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Rising Sun

Rising Sun Amrita Anwar hurried into her house, as it was raining rather heavily. She sat down on a one-seater, brown sofa which was half ripped. Her mum Sonia and dad Arjun sat on damp wooden chairs that weren’t far from rotting. The house had one bedroom, a small kitchen, a spider infested bathroom, a small living room with a main door to enter the house with a rusty mailbox and a little patch of garden with just grass and a few stones Amrita collected to decorate the edges. It was serious winter and the world outside was completely white. Arjun was a MacDonald’s cleaner and worked all day. He only saw his wife and daughter at night at eight. His wife could stay up late but Amrita had to go to sleep at nine because of school. He only saw his daughter one hour every day except on weekends when she stayed two hours later. He got less than thirty pounds each week. Eight years ago, they saved tremendously for Amrita’s school. Everyone in her school had gleaming uniforms, as if they were washed every day. They were washed every day as the children could afford a washing machine, unlike Amrita. Children wore stunning accessories like shiny golden chokers and ruby- fitted rings and carefully beaded bracelets. Amrita imagined those on her body, but all she wore was a pink ribbon around her neck she found on the road. Many children told lies about Amrita to the teacher and the teacher scolded her badly. Trying to take her mind off those naughty children, Amrita did well in school, which was the only pride her family had. Her one and only hobby, Amrita loved drawing. The Anwar family could not afford paper so Amrita got a stick and gathered a pile of stones and drove the stick to do some lovely drawings, sometimes when it was dry she drew on the dusty ground and when snowy, she drew in the snow. One chilly day, Amrita was eating lunch and a posh, young lady passed by their garden. She came back and stared at Amrita’s sketches that said “By Amrita Anwar aged nine.” She knocked at on door and said “Please may meet Amrita Anwar?” Sonia called Amrita. She was a bit shy but she asked why the lady wanted her. “You’re sketches are great but why are they not on paper?”, the lady asked. Arjun explained their lifestyle and earning and why they could not afford many things. She told them her name Miss. Burnersdrouns and she worked for an art gallery. She took photos of the sketches and took them to the gallery. The gallery loved them and placed them in the ‘gifted children’ zone. Amrita was given such a lot of paper, easels, paint and brushes. With every artwork she produced, she earned thousands of pounds. A company also discovered Arjun’s secret stories he used to write. They turned Arjun into an author. They earnt millions and bought a new house any many, many things that they never had before. So I guess Amrita was a rising sun!

By Karishma Porwal