Dare to Dream
Category A: Highly Commended (2023) Monash Short Story Writing Competition
Author: Shiven Rewal
As I step through the school gates, a mix of excitement and nervousness overwhelms me. I hear the laughter and chatter of the students and the chime of the school bell. I see the teachers readying themselves for assembly.
I suddenly remember what life was like before we fled to Australia.
When I couldn’t go to school…
When I wasn’t allowed to dream…
*****
Every morning, I would watch my brother leave the house to go into the village. My heart yearned to go with him, but he was the only sibling who was allowed to attend school.
It had not been this way, but there were strict rules to follow now. The new council had decreed that girls were not to be educated. Not long after they came, I was pulled out of school. Their rules controlled all aspects of my life: listening to music was forbidden, I had to cover my face when I went outside the house but worst of all, going to school was out of the question.
My father was kind and he let me study in private. He even persuaded a few of my friends’ parents to let them study with me. We were all aware of the danger, but we weren’t prepared for it. Eventually, word of what my father was doing became known.
They came on a moonless night. I heard gunfire, along with shouting and screaming. My father knew that they were here for him and was prepared. He took us to a trapdoor behind the house that led to a secret basement. My father gave instructions to my mother and brother on what we were to do.
Then, he turned to me and said, “Don’t let others stop you from chasing the dreams you desire. Have the courage to step forward and make them come true.”
That was the last time I ever saw him.
We left our village before dawn and walked towards the border. I cried the whole journey. I had lost everything: my home, my books, my friends, and my father…
At the border, we were sent to live in a place filled with hundreds of tents. We slept, ate, and prayed in the same tent alongside three other families.
In the camp, there was a school where I learned some English along with many other girls. Soon I was starting to feel free again. To dream again.
We were delighted to learn that we had been accepted to live in Australia. I could finally pursue my dreams, just like my father had wanted me to.
*****
The sun emerges from behind the clouds and a warm ray of light falls upon me. My father’s words come flooding back and I smile.