Story

[[image:1.png width="800" height="500"]]

 * Story**

“BABA BABA!” Ali cried. His thighs trembled in the muddy water. He covered his shoulders and cringed. “ALI!! There you are!!” Ali’s father waded rapidly towards him. “BABA!” Ali called. He lifted his arms as high as he could, raising his torn wet t-shirt and exposing his skinny torso. His whole body shivered. Ali’s father quickly pulled him out of the water and onto his shoulders. “Ali, we were so worried about you. Your mother thought you were lost. Come we will go back to campsite. Everyone is there.” Ali wiped his face from tears and dirty water. As his father waded them away from the flood, Ali turned around to see what he was leaving behind. Torn leaves and branches floated on the calm flood. Broken wood and garbage drifted between civilians and homes. Women cried as they called out names of children and relatives. Men shook their heads as they pushed belongings and remnants of homes out of their way. “Aaaah!” Ali’s father stopped still. He plunged his hand into the water and rubbed his foot. His hand came out with a light red streak on his finger. “Abba.. what is in the water? what happened?” “It’s nothing Ali, I’m fine. There is a lot of rubble in the water and I must have stepped on something sharp. Don’t worry we’re almost at camp.” Ali’s father moaned as he continued his way through the water. Ali’s lips pouted as he looked down into the water. He couldn’t see his anything. He couldn’t even see his own reflection. He wrapped his arms around his father’s head and held on tightly. As the water level sunk to his knees, Ali’s father dropped Ali down to the ground. Ali ran to his mother who was sitting outside a tent with his siblings. She was able to save a few rags from before the flood and she used it to wipe the dirt of her children’s legs and feet. She embraced Ali and sat him on her lap. Ali’s father limped over to the tent. “Are you ok, Kamran?” She asked with a sad smile. “Yes, I just hurt my foot. Don’t worry about it. Wipe Ali’s feet.” He replied. “He has a few bruises but no infection, thank God.” She kissed Ali’s cheek. “You better check on Talal’s family in the other tent, their son is sick.” “I will go right now and help.” Ali’s dad limps over to the other tent with some rags. “Ameee, why is he sick?” Ali turned to his mother. “Because of the water, Ali…” she sighed, “its dirty and it can make you really sick…” Ali looked around at other children running in the marshy ground. Ali cringed. “It’s ok Ali, why don’t you go and help your brother collect empty bottles…” “But Ammee you said the water is bad?” She carried him off her lap and pushed him away lightly. “It’s not for the water Ali… it’s for our feet.” Ali stood and watched his brother pick up bottles and branches. He tied the branches onto the bottles and then onto his feet. Ali slowly walked over to him watching his feet get soiled with every step.

=__Scenario 2__=

==Diba Khanum lives in in the southern region of India, Karnataka, and experiences the most rainfall in the monsoon seasons. She lives in a small hut in the village of Maishaka. She lives with her 3 older brothers and her mother. Her father passed away last year from heart disease and was the main source of income for the family. Diba is unable to go to school because of heavy rainfall in her village. The rainfall sometimes ends up leaving 3 meters of water above ground, leaving the muddy sticky and wet. Her mom stays at home as she has leg ulcers and cannot afford treatment. Her two older brother are working but earn very little income, and one brother is currently looking for a job. Diba is starting to experience foot pain as the bruises on her feet worsen from the gravel on the roads. She wishes for better shoes so that she can travel and carry a normal life.==