Aaliyah Rose: Lets call her E.

Day 3, school update, part 3.

I hadn't noticed her in the class. I don't know how I had missed her, as she has a great personality, loves to laugh, is a real joker and isn't exactly quiet.

Let's call her E. I started playing with her in the garden after our art class. She was jumping all over me. Kids jumping on me and me taking blood thinners daily equals me now being covered in bruises wink emoticon

I had E and about 6 other children on my lap back and shoulders at once going down the slide. They were loving it.

Mr Khaled called us in for lunch. I snuck E into the room and sat her on my lap, I joked with her that id tell Mr Khaled she had to stay, he laughed and said it was no problem. He adored her.

He told us she lived at the school. He had received a phone call from her frantic mother 3 years ago when she escaped Syria. She needed a safe place and word had got out about Mr Khaled. He invited them to the school, 3 years on, there still there.

With the help of my lovely translater, we chatted.

Me :Who do you live here with, E?
E: My mumma and my sisters.
me: oh lovely, and your baba?

We didn't think about the complications of asking this question, it just came naturally.

E: Oh my baba is at home in Aleppo.

MR KHALED then quietly informed us her father had been murdered and her mother immediately fled from terror, however, she doesn't know this.

Our eyes filled with tears.

Deep breaths. Hold it together girls.

Me: what do you want to do when your older?

E: I want to be a head master like Mr Khaled, he's really nice.

me: who's your best friend?

E: MR KHALED of course!!!!

Then we returned to the slide