“Sarah! Are you done with your homework?” mum’s voice came over to me.

“Uh, no mum. I’ll get started on it as soon as I finish this movie,” I shouted back.

“Will you stop watching that movie? You must have watched it at least 100 times!” mum said angrily, suddenly bursting in my room.

“But it’s such a good movie!” I protested.

“Good or bad, this is too much!” she said and quickly moving over, she closed my laptop’s screen with a bang and took it away.

“Mum!” I cried out.

“I’m taking this away. And I won’t give it back till you are done with all your other responsibilities. You do realise you’re 15 now and should be more mature? Pay more attention to your studies? You know you have been lagging in your studies,” Mum said.

“I have not!” I said angrily.

“Then why did you get such bad marks in your math test last week?” mum questioned.

“It was just one time!” I tried to justify.

“And before that, in physics?” mum continued on.

“Yes, but…” I started saying something but mother cut me off.

“No buts. It seems like ever since we bought this laptop for you, you have forgotten everything else,” she said. “Now, you will study for at least an hour, finish all your homework, clean the mess of your room and maybe then I’ll consider giving this back,” she said with an air of finality. She then left my room with my laptop.

“Argh!” I muttered angrily. ‘Why did mum have to take that when I was on such a good part of the movie?’ I thought. Left with no choice, I pulled my school bag and took out my homework diary. I looked at the long list of homework waiting for me.

“I hate homework and school and my life!” I said angrily. Suddenly, my room darkened. “What’s going on?” I muttered, scared. Gingerly, I got up from my bed, feeling my way in the dark.

“So you hate your life, you say?” a gruff and quiet voice asked me.

Startled, I jump. “Who’s that?” I asked loudly.

“No one you need to know.” There was silence for a minute or two, then the voice spoke again, “So, let me ask you again, you hate your life?’

“Well, yeah,” I was too angry to notice that I’d actually answered back to whoever it was.

“But, why?” it asked.

“Because... I don’t know? My mum took away my laptop. I’ve got so much homework and I’m not getting anything at all,” I said.

“Is that all?”

“Yes,” I said, confused.

“Did you have dinner today?” it asked, after a while.

“Yes, of course,” I replied.

“And lunch?” it asked.

“Yes. And breakfast too.” I added before it could ask.

I heard laughter. “Then why are you sad?” it asked.

“I just told you!” I answered.

“Yes, but that doesn’t matter,” it said.

“It does!” I protested.

“Does it keep you alive?” it asked.

“No, but…” I was cut off by the voice.

“Without it you die?” it asked.

“No.” I answered.

“But food and water on the other hand matters, doesn’t it?” it asked.

“Yes,” I agreed.

“Then wouldn’t you say it is an important thing and you’re blessed to have it?” it asked.

“Well, yes,” I said.

“Many people don’t have it. They die for just a piece of food. They die for a sip of water. And here you are, having all they’ve ever wanted and crying because your mother took away something that is actually harmful for you,” the voice said.

I stayed silent because I had nothing to say. The voice was right, I knew.

“And not just food and water, you have family, friends, a whole luxuries life!” the voice continued. “Maybe you should change your perspective of happiness, dear. You should realise how blessed you are.”

There was silence for a few minutes in which I ponder over everything I’ve done. “You’re right,” I said.

As soon as I said that, all the lights flickered on. Surprised, I turned around hoping to find who it was. There was nobody.

“Thank you,” I said, to no one in particular. But I’d learned a lesson. I made a vow that I would change myself and not be the ungrateful girl. The quote of Bernie Siegel suddenly came to my mind: “Most of us never stop to consider our blessings; rather, we spend the day only thinking about our problems.”

Published in Dawn, Young World, February 27th, 2015