The Long Awaited Freedom - Essay Example

?Aisha Al-Busaidi Composition 099 Prof. Grimble 11/14 The Long Awaited Freedom Most parents bring up their children in the best way they know how. However some become more strict than liberal enough to let their children, especially those in their teens, have guided exploration of the environment they grow in. They should be taught about things that could affect their lives in one way or another, like peer pressure. Specifically, I would like to relate a personal story that shows how strict parenting can give rise to teenagers who want explore and experience things they are not exposed to at the very opportunity they get, sometimes with unspeakable consequences. My parents are very strict, have always been, but this strictness has heightened with governments and security agencies issuing terrorist alerts all over the world. The thought of not having them for a fortnight was more than welcome in my mind, already having well laid plans. I helped them make the necessary preparations and even reminded them things they could forget, just in case the trip was cancelled as a result of missing some important document. The day finally came; I offered to take them to the airport, asking the driver to take an early leave, quite surprising to them, as this was not something I liked to do. What they did not know was that I was hell bent on making sure they left. The drive to the airport seemed long, perhaps due to the long awaited freedom, only hours away. I watched as their documents were scrutinized, luggage screened and watched again as they boarded the airplane, scheduled for arrival the following morning. Freedom, which was long overdue, had come. The plans in my head overwhelmed me as I called my friends to give them the news. It had been difficult proving to them that I could do what they did on a weekly or daily basis, due to my parents’ strict nature. My parents’ business trip had coincided with the Muscat festival. Things could not get better. This is a 22-day-long festival observed annually between January and early February at various beaches, parks and shopping centers in Oman’s capital city, Muscat (Darke 111). The festival, arranged by the Muscat Municipality, focuses on Omani culture and heritage, and entertainment includes funfairs, fireworks and raffles. Omani culture and crafts are demonstrated and celebrated in traditional villages put up specifically for the festival. There are also camel races, poetry recitals and art exhibitions, as well as Arab singers performing in temporary amphitheatres. The festival begins in the late afternoon, at around 4 pm and goes on until 11 pm. Three of my friends joined me at the Qurum Park, one of the locations where the festival was taking place. The evening was promising. We moved from one stall to another, watching the dancers, took part in the camel race and even had an artist draw our portraits. When the festival closed for the day, we decided to go into town and have more fun. I was not afraid that my parents would call, constantly nagging me to get back home. This was the kind of freedom I had been missing. My friends suggested we have a drive by the beach, with the argument that the Royal Oman Police (ROP) would not be on patrol that night. Their focus was obviously on the Muscat festival. We had a car borrowed from my friend’s brother who was out of town. This part of the beach was particularly quiet, perfect for our escapades. We decided to race for a distance one by one, each showing his prowess in the process. My friend went first, and he drove in a style I have never seen before. He started normally, but later used a raised hip of sand to tilt the car. He was now driving on two wheels. What? I had to try this, keeping in mind that I was here to prove myself. All except me viewed this as normal; I was astounded. The three of them drove in the same manner. It seemed like they had practiced for quite some time. I had to do it too, lest I be labeled naive. It was finally my turn, my heart raced. I started out like all the others and quickly moved to the hip of sand, as I realized another bigger vehicle coming towards me in high speed. I did not have time, I tried to swerve away, but it was too late, it rammed onto the on-coming vehicle, my head bounced on the steering wheel and had blurred vision for sometime. Apparently this was a sport popular among young people, but had been banned by the ROP except in controlled areas due to the many injuries involved. I felt terrible, the pain being too much, but then the pain suddenly disappeared, I was at peace. My whole life flushed in front of me and then a long staircase to the clouds, my long dead uncle was happy to see me, so were my grandparents, near the end of the staircase. I refused to take the stairs despite their compelling gestures. I struggled to open my eyes; they were heavy like they had clay on the eyelids, and painful too. I could not move my arm; it had this sting on the wrist. My whole body felt like there were ants that tirelessly stung me. My brains threatened to burst out of my head, as trying to remember the events that led to this proved an uphill task. I struggled, but slowly came to terms with my state; I fell unconscious the previous night, having had an accident, while trying to prove myself. The doctor said that I nearly died, as I had a lot of internal bleeding. I heard my friends debating that what we were doing could not be revealed, as it was illegal. The next few days would be spent at the hospital. I was not so free after all. This was not what I had anticipated. My quest to find freedom had ended in a hospital, and as such I am not interested in being free anymore. Parents, as discussed above, should learn the most liberal ways of teaching their children, especially teenagers, how to grow up, staying away from bad vices. These include peer pressure, which leads them to break the law and other vices like drug abuse. Teenagers should be engaged by their parents in everyday happenings so as to make the right, independent and distinct, responsible decisions as they grow up. Work Cited Darke, D. The Bradt Travel Guide. 2nd ed. Guilford, Connecticut: Globe Pequot P, 2010. Print. Read More