“So, Captain Ammar, how do you feel that you and your team have won the championship?” the reporter asked.

“I feel amazing,” I replied.

Unexpectedly, a strong loud sound started to ring in my ears. Oh no, was it the fire alarm? I looked around, fire was everywhere, I was horrified!

But then, I woke up sweating, I was in my bed at home. It was really a weird dream. I heard a ringing, it was my alarm clock. I closed my alarm and groaned drowsily. I felt like crying.

You must be wondering why. It was because the winter holidays were over and now, I would have to go back to school today. Ugghh!

I heard my mum calling me for breakfast, but I simply ignored her and kept lying on my bed lazily. After some time, my mum came to my room.

She looked at me and said, “Ammar why haven’t you changed yet? It is getting so late.”

“I’m feeling sick,” I lied.

“You don’t sound sick,” she said firmly. “You sound like you’re trying to fool me.”

I then replied in a raspy voice, “I feel sick.”

My mum touched my forehead and announced, “You don’t have any fever at all, your temperature is normal.”

She threw my thick Spiderman blanket off me and declared, “If you don’t get up right now, then I will throw cold water on your face.”

I went to the bathroom, muttering about how heartless my mum was acting. Quickly changing into my uniform, I rushed downstairs to have some cereal.

All the while my mum was continuously calling me, “Ammar come quickly, or you’ll be late for school.”

As I went outside, I screamed with cold as the wind blew against my face. It was so cold that morning, while during the winter vacation, it wasn’t that cold. I wasn’t wearing my school jacket, so I turned back to get my jacket. But just then I thought that mum would scold me again as it was getting late for school. So I jumped inside the car and was off to school. I was still yawning, still tired, but because we were getting late, we rushed to school.

But when I saw my school, a wave of excitement overcame the cold and drowsiness I was feeling. I had not come to school for the last three weeks and realised how much I missed it and my friends! I walked to my classroom, and when I saw my friends, I was overjoyed with excitement.

We greeted each other with enthusiasm and discussed what we had done over the holidays. I was glad that finally now I would have some fun, for my sister was so boring she was always using her phone and never played with me!

I half-heartedly paid attention to my lessons, played in lunch break happily, and played football in PE enthusiastically. I had so much fun that I forgot about how sleepy I was and how cold it was. Coming to school was fun and full of adventure.

Waking up on a cold winter morning might be very tough and challenging, but school is always enjoyable. It is not as comforting and relaxing as sleep, but then, being relaxed is not the only thing that makes one happy!

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 24th, 2024