FROM SOMALIA TO LONDON

From Somalia to London

From Somalia to London

“Ayan! It's so cold here, why don't you come inside?”

I was brought back to the present world with my mother's words. I don't know since when I had been sitting here watching the falling snow before my mother saw me. In fact, I wasn't actually here in London at that time. My thoughts had taken me way back to my life in Somalia.

Everything was covered a little with snow because of the snowfall. It was no doubt cold here but I was so lost in my thoughts that I never realized it. I got up and went inside. All my family was gathered watching the news. The war was still going on there. There were still those gunshots that scared me. Tanks, airstrikes and shelling were still going on.

'Boom!'

There was a huge sound. It was the middle of the night. We all woke up from that big sound, scared and alarmed. Never had I heard such a loud shaking rumble and my wits were not responding as to what it might be. There were cries and shouts from every direction. It was difficult to understand from which direction the voice had come. This meant something wrong had happened. Something that had waken everyone and made them panic. There was a knock at the door.

'I will go and check', and my father went to see who it was.

'Oh Magan, it's you!'

It was Uncle Magan who lived next to our home. He was a calm and carefree person but today I saw signs of worry on his face.

There were talks between the two and they left. My mother got worried but she asked us to sleep. It was difficult to sleep with all the different thoughts that were coming. I lay awake and so did others.

An hour or so went by when there was a knock at the door. I went to open the door and exclaimed,

'Dad, where had you been?' Silence.

We went inside and he told us that there was a war. I now remembered watching on TV a few days back people talking about these things to happen in Somalia. It all made sense today.

'The dinner's ready, Ayan come on help me lay the table'.

'Ok, I am coming Mom.' I replied.

The dinner was delicious as it had always been. My mom is very good at cooking. There in Somalia too, the neighbours were always praising mom for all those different dishes that she cooked. I remember one day Aunt Hodan told Mom that it was because of her delicious cooking that we were so healthy, her children always made faces when they were told that it was time to eat. My mom laughed at her idea and perception but I feel it to be true. We always love to eat food that is cooked by Mom.

Aunt Hodan's daughter Ladan was no doubt a little ...