
In 1750, there was a boy named John. He was born in India. He and his family moved to England when he was three. His parents used to tell him fascinating stories about India. His greatest dream was to come back to India. But there was one big problem, he had to travel buy a ship called Misafera and it had to cross Somalia. There were many pirates in Somalia. Air transport was not yet invented, so land and water transport where the only options. When John turned twenty-five years, he married a young woman. Her name was Myra. She was born to Indian parents.
When she was twelve years old, she and her parents had gone on an outing. Her father Anthony was a captain of a ship. As Myra and her family passed Somalia, they were attacked by pirates. One of the seamen helped Myra escape but nobody knows about her parents. Myra remembered a pirate. his hair where like black and brown spikes, standing straight like aloe vera. he had a black patch covering one of his eyes and a broken gun just to threaten anyone. knowing that the gun could not hurt anyone, Myra teased the pirate. When the pirate fired the gun only air flew out! This was a moment Myra laughed till now.
John got a job as a ship architect. After many years, in 1780, Myra gave birth to a beautiful girl. The baby was named Nadia. Nadia didn’t have her maternal grandparents, as her mother thought that she had lost her parents forever. Both John and Myra wanted to come back to India to visit their birth places.
Every time Myra remembered when she was on the ship, her hope for coming to India increased. One day Myra and John planned to come back to India. They tried to find other options, other than passing Somalia. But they could not find any other options. They decided they will go by Misafera.
They boarded Misafera at lunch time. When they were checking in, Myra noticed a portrait. She did not mind it. Later when she was walking in lobby with her family, she noticed that there was same portrait. Myra said, “Hey! John look at that portrait, she looks like my mother”. She wondered why it was there. “We will ask about it to the manager during lunch time”, John said.
After lunch, while walking back to their room, they met the manager. “Hello”, Myra said. “Oh hi! Nice to meet you”. Manager replied. “Why is that portrait of my mother over here?” Myra asked. “Mam, they are the one who designed this ship, they started this”, the manager replied. Myra asked, “Where are they?”. “In room number 203”, said the manager.
Myra, John and Nadia walked to room number 203; she knocked on the door. It was her mother who opened the door. Suddenly her mother recognised Myra. “My dear M…My…Myra” she said. “Yes mother” Myra said. Then they hugged. Myra asked her mother how they survived. Her mother told her that, pirates did not come to attack them, but they were running away from police.
Everybody reached India safely. John met his parents. Sometimes Myra with her parents, John and Nadia would come for a trip on ship.
Winner of Ridhzworld Publication’s story writing competition
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