“Jenna, come eat dinner before I forbid you from reading any more of those awful books,” said Hana. “Food is the reason you are living, so eat so you can read more books.”
I didn’t want to eat. I just wanted to read and read.
I shouted back to my mom, “No, no! I refuse to eat anything!”
Of course my mom had to make a fuss about everything. I grabbed my enormous, heavy, black blanket and wrapped myself in the centre like a burrito. I took my small night light and my copy of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets only. The second I started to read the fourteenth chapter, I heard a big BANG.
“BOOM!”
Yusef, my annoying ten-year-old brother, walked into my room and yelled, “MAMA SAID YOU HAVE TO COME EAT YOUR FAVOURITE EGGS AND BROCCOLI!”
I jumped out of my bed and kicked him out of my room. I hated broccoli and eggs. Yusef had lied. I decided against my will and ran to the kitchen. I opened the refrigerator and picked up the leftover bowl from yesterday, spaghetti and meatballs. That was probably the only thing I actually enjoyed eating. It had a flavourful taste that would remind me of LA. My cousins and I once went to LA together to attend my dad’s graduation party. When we landed there, I was starving. My cousins stopped at In en Out and bought me the kids lunch meal. It included a fountain drink, a small amount of spaghetti and meatballs, some carrots and to top it off with some delicious dessert: cheesecake. That was probably the best meal I had ever eaten in my life. Ana, my brother’s twin sister pushed me from the back. I collapsed to the stone floor. I pulled my sleeve up and I had a huge cut that was trickling blood to my fingers.
I screamed in pain, “AHHH, mama, Ana pushed me onto the stone ground!”
You would not believe my mom’s response.
She said, “That’s good, you did not eat dinner so you got a great punishment, getting pushed to the stone floor.”
I stood up and yelled, “I HATE YOU GUYS SO MUCH! YOU GUYS MAKE ME CRY ALL THE TIME. I WISH I COULD GO LIVE WITH DAD IN JERESULEM, PALESTINE! YOU GUYS ARE SO ANNOYING!”
I ran to my room and started to pack my clothes. As I was packing, my eye wandered towards a picture of me and my dad. We were standing in front of Masjid-Al-Aqsa. I wish I could just go back to my dad. Eat our favourite food, Zaatar, under his cozy cottage located next to Aqsa. But sadly, I had to live with my mom and my annoying twin siblings because my dad could not take care of me while working at his hectic office. I finished packing and picked up my luggage. I wore my pink vest and my pink fluffy hat. I walked out of my door and to the front door without looking back. Ana screamed, “Jenna? Where are you going?”
“Anywhere, but not this house. I probably will just book a flight to Palestine with my Eidi money.”
From donning a confused face to a worried face, Ana and Yusef burst into tears.
They hugged me tightly and said, “I love you, Jenna. I wish the best for you. May Allah help you with your journey.”
I told them to say bye to our mom from my side. I exited the house silently, suprised to find my father outside! I threw my luggage down and jumped onto my dad’s arms.
“Baba, baba! I missed you so much! Where did you go? For the last twelve years, I have been living far apart from you.”
My dad, Mohammed, replied, “Ahh my Jenna sweety, you know I love you the most out of all kids!”
Jenna replied, “Baba just never leave me again and always have my back when mama, Ana or Yusef bully me!”
“Baba wil always have your back!”
We both walked in together and did a family group hug. But, we were missing someone: MAMA! I left the group hug and dragged her into the group photo. We hugged together and promised we would never argue again and to be a happy family forever. At least, baba could now move in with us, he finished his year.
