Highly Commended Story - The Exasperating Days of my Life

“The Exasperating Days of my Life” by Arwa Asad, Beaconhouse School System, Pakistan, is the Highly Commended story in the junior category of the first biannual Short Story Contest 2019.

Arwa Asad is not really a bookworm but she loves drama and adventure. Watching American sitcoms and sports are her hobbies. Computers and other artificial intelligence have a pretty great impact on her as technology is getting advanced day by day. All that really matters to her is positivity and happiness. Never losing hope or giving up is what builds up her courage and makes her accomplish the impossible.

The Exasperating Days of my Life

“Awww.... isn’t she cute?” exclaimed my kith and kins. Urghhhh this is so damn thrashing!!! I, Tomika am so frustrated! I literally don’t have a single moment of privacy! Believe me or not being a baby is devastating. Although you might think it is super easy but it is absolutely not! You guys have no idea!

So from dusk till dawn, you have loads of relatives wanting to pick you up in the lap, pinch your cheeks as a sign of cuteness, and say dumb things which don’t even make sense. It’s like you are the celebrity and there are heaps of fans of yours! Most of my relatives start flying off the handle and start asking questions like these;

“Who named her?”

“What is she saying?"

“Isn't she cute?”

“Who does she resemble with?”

And other sorts of questions too. I wish I could tell them to scram out of the room but how can I? The only languages I can speak is crying and goo-goo gaga! I am a baby! People! At least have some pity on me! These days are for me to chill, relax and sleep around.

These people do not let me do that peacefully! This time is supposed to be me spending time with my mother! The future is full of responsibilities! I wish I could step up for myself! Don’t you ever desire to have a genie in a bottle and you could ask him for three wishes? And after that all your wishes will be granted? Well, if I ever get a chance, I would wish for all these people to vanish!

When I am walking down the street, it’s like a show! I got that attraction! Even people on the street get carried away when they see me! I know I blow it out there but it’s pretty annoying you know! My parents get discounted on products when the shopkeeper feasts their eyes on me! It is a benefit for my parents but a whole new level of thwarting for me! I think about having people not manipulating my life deep down from the bottom if my heart but how? I ask you.

I sometimes feel like I am haunted or stuff like that. This may sound seriously legit to you but I bet every baby in the world would have the exact same feelings. When I am asleep, all my elder cousins rush into the room and wake me up. Then my mother leaves me alone and I conceive that my cousins are one of the reasons my life is a torture cell. Do you guys even know what do they do to me? Well they make stupid sounds, they rub elbows with me, they surround me with the annoying sounds of rattles and imitate in front of me! It’s a nightmare!

People start fiddling with me! I don’t want to be microagressive at all but I surely want to get rid of these munchkins! Some people are way too pushy! Some people might start to think I am shunning them! I wish they could call off this behaviour When will the ever quit yammering? These people make absurd mistakes but they can’t put their finger on it. I’ll make sure to give them a taste of their own medicine one day, but when? Why do I have to be a baby?