EAC 273 - Creative Adaptation of "A New Life" by Rukhsana Khan

 Here's my creative adaptation of "A New Life" by Rukhsana Khan

            I see Hamza in the school’s hallway this morning. He looks like as he was thinking about something. He gives no response when I wave my hands at him. I want to ask him what is wrong, but Rada grabs my hand because classes are about to start. So I run to the classroom instead.

            After school, Hamza and I walk home together.

            I ask Hamza, “What is troubling you?”

            Hamza does not even look at me.

            He says, “Nothing.”

            But it must be something! I think to myself and say, “I saw you walked like a zombie in the hallway!”

            My friends and I just read a book about zombies in one class this afternoon. Ms. Thomson took the book away as she found out that we were reading such book. She said that the librarians must have made mistake and we shouldn’t read that violent book.

            Hamza gives me a confused look. I doubt he doesn’t know what a zombie is. I’m ready to tell him but I see the sandbox, as we pass by, and I recall those bully kids. I cry, “Did those bad kids come back for you?”

            “No,” he says, “Even if they came back, I would have beaten them for sure.”

            “Hmm,” what could that be then? I keep guessing, “Oh, are you in love with someone?”

            Hamza rolls his eyes. That’s a No, I guess.

            “Did you make mistakes in the school?” I ask.

            Hamza stops and does not answer my question. I think I guessed it. So I comfort Hamza, “It’s ok, Hamza. They wouldn’t beat us. You know that.”

            “What did you say?” Hamza turns towards me. He isn’t paying attention.

            “What were you looking at?” I watch over Hamza, and then I see a group of kids playing baseball. I continue on, “I asked, if you made mistakes in the school.”

            Hamza shrugs, “I told you nothing. Let’s go home.” And then he walks away quickly from that baseball field.

            ·

            Another day, in the schoolyard, I notice Hamza sits on a bench alone watching his friends playing baseball.

            “Hamza!” I yell and run to him, “Why don’t you playing with your friends?”

            Hamza looks at me for a while and says nothing.

            “What’s going on?”

            Hamza kicks the rocks around his feet. He looks annoyed,  “Stop asking.”

            “But…”

            “Just go away and play with your friends!” Hamza yells at me.

            I have an urge to sob; so I run away.

            Hamza thinks I’m annoying. I don’t want to speak with him anymore.

            We do not speak when we walk home.

           

            We do not speak when we do homework in our bedroom.

            We do not speak when we eat dinner together.

            During dinner, Abugee notices the weird flow between Hamza and I.

            He coughs and says, “How was school?”

            Hamza answers, “It was fine.”

            “Nothing; fine; you always say that.” I whisper to mock Hamza.

            “I can hear you.” Says Hamza as he throws away his spoon.

            “Hamza!” Abugee growls, “You are the older brother; you need to take care of your sister; and watch your behaviour!”

            Hamza stays silent and stands up to head back to our bedroom.

            “I am full.” He says as he walks away from the dining table.

            Abugee turns towards me, “What happened?”

           I don’t want to tell Abugee about Hamza’s weird behaviour, because Hamza apparently doesn’t want anyone to know whatever it is about. And I don’t want to betray Hamza.

            “Nothing Abugee. We’re fine.” I look away.

            I don’t even believe what I say.  

            Abugee signs and says, “Khadija, each of you two should be the closest person to another in this world. You should support each other.”

            “Now finish your dinner and go do your homework.”

            Abugee looks tired. I feel sorry.

            Hamza had already gone to bed when I come into the room.

            I head towards my bed in the dark and lay on my bed too.

            A moment later, I hear Hamza asks, “Awake?”

            “Hmm.” I respond.

            “I heard what you said outside.” He says.

            I almost think he means my whisper on the dining table.

           

            “I am sorry.”

            “I am sorry.”

            We almost apologize simultaneously.

            We laugh out after.

            “Do you want to know what bothers me?” Hamza offers.

            “Would you tell me?”

            “Don’t tell Abugee though.”

            “Of course.” I reply.

            “They got new gloves for baseball and I didn’t.”

            “Why don’t you tell Abugee and he would buy one for you.” I suggest.

            “I know he would; but he is very tired for our family. I don’t want to be extra burden to him. Khadija, don’t tell Abugee.”

            “Hmm.” This is my response and we both stay silent afterwards.

            Soon I hear Hamza’s heavy breath, though, I am still trying to think what I can do for Hamza.

            Hamza has changed. He wouldn’t be so considerate for Abugee when we were back in Pakistan.

            I want to do something for him, but I just promised him not to tell Abugee.

            Hmm, maybe I can hint to Abugee about Hamza’s interest in a baseball glove when Abugee is about to pick a birthday gift for Hamza.           

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            This is a scene between the original scenes when Hamza and Khadija’s parents found out Hamza had a fight with other kids, and when Khadija visited Margarita’s home and Rata’s home, in chapter four. Because there is a gap between these original scenes, there is a flexibility to add something. I choose to write such a scene because there are not too many conflicts between Hamza and Khadija in the original story. I think Hamza and Khadija would become closer as they go through these conflicts. Also, I want to show that children are worried for their parents too. In my scene, Hamza does not want his family to know that he is bothered about not having a new baseball glove. My scene also helps to understand that it is normal to have fights and arguments between siblings, since the author did not emphasis on siblings’ conflicts in the original story. Arguments between siblings could make the story more real. Also I want to show that immigrant families’ children became more considerate for their families, such as how Hamza does not want to give Abugee extra burden.

            I made several choices to ensure that the characters remained faithful to the characters in the original story. Firstly, Hamza does not let his family know his troubles often. I tried to remain his personality as the original story does. Secondly, Khadija shows her love and care to her family directly.  She worries about that Hamza would get beaten after he pulled the alarm in the original story. She also helps Hamza to think positively. In my scene, Khadija finds out Hamza’s weird behaviours and shows her care for him. Thirdly, Abugee loves his kids and he notices the weird interaction between the two kids on the dinning table. I tried to keep Abugee’s different attitudes to each child. He is more strict to his son and gentle to his daughter. The family loves each other but they show their loves in different ways. My scene resonates with the siblings’ bed conversation from the original story. In my scene, they have a bedroom conversation in the end too. I think it is very common that siblings, who share one same bedroom, to have conversation after the lights are out. In the book, his parents scolded Hamza, partly because he did not tell his parents that the fight was for Khadija. In my scene, Khadija does not want to “betray” Hamza as well. Khadija’s recall about the bully kids as they pass by the sandbox is also my choice to connect original scenes and the new scene together.

           

            When I write my adaptation, I tried to follow the author’s writing style by using a childish tone. The sentences are short. It is a first person’s view from Khadija and I use present tense mainly, just like the author did in her story.