"The note says you are not paying attention in class, and that you are failing math, you know that 11 plus 5 doesn't equal 15." Rahna scolded her son.

"It's just so hard to focus," Aladdin admitted, "when I try to math the numbers all run together and look the same. I want to go back home, I'm tired of living with Uncle Hameed, Aunt Leyla, and Auntie Ayshia, and I'm tired of sharing a room with my cousins. Mommy, you won't believe what they did to me last night," a tear ran down eight-year-old Aladdin's cheek.

"What could they have possibly, done to you this time, they didn't lock you in the outhouse again did they." Rahna gave her son a hug.

Aladdin pulled back from his mother's embrace, "No, Nadar poured a bucket of water on me while I was trying to sleep, soaking me and my bed."

"I'm sorry he did that, but you know he is just trying to get attention. Being a middle child and Surjan's twin he feels a need to call attention to himself. I know it seems bad at the moment, but you know why we can't go back home, since your father left us with nothing, I couldn't pay rent, we should be grateful my brother and his wives could take us in or we would be living on the streets." Rahna pulled Aladdin back for another hug.

Early the next morning Aladdin felt himself being shaken awake. The young boy awoke to see his cousin Surjan hovering over him. Surjan was his 13-year-old cousin, and the twin sister of his cousin Nadar. She was five years older than Aladdin. She was always going on and on about how grown up she was. She even got her nose pierced for her last birthday and would not let any of her siblings or Aladdin forget it.

"What is it this time?" Aladdin moaned, as he pulled his blanket over his head.

Surjan pulled the blanket off Aladdin, "It's your mother, she has suddenly become sick. She is having a lot of abdominal pain and is violently sick to her stomach. My mother thinks she has cholera, the doctor is on his way and she is asking for you."

Aladdin silently got out of his bed and followed his older cousin.

Aladdin found his mother lying on a mat on the floor looking absolutely miserable, with the town doctor sitting next to her.

The doctor got up from Rahna's side and walked over the eight-year-old boy. "Aladdin, your mother is very sick. She has lost a lot of fluids from her body, and I do not believe she will ever return to her previous state of health," The doctor put his hand on Aladdin's shoulder, "she is very weak. I'm afraid she will only be able to live for a few more years."

Aladdin fought back tears, he wanted to run over to his mother and hide in her loving embrace. But he knew he had to keep his distance so he wouldn't get cholera too.

"I won't let you die mommy, I promise," Aladdin swore fighting back tears as Surjan gave him a tight hug.

two years later

"I have something I need to tell you," Aladdin's fifteen-year-old cousin Surjan sat next to him on his bed. The ten-year-old boy set down the book he had been reading.

"What is it?" Aladdin asked with concern in his voice.

"Well, as you know I am now fifteen. I'm sure you know when girls turn fifteen, they often get married. So, I'm going to be getting married soon." Surjan put her arm on her little cousin's shoulder.

"You're getting married, that means you will be moving away," tears started to swell up in Aladdin's eyes.

"Yes, I am going to move away. My betrothed's family live in Bangladesh." Surjan whipped a tear from her eyes.

"Bangladesh is so far away," Aladdin sobbed, "I'll never see you again."

"That's not true at all, I'll send for you to come and visit once I am settled in. I can't believe that you would think that I wouldn't miss my favorite pain in the butt little cousin," Surjan smiled as she gently stroked her little cousin's hair, "plus his family's home is so much nicer. It's almost a palace, they even have an indoor toilet," she said with a small giggle. Which caused Aladdin to fake a smile for his cousin.

Suddenly, the door to the children's bedroom burst open. "Aladdin, it's your mother. She has taken a turn for the worse. And I'm afraid she doesn't have much time left," the town doctor yelled.

Aladdin ran into the room that his mother shared with his Aunties. Rahna lay in her bed, looking weak and pale.

"Mommy," Aladdin cried as he ran to his mother. She reached and touched his wavy black hair.

"I have something I should have given you a long time ago," She pointed to a small case by her bed. Aladdin picked up the wooden case. He opened it and found an ornate dagger, "this is the only thing your father left us. I wanted to save it until you were older, but I think should have given it to you earlier. It might have helped you with some of your issues." She said with a weak smile.

Aladdin kneeled next to his mother's bed; he gave her a firm but gentle hug. "I'm sorry I've been such a screwed-up kid." Tears quietly rolled down his cheeks.

Rahna gently grabbed her son's hand, "You are not a screw-up, you are just a late bloomer, you are going to do great things. I believe in you." His mother gave her son one last hug and kiss as Aladdin said his final goodbye to his mother.

To be continued…