2020 summer had been a long one for Abdullah. With school closed and having to stay inside, he got bored quickly and couldn't wait for it to end. Most days it was just, "I'm so bored… let's see if there's anything to eat," or annoying his siblings, of course.
Over time, the summer came to an end, and September arrived. Fourth class began, but Abdullah could only think about one thing: going back home. It wasn't just him. His mother had started packing and buying nice clothes for his sisters. They were meant to go first, before Ali and their father.
Since school still wasn't back on, he had to endure the Zoom calls, but finally, the time came for the flight. It was Abdullah's first time flying without his father. He watched his mother carefully, noticing how much pressure she was under, and tried to help as much as he could.
"Let me hold the bag for you, Mama," he said.
His mother just smiled in return. "I'm glad I have such a great son," she said.
Once they were on the plane, the flight went smoothly. They arrived safely, and Abdullah felt a wave of déjà vu. He saw his grandpa, whom he called Abuji, and his Uncle Hamza waiting for them. Uncle Hamza helped his mother with the luggage, and together they headed toward his older aunt's home.
"I can't wait to see Aunt Amina after so long," Abdullah thought to himself.
Aunt Amina lived in the north. She had two kids: his favourite cousin, a boy named Arham, smaller than Abdullah but older by a year, and a girl named Shanza, two years older than him. He wasn't particularly fond of Shanza because Arham often picked on her, so Abdullah usually just followed his cousin's lead.
Eventually, they arrived at Aunt Amina's home with Uncle Hamza and Abuji. The first thing they did was rest. The journey had been exhausting, especially for his mother and his young sisters, who needed sleep. Abdullah, on the other hand, went with Arham.
Arham was his favourite cousin because he always had something fun to do. He would take Abdullah outside to explore the area and bring him tasty food from the local people. The shoddy alleyways were primitive, with gutters lining the roads. The sun scorched the floor, which was full of bumps and rocks. And every now and again, rats would scurry along. But still, Abdullah loved it here.
At night, Arham and Abdullah would play games and beg Uncle Hamza to take them out on the motorcycle. Sometimes Arham would tell him scary stories about evil spirits or how he once killed a massive rat with his friends. Aunt Amina would cook them delicious meals, the smells filled the house, and the taste was even better. But the person Abdullah wanted to see most was his grandmother, whom he called Nano.
The drive from the north to his grandparents' home in the south was long. Aunt Amina, Arham, and Shanza were coming along as well. Uncle Hamza kept the mood light with his humour.
"So, my gora friend, how's life in Ireland? When are you bringing me, or did you forget about me?" Hamza said to Abdullah, chuckling.
"I didn't forget about you," Abdullah said with a serious tone, "but first I'm going to bring Nano and Abuji. If you work hard enough, maybe you can come as well. I'll see how I'm feeling."
Uncle Hamza, his mom, and Abuji laughed.
"How kind of you! But how are you going to bring us?" Abuji said between laughs.
"Just hide in the luggage," Abdullah said. Everyone burst out laughing. Oblivious to how ridiculous he sounded, Abdullah didn't understand why they were laughing.
The rest of the car ride went similarly. Eventually, Abdullah fell asleep, and when he woke up, they had arrived at their grandparents' home.
As Abdullah and his family got out of the car, he was greeted by his other uncle, a more serious man, Uncle Tariq. He hugged Abdullah's mother and shook Abdullah's hand with a firm grip. Abdullah, still a little disoriented, looked around and saw Uncle Hamza's two kids.
A boy the same age as him, Ayyan, and a younger boy the same age as his sister, Aaliyah. Abdullah wasn't very close with the younger one, and he didn't have much in common with the older one either.
Uncle Tariq also had a baby boy named Musa, a chubby little bundle. The house was very big. With Uncle Tariq, his wife, and child. Uncle Hamza, his wife, and two kids. Abdullah, his mother, and his sisters. Aunt Amina and her two kids. Plus, Abuji and Nano it was a lot of people under one roof, yet it didn't feel crowded.
That's when he saw her. Nano. The grandmother he had been looking forward to seeing the most. Running up to her, it felt like the first time in years he had hugged her. He held her tightly for several minutes.
"I missed you too, beta," she said in her soft, loving voice.
Abdullah was overjoyed. He was finally
back home…