.
(Lively music)
(Sinister music)
I came from Afghanistan.
I was quite happy there with my family all together.
I still remember when I was a kid there.
There was mountains, a lot of dust,
and the houses aren't that rich like England.
They've got, like, tents.
There was fighting and war, and it was starting to build up.
They were sort of like, taking the good areas.
They started to bomb there.
(Explosions)
Sometimes, when I looked out the window, I felt quite sad.
So then my grandma had decided all of us go to a safer place in Europe.
By the time we got to the airport,
I remember they let my grandma in, then me, but not my family.
They said they didn't have passports and then they had to go back.
(Sinister music)
We thought that they were on another plane,
but when we got in England they weren't there.
We thought, you know, something must have happened,
they might be alive, you never know.
I had nightmares of my mum picking me up in school
and then when my eyes opened up I realised that it was just a dream.
It wasn't real.
And then every night I was ... I was crying,
I was always dreaming about them.
It's like my bones were broken
because I could feel really angry and really sad.
(Music fades out, children's voices.)
I went to school. I learnt new things there.
It was, like, really frustrating that I can't speak English.
The only word I know is "yes".
Sometimes I get embarrassed that I don't know the word.
The thing I was doing, like, sitting in the corner doing nothing,
watching other people play.
Sometimes people came with me to play with me,
and then I started to play with them.
I found new friends.
I started to practice football with them.
(Calm music)
Everyone was amazed by my pictures because I was a really good drawer.
I had something special to show them every day -
pictures of my family, of my mum and dad, me,
Spiderman, because I like Spiderman.
Sometimes I was drawing pictures of football because I like football.
That made me happy, but then when I,
when I keep on, like, imagining my family, I want them to come here.
(Sinister music)
Four and a half years passed and then we had a phone call.
My cousin said that they saw my dad in the mosque praying.
And then they handed the phone to my dad,
and then I started to talk with my dad, my mum and dad,
and then I was more happier that time.
My first wish would be my mum and dad coming to this country,
because it feels like it's actually going to happen.
But I get upset.
I wish they could come right now.
I can't wait for that day.
(Contemplative music)
SWR 2020