1. My story By: Irene Beh<br /> My name is Rabeea Bakhshi I am eight and I have a little sister Latifa bakhshi she is only five. We live in Afghanistan. Our parents sold us to Badee Majeed a mean man, to work in his brick factory. Because our parents owe Badee some money that they couldn’t pay of the depth so they have to sell us to him until we have money to pay of the depth. Our parents were really sad that they have to sell us but they had no choice.<br /> As we drove to Badee’s factory our house became smaller and smaller I thought we would never see them again. When we arrived at badee’s factory he told us that we must work from morning to night, we were not allowed to talk, not allowed to rest except at night, and will have two small meals in a day which is morning and night. He also said if we did something wrong he will send us to the chain room which was a small room that has chains hanging from the ceiling so he can chain your hands. Then he showed us that we needed to work for five years to pay of the depth. Then he showed us where we were going work and where we are going to eat and sleep. Then he introduced us to the children who were working there; there was Nabila, Fahim and Fara the twins, Geeti and Ghezal.<br /> At night Badee gave us a little piece of bread to eat then we slept in a rectangular box that had few sheets at the bottom, a small pillow and a blanket, it was not very comfortable but it is better than sleeping on the hard dusty floor. Latifa slept in the box beside me sometimes we would all complain about our aching back and Badee would hear us then we will spend the night in the chain room so I shouldn’t complain. The next morning Badee woke us up at dawn he gave us some bread to share and then <br /> “Go to work!” he shouted. <br /> He told latifa and I that we will get bricks near the pipes and lay the bricks twelve rows of twenty. Then you pile another twelve rows of twenty on top of the other twelve rows of twenty the next day. Guess how hard was lifting the bricks from the pipes to the place I was laying my bricks. Each brick weigh so much that I think I’m caring a gold bar. Latifa took five minutes to lift the brick and take it back to the place she was working. <br /> Badee would shout, “Hurry up hurry up!” <br /> When it was night and we were done we were exhausted especially Lafita and Geeti since they were the youngest.<br /> After we ate and Badee went back to his house, which was next to where we stayed. The oldest girl Ghezal told us to form a little circle so we can talk. We talked about ourselves, what we like, where we wish to be. Like my wish is to be in London on the London Eye looking at the view from the window. We talked about escaping some day from Badee. I made friends with a girl named Nabila about the same age as me. The next morning after breakfast <br /> Badee shouted “go to work”!. <br />Days went by harder and harder. I’ve been here for almost a year, I feel like we never leave. I’ve been getting use to the brick factory these days sometimes we would sneak up to Badee’s house and smell the delicious smell of roasted turkey. Nabila wished just to have a bite of that delicious roasted turkey some day. But all we get to eat was left over bread that Badee had for breakfast, dinner, or lunch, sometimes we didn’t have breakfast and dinner at all because there weren’t any leftover bread so we would go to sleep with an empty stomach, our stomachs will grumble the whole night and we wont be able to sleep. And then the next day we would all be tired and sleepy and will not be able to work properly then we will get chained in the chain room one by one, it was terrible feeling being there alone. One spring a new kid arrived at Badee’s factory at night right in the middle of our meal he was about my age and very skinny. His name is Latif Kamal said Badee, after Badee went back to his house we all welcomed the newcomer, <br /> He said “my family sold me to a farmer to work but the farmer said I was to talkative so he sold me to Badee”.<br /> Latif was brave sometimes he even get chained in the chain room but he wasn’t afraid when he came out. We felt like he’s a hero or a grown up because he was always fighting with Badee. One autumn he said we should escape, we were all talking at once and asking questions like where do we go or what should we do or how we are going to escape from Badee. Latif said we will work as usual and when Badee goes back into his house we will escape and into the road.<br /> So the next day it happened we waited till Badee went into his house and then ran out and into the busy street we were so happy to be out of Badee’s brick factory we fear Badee would come strolling out of the factory catching us and then chaining us in the chain room. But he never did, I bet he is taking his afternoon nap. We wandered around looking for each other’s home finally Latifa and I found our families and we thanked Latif for all that. Our parents were over joyed to see us they cried, but Badee never came back to find Latifa and I. Then one day we received a letter from Latif that he told the police that Badee has been arrested by the police because of his evilness and also Latif found his own family we all cheered and laughed and clapped and that time we were all free. And maybe some day I will be in London ridding in the London Eye looking at the view from the window. Maybe I could get a good education in London and invite all my friends there which is Latif, Nabila, Geeti, Ghezal, Fara and Farim and of course my little sister Latifa and my parents. Maybe it will happen not exactly. I felt happy because we were free and we get to live with our family. Also I made some new friends and sometimes we will be able to communicate with each other. I also feel quite sour for the running and working from morning to night in the brick factory.<br />