Positive Thinking

Positive Thinking

by Muhammad Alkhirafi

It was a quiet and peaceful day until I heard buzzing noises, fast and strong. I had never ever heard something like that before in my life. I heard it right next to my window while I was watching TV after the morning prayer. It was 7 a.m., and I did not know what was going to happen. Next thing I knew, my house suddenly and abruptly shook. The windows of every single car on the block shattered, and my whole world flipped upside down. I ran. l didn’t know where to go. I left the room through the back door. I stopped running suddenly. The little room was empty. l kept running outside the house. l stopped. Oh my God. It was a bomb. Bombs were dropped in the middle of the city. People everywhere were screaming for help and running to safety. People were scared, helpless, and hurt. People on the street were crying, bleeding out. And praying for safety. This was in 2015. This was the calm before the storm.

The bomb was huge. It was brighter than the sun itself. It seemed like an aged mixture of yellow and orange. It looked like a fire, but more. The sparks flew everywhere and hurt many people when it first landed, just like fireworks, but more intense. There was no noise. But after that, it was quiet. A few seconds, it was all l heard. It was so loud, even the deaf could hear it. So scary. The smoke was what made things worse. It made people look like a disaster and nobody could breathe clean air. I knew in that exact moment that everything around me, my friends, my neighborhood, and my life, would never be the same ever again.

The Houthis. They caused it. The Houthis are a group of people who have been trying to take over the country for years. Before them, everyone lived peacefully and happily. But then they killed the president, Ali Abdullah Salih, and everything changed. No peace, no justice, and no freedom. If you don’t do as they say, they torture you in an inhumane way.

Oh! If everything returned to how it used to be. Pure joy and happiness, food to eat, homes to go to, peace, justice, and freedom. I wish to walk down the street in Yemen without fear. I hope one day

everything returns to how it used to be. I want to see my friends and family, and the places I used to go with the people I love. I miss what it used to be and l hope for it to return back to its former glory. If I were to give a speech to the world, I would say stop all wars, because there are other ways to go about this. If you want power, we can talk and come to an agreement. If you want money, we can get you a job. If you want a family, we can find you a family, as long as there is no more pain and suffering . . .