I wish you were here with me, Dad. You could continue teaching me how to play soccer; you could teach me how to play like David Beckham. It’s no fun playing on your own, but I am getting better! I don’t bump into people or animals or carts anymore…Well, maybe a little.
I miss you a lot. Mom told me you had to go away for a while. I asked her why, why you had to go. What else did you have to do besides being with us? You told us you would never want to be away from us for any reason. Why did you have to go away?
I’m still waiting for Mom’s answer.
I wonder what you would think of this new place. It’s very different from home. There are bars on the windows and there are beds in many of the rooms. There are a lot of other girls who live here and many men come in and see them. Some come in and see Mom too, and when they do, she always shoos me away. Maybe you know why they see Mom, too, Dad…
Mom’s been coughing a lot lately. She tries to hide it from me, but I sometimes see her papers with big red spots on it. I think Mom is sick.
Jeena misses you too, Dad! Sometimes, when Mom has to see those men, she cries. I try to comfort her as best I can, but some days, it doesn’t work. You could do it, Dad. I know you could.
I like to fly my kite in the evenings. It’s quiet then. It gets noisy inside so, it’s nice to go there. I like being away from the bars on the windows, the noise from inside, the kids who tease me, the Mumtaz who yells at everyone…
Dad... I hate it here.