Under the Rubble

By Amani Elcheikh Ali

"Aretha is a Haitian girl who witnesses the earthquake in Haiti. She finds herself in a hospital with no one she knows. The only person who comforts her is a Canadian man named John. She soon realizes life is worth nothing without family and friends. Will she pull herself through the biggest challenge of her life, even when theres no hope left? She sets off in an adventure to find her parents who are somewhere under the rubble, under the rubble of Haiti."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 11, 2011
• ISBN: 9781456842680

Book preview

Chapter One

IOPENED MY eyes ever so slightly. The bed felt warm, and all I wanted to do was sleep. But there was light seeping in from the holes in the tent. I looked around, and suddenly it hit me.

It was like some sort of bizarre nightmare. I knew it was real. A tall woman wearing a white uniform came up to me. Her name was Nurse Nadedge.

Good morning, Aretha, she said in a tired voice.

I tried to answer, but I could only cough. I continued to cough until she bought me a cup of water, which I drank in a gulp.

Good morning, I replied.

I tried to sit up, but I automatically fell back into the small bed I was on.

I remembered being at my best friend Djourah’s house; I remembered suddenly feeling the Earth shake. We ran out the door but weren’t fast enough. Part of the house collapsed, and the bricks and dirt started hurling downhill toward us. The ground was shaking so hard we couldn’t keep running, so we fell to the ground. Then everything went black. I remember Djourah calling my name, and before I could answer, she was enveloped in a pile of bricks.

I suddenly fell out of my trance and remembered what was happening. Nurse Nadedge was bandaging my hand, which was bleeding a lake.

Nurse Nadedge, I asked, can you explain exactly what happened after the earthquake?

She sighed.

Aretha, two hours after the earthquake, we found you and your friend. Half of Haiti was injured, and you were one of them, she said, tears springing from her eyes. We are still working on saving people, but it is hard since we have to dig under all that concrete and debris looking for buried people.

You seem okay, but your friend was rushed to the peace hospital, she said staring at the floor. I’m sorry, Aretha.

"Oh my God, I cried suddenly remembering. Where is my family?"

Chapter Two

PLEASE CALM DOWN, Aretha, she said hugging me. Every living paramedic in Haiti is very busy right now, don’t make it any harder.

But where are they? I asked.

Aretha, I don’t have time to explain everything, she said. There are a lot more people injured out there.

Please, I called after her.

But she sighed and walked away without saying another word.

Day and night passed, I still never heard a word about my family. New people would come into the tent every day, paramedics would help as much as they could, but some people were found dead under the rubble. My life was miserable, and I thought it couldn’t get any worse, but one day it did.

It all started when a bunch of injured people were brought into the tent; there wasn’t much space so they had to put me on the floor. Then more and more people started to come in and that’s where the bad stuff happened. About thirty more injured people were brought to the tent, and the tent couldn’t fit that many people, therefore they were forced to evacuate some people. Unfortunately, I was one of them. I was old enough to take care of myself, so I was kicked out. I didn’t know where to find food; I didn’t know where to go, but I had to leave. Nurse Nadedge kissed