Asad+Shaikh

Weird Pets



Written and Illustrated by: A sad Ahmed Shaikh Table Of Content

Search……………………………………………………………………………Paragraph 1

Options……………………………………………………………………………Paragraph 2

Surprise……………………………………………………………………………Paragraph 3

Acknowledging dad………………………………………………………………………Paragraph 4

Convincing Mom…………………………………………………………………………Paragraph 5

Finally Calling……………………………………………………………………………Paragraph 6

Beyond shadow of Doubt………………………………………………………………Paragraph 7

Author’s Note…………………………………………………………………………Paragraph 8

Search

Going on line, surfing the web, and trying to find numbers and addresses of places that sell pet birds. It became a habit. The reason why I was doing this was because:

Number 1, I can’t have a dog as a pet considering that it was against my religion.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Number 2, my mother is allergic to cats.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">And number 3, my dad doesn’t let me have any reptiles or most amphibians because he thinks they might harm me.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">But on the phosphorescent side, we have turtles and fished, but they aren’t mine; they aren’t mine, they’re my dad’s pets. My dad always told me not to play with them, because I might break or adulterate or contaminate the tank. But that didn’t stop me. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 24px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Options <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was left with one option, but one questions remained in my mind. What type of bird? I tried parrots; to expensive. I tried macaws; really expensive plus rare. I even tried a hawk, but my dad simply laughed himself to death. That night I gingerly crawled all the way to the third floor where the computer was by the stupid fish. “Come on! Come one! Turn on your rusty old computer”, I stammered to my self. I could not believe that my parents had nerve to call the computer “ours”. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 24px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Surprise <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Finally it turned on, but when it did I saw something move in the shadow; I was left shuttering as if I was a baby. Something ran straight at me. “Haaaaaaaaaaaa”, I screech as loud as I can, however thank god I stopped because it was just my older brother Muhammad, who is one of the popular kids in school. “You scared me half to death” I opposed him. But for the first time in my life he said “sorry”. “Hey what are you doing up so late”, he authorized me “I can ask you the same question”, I imitated “just getting a glass of water”, he mimicked. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After he left, I continued my work on the pets, but still no luck. “I better get up before the sun rises”, I remarked to myself. Next day, I went on my search again. But this time I hit the jackpot, I finally found it. There were only three locations on where I could buy them china town, Goffle road, and Rutgers. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 24px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Acknowledging dad <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I know where to get them dad,” I said as I followed him around the house. His huge dark brown eyes were staring at me as if he was an owl in the depth of the darkness. This was my father’s way to find if I am staid about taking a responsibility of having a pet. I figured that my siblings still didn’t know the techniques of how to convince my dad, but I had mastered that talent He finally said, “oh well, it wouldn’t hurt just to check. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 24px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Convincing mom <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Finally, after convincing my dad for part ono for my plan, it was time to kick it up for the dose part. “Hey mom could me and dad go to a farm on Friday?” I babbled. She commented by saying “no”, as accepted, or as my uncle says it cut-and dried. The problem with my mother was that she never gave me a chance to even finish my question. Just last week I asked her if I could go to basketball practice with all of my friends and some cousins. Anyway, you get the point. I figured that there would have been a logical explanation for the entire no’s. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My father always mentioned to me, “your mother is a busy as a beaver”, or sometimes even “your mother is hustled as a cat on a hot tin roof”. But this time, all of those trash excuses my dad tells won’t cut the chase, because this time I known for a fact that my mother is off from work today. Again and again, I ask and ask until mild August when school is by the curb. I don’t remember how I did it but some how I got my mother to say “yes”.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 24px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Finally calling

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So the next day I call them to find their locations? I tried calling china town but the person on the other line didn’t understand what I was asking him but I think I was so excited I couldn’t make him understand. Finally I calm down and simply asked my dad if he can speak on the phone. He agreed and we called. Last but not least he told me someone picked up and he started talking.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Do you have chicks”, he assured.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The man simply gasped, “We have 300 of them”. Now, we all were getting excited that our legs started stimulating violently and hung up the phone. We all ran upstairs to get ready. Now we are sitting in a car. My dad asked me to put the address in the GPS. I reprimanded, “Where is the address”.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“I thought you had it”, he condemned.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“You were the one who was talking on the phone, didn’t you get the address, and I emphasized. So I called them again and this time I talked and got the proper information. Now comes the next obstacle, Goffle road is 31.25 miles. Dad is contemplating at me like I am crazy and I am scrutinizing at him like he is an oaf. But he said, Asad you are good boy and I know you really want these pets so let’s go.”

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 24px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Beyond shadow of doubt

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Three months later, in the unstable and rugged, environment know as Morris Avenue there lies a shed, not just any ordinary shed this one is teeming with four obstreperous and noisy chicks. At about six o’clock every morning I hear a rambunctious “kaka doodle do” for my chickens to wake me up for school two hours early. In chicken language, they are trying to tell me that I should feed them before I go to school. Taking care of chickens is my responsibility. Before school I feed them breakfast, after school, lunch and before I go to bed I give them their dinner. I feel so excited when I see them. Playing with them is almost every thing for me. They can’t talk to me but I understand everything. In my opinion they are like dogs; man’s best friend, loyal, love digging, love to run, and follow you everywhere. In conclusion raising chickens is fun. I wonder what the next step is in the life cycle.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 24px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Author’s note:

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">September 31 <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 11px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: super;">st <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">was the day I got my chicks. At the moment my whole life changed. Throughout my findings that I have mentioned earlier in my memoir, there where more places that sold chickens for pets, but I only acknowledged the places I visited. My inspiration for my memoir was from my real life experiences that I face everyday. My intention for writing my essay was to make a reader imagine what I imagined when I thought of this. Until one has loved an animal, a part of your soul remains unawaken.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">PSA

If I could change one thing in the world it would be violence. It is a strange and long war, the war that violence is forever waging against truth. All efforts of violence are powerless to weaken truth, and serve only to make it stronger. All lights of truth are powerless to stop violence, and serve as only it.

Violence is defined by the World Health Organization or WHO for short, as the intentional use of physical force or power. There are many forms of violence but I will only mention the most important one, bullying. 56% of students have personal witness, one out of seven students are either a bullying of victims, 15% or all school absents is directly related to fears of being bullied, and one out of 20 students has a gun at school. Back to the main topic; Violence is every where we look; in streets, back alleys, homes, and even schools. Each year, more that 1.5 million people worldwide, lose their lives to violence.

I can relate to this because one of my aunts lost there life to violence. It was a sunny morning, in Pakistan, the weather was fine, temperature, everything. Then all of a sudden, a car suddenly started racing at speeds not knowing she was there, Smash!!! She lost her life and the driver of that car continued on even though he or she just killed and innocent human being; humans aren’t animals, they have the right to live. I have also learned a valuable lesson from this; never again will I walk with parent or guardian when I am crossing the street. In conclusion, violence should be neutralized and never again should occur, meaning that peace and prosperity will fill the land.