and we decided to work togheter and escape from this nightmare.I feel happy to see
that even in a war,I still can make friends.For a moment,it felt like there was no war,the time stopped
for us and nobody was diyng.Everyone was friendly and they accepted that there are differences.But
everything dissapeared in the night when we were on a little boat,with another 20 persons and a
patrool found us.I was in the back of the boat with Mahmud,so the people in front were our
parents.My both parents got shoot while Mahmud dragged me into the water and told me to swim
as fast as I could.Another boat of refugees found us and took us with them.They helped us with the
documents and at 10 in the morning,by Italy s hour,we were italians.Im very sad because my parents
werent able to meet the people that raised me in all this time.I still believe that one day I will be able
to go back to Afganistan and there will no longer be any war.I dont wish to anybody to have this kind
of tragedy,because the things that I saw were too horrible to ever forget.