Asher was tall, skinny and almost seemed like he never brushed his hair. He was half Indian and half Arab. Most kids made fun of him for having such ethnicity. Asher started taking the comments a little too personally. One day he was strolling home from school on his shiny blue bike that uncle Jake had gifted him for his ninth birthday. However, it had been gathering dust in his garage. That morning, Asher had decided to use it. He wiped it with the bottom of his t-shirt with a giant t-rex imprinted on it. At first, he kind of forgot how to ride it, so he decided to give it one more try. Next time he tried, yes, he fell and started bleeding from BOTH knees. He stood up with the help of his hands and started to cry. He crawled towards the front door, shocked to see his mom had fainted. He lifted her head up and moved her head from side to side expecting her to wake up. She did not. And that is when he grabbed the phone and used the number his mother had told him to call when he would be facing a major obstacle: 911. A minute later, Asher heard a loud beeping siren from miles away.
“WEEO, WEEO, WEEO, WEEE!”
He pulled her to the front yard where the paramedics stood. They wheeled her body on a stretcher and into the van. They ran multiple tests as Asher stood leaning on the ambulance, crying, “Oh Allah, save my mom from death!” The paramedics walked towards him and took their helmets off and said, “I am sorry, son, your mother is no longer with us.”
Ever since that day began, Asher was forced to go to school by his rude step-dad and was having a depressed day. Asher loved listening to podcasts. In fact his favourite podcast speaker was Sarah Koenig. He always wanted to meet her with his mom. Him and his mother would listen to one podcast every night before they went to bed. On his way back home he saw a tall old lady with short puffy hair sitting on a bench laughing.
He went up to her from her back and said, “Hey, why you–”
The lady turned her head 360° and said, “Well, son, you look a little shocked to see me.”
Asher was left in shock and walked towards her seat. He sat down and had the best one hour talk with Sarah Koenig. She told him all about the secrets to writing poetic podcasts. Also in fact, Asher told her about what had happened this morning. She gave her condolences to him and hugged him tightly and said, “Asher, my child, you will face obstacles all your life, but you know what? Jump over them and keep moving on. This isn’t the end of the world. You will soon be united with your mother if God wills.”
Asher smiled at her and said, “Thank you so much, Sarah, for those precious words. You have not made my day, not my year, but my whole life! Thanks so much!”
Sarah smiled at his round face and said, “No problem young man. I am always sitting here looking at the little kids jump and laugh. Their laugh makes me laugh.”
Asher just wished his mom was there. There to meet Sarah Koenig with him. He missed her so much.
