*Some grammatical/spelling edits have been made to allow better understanding.
I was born in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, in April 4, 1996. Makkah is a big city, and all Muslim people come to my city and I liked my city. My mother was born in Makkah, but my father was born in al Medina. I lived in Makkah with six brothers. My father worked in a school; he worked in this school 19 years. In another city he went everyday to work and came back to home.
In 1998 my father was driving his car very fast, and the car flipped. My father got hurt, and he was sitting in the hospital for two weeks, and the car is Palmyra. Then my father sold his car and bought a new car. My father had sheep, goat and chicken. I went with my father every day to get milk and eggs.
In 2002 we got a brother, and I felt happy because we had a new baby. Then my uncle got the name for my brother, the name was Abdallulh. My mother got a job. She tuahgt art in college in another city and she was going every week and came back in the weekend. She was going by herself.
In 2003 I went to school. I felt very happy because I like to go to school. My school is too big and far away from my home. I never had to go to school by myself, I usually go with my friends.
When I was in second grade, I switched school because I had problem with a student. When I came to my classroom I saw him sitting in my seat. The boy was big, had a long hair and a big nose. I said, “Get up of my seat.” Then he said “This is not your seat.” Then I felt very angry and I punched him in the face. His blood came out of his nose. Then they sent me to the office. The office call my father, then the teacher said “You have to switch to another school.”
In 2004 my mom got a great work, and she got a Masters. We did a big party for my mom and a lot of friends came to the party.
On 2005 we got another brother. He is Yazan. He is seven years old, and I felt happy because we got a brother, not a sister. We had a trip to six countries. And these are Oman, Yemen, Qatar, Kuwait, Emirates and Bahrain. We felt very happy, and we liked it.
In 2007 my uncle got marriage, and he was a police in another city, and he moved with his wife. Then after two moths we went to my uncle, and he didn’t know when we came to my uncle and my father asked him, ‘Where did you live?” He said, “Why?” My father said, “Just question.” He told my father where he live, after that we went to the house of my uncle. My father said for my uncle “Come out.” We wait for my uncle to come out. He didn’t know we were coming. He felt very happy, and we sat in my uncle’s house one week and then we back to Makkah.
In 2008 my brother went to India to study Computer and we felt sad because we miss him. He called my parents every day, and he bought a motorcycle. After six weeks he fell and got hurt, and then he went to a hospital and we felt very sad. My father said “Sell the motorcycle and buy a car.” When he sold the motorcycle, they didn’t give my brother a money for the motorcycle. And my father said, “It’s OK. We don’t need money. God give we many.”
In 2010 I rode the motorcycle with my brother, and he was driving very fast then. I fell from the motorcycle and I got hurt. My father said, “No more going with your brother because he driving fast.”
In 2011 my family came to America. We felt very happy. We came to America because my mom needed to learn English and Doctorate. We live in Columbia, Missouri We like this city and we learn to four years.
In 2012 my family did Eid al-Adha with my friend. This is the first celebration we do in America. We liked it, and we felt very happy. Then we came in one place with all the people from Saudi Arabia. Finally I have to listen to my father to do anything he wants.
By Maria Kalaitzandonakes
