Christian

We came from Congo on a plane.

We left because there is a war in Kinshasa. We left my cousins, the houses and friends. I brought nothing . . .  well, a little bit. It was just me and my mum. The journey wasn't good, but I liked the plane.We always fastened our seatbelts and in the window it made clouds. Kinshasa is not good because it is unsafe. One day at school the kids were throwing stones at the soldiers, and there were bullets in the air. Some students were killed. The students who were against the president wanted to come into school to loot us. It was then that the U.N. man threw a gas bomb so they couldn't take us. My mother couldn't come to get me because they were wrecking cars in the streets and throwing stones, so she sent her cousins instead. I didn't feel good. I didn't want to go back to school after that. I still remember the day they arrested my father and gave me some slaps. After, they cut my brother's head. I was scared because the soldiers were killing people. I thought they also wanted to kill me. My mum and I escaped.

Sometimes I dream I'm singing. Sometimes I dream I'm dancing. I dream that I am grown up and speaking English. I dreamt that I was eighteen. It was the day of my party. All my friends came. During that party I heard someone knocking on the door. I opened it and saw my brothers and sisters. They were older. My mum was sleeping. I tried to call her. My mum managed to wake up and change and then she went to their house. I only dreamt it the other day. I want to dream it for a long time. I like taking photos. It's going to give me memories. I'll have good memories of Margate because it's a nice town. There are no problems here. It is safe and everything works well. Everyone goes shopping and does what they want. I want to stay here.