Garden Grove, California

         Garallah a student in university

It was a break from university. Although it was a short time for a break, it will be enough time to enjoy Garallah’s family. His family was going to Perris Beach next to Garden Grove City. His plan was to swim and get ready to go to the mosque. It was sunrise and Garallah packed his baggage.

A few miles away and they arrived at the beach. He took a deep breath and jumped in.“It felt like a dream, the fresh cold water that blocks the beaming of the California sun,” he said

He swam and swam until he noticed he was far from land. He saw nothing except the cold water and the sky. The tides became very high, higher than he felt comfortable with.

The water is surging. He knew how to swim but the water separated him from his family.

“My first thought while I was in the midst of the situation is what the thought of my family’s grief and sadness and the bad event of what it seemed to me my death”

He can hear the screaming and sobbing, his mother, father, wife, siblings and most importantly, his kids. Nagi his beloved son and Khaled.

The grave, the funeral, the rapping of the body. “Was it scary?!! Yes. It was very scary. In fact, I thought I would not make it. I saw death before my eyes.” he uttered.

Seeing death in his eyes, how scary, to see how you’re going to die. This is when he lost hope. He muttered a few prayers to remember and to get forgiveness from his lord.

He gave up, was there nobody hearing him? Looking for him? Remembering him? Then all of a sudden, the coast guards came. They are the ones that saved him from freezing, chilling water.

“It was the coast guards who helped me get out of the water,” he said. They took him onto the shore. He felt happy yet terrified, scared of the ocean.

Nights without sleep and terrified of the ocean in which was practically never-ending. “I have never forgotten this event. I try to not remember, but it’s like a sealed to my memory.”

-Ayat Mohamed