Ali's Quest

Isaac Rossell, 9

Thackley Primary School, Bradford

Thump! Crash! “sounds like mum and dad are getting the spare room ready again” thought Isaac. “I wonder who will be coming to stay this time?”

Isaac’s family offered the spare room to people seeking asylum who had nowhere else to stay. Over the years they'd had people from lots of countries and Isaac always enjoyed meeting them, learning words in their language or even trying some of their food. “So who’s coming this time, Dad?” asked Isaac.

Ali from Syria arrived just in time for tea the next day. He didn’t say much at first but then he spotted dad’s piano. ‘Please could I play it?’ he asked. ‘of course,’ said Dad.

And that was the beginning of getting to know Ali much better. It turned out he used to be a music teacher, just like Dad! Even stranger, his son was called Isaaq, which is the same as Isaac but in Arabic! Ali hadn’t seen his wife Sara or Isaaq for three years. Just before the war started in their country, they had enough money for two plane tickets to Britain so they decided Sara and Isaaq would leave first and Ali would join them later. Unfortunately Ali got called up to the army and it was another three years before he could escape in the back of a lorry, all the way through Turkey and across Europe. The journey took a whole month and was very dangerous. Now he needed to find Sara and Isaaq but how? He hadn’t heard from them for so long and didn’t even know if they’d made it to Britain safely.

A week later, Ali came home looking hopeful. ‘I’ve met a man who was helped by the Red Cross to find his family’ he said. ‘He gave me some forms to fill in. Will you help me?’

Shortly after, a woman from the Red Cross came. She spent a long time listening to Ali’s story and getting a good description of Sara and Isaaq. She did warn everyone that finding people after so long is difficult but miracles can happen! Sure enough, a few days later she phoned Dad. ‘I might have found them!’ she said. ‘But I don’t want to get Ali’s hopes up if it’s not them, so I need to make some more enquiries’

It felt like ages but at last there was another phone call. “It’s them!” she said and soon Ali and Sara were talking excitedly on the phone! Sara and Isaaq were living in Glasgow and Isaaq was in year 5 at school.

Mum and Dad invited Sara and Isaaq to come and stay so they could all be reunited.

Sara cooked everyone a celebration Syrian meal while Isaaq and Isaac played Minecraft together. Later Ali played some Syrian tunes on the piano, while Dad did his best to strum along on his guitar. Even though they were from completely different countries they had a lot in common, not just their names!