20/3/1999

Dear diary,

It’s a tough day for the family. My husband got beat and we had to move I didn’t
want to move because of memories and grandparents but we moved. We arranged and
hired Jamal the driver to drive us to Australia. We had to lay on our back on the hard-tough
wood. We were praying to not get caught and we were really excited to go to Australia but
we knew we couldn’t go straight to Australia because we couldn’t afford a plane for the
family so we while to Pakistan and on the way to Pakistan I took a bit of the dirt from the side
of the road because I wanted to remember where I came from. We drove out of Afghanistan
then there were these men who checked the back we prayed to not get caught and I heard
Mahtab so I gave her a sugar cube to calm her down and I told her to calm down by counting
backwards so she did.

I missed Afghanistan really badly I’m really sad that we couldn’t stay but my husband said no
we couldn’t stay because it was dangerous for the family and we couldn’t stay any longer so
we made a plan to go to Pakistan so I told the kids to pack up but pack up the necessary
things because we couldn’t hold things that were heavy so I just said “get clothes and things
that aren’t heavy” so they did. I worried about what was going to happen to my mom and
wondered if she would be alright.While driving to Pakistan I knew I would forget a bit of my
home Afghanistan so I took a piece of dirt and put it in a jar. I was mainly scared of the
Taliban finding us and killing us because that was our own main threat and I prayed and I
hope we can have a smooth ride and wish us good-luck.
20/2/200
Dear Diary,

We made it to Pakistan. I was crying in tears of joy when we made it to

Pakistan. I knew Allah would listen to my prayers. Jamal drove us to this weird cabin I
question "where are we going" Jamal replied "We are going to the cabin" but I was still
suspicious than when we made it there a man greeted us and got suspicious but once when
we got to know him I got less suspicious and we stayed in the cabin for 8 months within the
8 months my husband left me and Jamal stopped driving us. I was worried what would
happen to the family without him and Farhad Has been raging in anger. He was as angry as
a raging bull. We got impatient, bored and tired so we made a chess piece. I made the
prawns, knights, queen, king and more out of paper and we played it and they seemed to
enjoy it but everything didn't last. Farhad, Mahtab and Soraya have gone impatient.

Farhad did the unbelievable he went outside because he was impatient and bored also
worrying about his father I scream and lectured him about why not to go outside I scream at
him"don't ever go out there again and don't you know about the Taliban".That is when I
started to worry so I told the kids to pack up their clothes and necessary items and so they
did and we went with the bearded man to help us get our passports so we can follow my
husband's footstep or father's footstep as Mahtab would say.We wanted to go to Australia
directly so we don't need to wait and we got our passports successfully which I was happy
about so we are going to Malaysia wish me and the family good luck fingers crossed.
 25/8/2000
Dear Diary,
YES! We got out passports successfully and we were going to Malaysia. We were flying on a
plane to Malaysia and this was the coolest thing I ever saw and I knew Mahtab was
interested as she was looking outside the windows of the plane she also said “this is like a
kite without strings” and I didn’t have to worry much anymore but we were scared at the
same time as it’s our first time on a plane. As we landed I told the kids to get ready as we
are going to land and they were excited as so after that I pay a bribe at the airport to help the
family to travel to Indonesia and once we got to Indonesia everything was going smoothly.
Mahtab befriended a boy named Ahmad and I just realised that Hamida had a baby! We
stayed in Indonesia for a couple months and I had to wait for a boat to be arranged so the
smuggler can sneak us in Australia in a nice steel boat.

IT WAS TIME! I told everyone to pack-up and told Mahtab to say goodbye it was sad for her
as so for me but we had to move on if we were going to see him.We arranged a boat there
was this man dress in all white looking rich and wealthy and when we saw the boat it was a
old wooden boat which I couldn’t believe but we had to go Mahtab said so we did go on the
boat and Hamida and the baby join us on the journey to Australia and we talked and talked
on how we were going to Australia playing and not worrying or stressing over going outside
without getting caught by the Taliban so wish us a smooth ride to Australia and I hope we
don’t get caught now i have to go bye diary.