The Story of Mazen
The Story of Mazen
Mazen sat on the sofa with a big frown on his face. He was looking at his mom’s phone and sighing loudly.
“Mom,” he grumbled. “My friend Hazem is traveling across Europe. Look at these photos! The streets are so clean, the trains are fast, and the parks are huge!” He shook his head sadly. “And I’m just stuck here, sitting between four walls every vacation.”
His mom smiled gently. She wasn’t angry. She sat next to him and said, “I have an idea. If you get good grades this year, I will take you on a trip to Yemen.”
Mazen’s eyes went wide. “Are you serious? Yemen, Mom? Why there?”
“Because,” she replied warmly, “Yemen is a beautiful country with nature that will blow your mind!”
Mazen sighed again. “Other people go to Europe, and my mom wants to go to Yemen! Let’s just stay home.”
His mom laughed softly. “I have a deal for you. Before you dream of Europe, let’s take a trip inside Yemen first. If you don’t like it, I promise we can think about Europe one day.”
Mazen thought about it. “A trip? Inside Yemen?”
“Yes,” she said. “We will visit places you’ve never seen. You can be the judge.”
Mazen hesitated, then said, “Okay… but I don’t promise to change my mind!”
“I don’t need a promise,” she winked. “I just want you to keep your eyes and your heart open.”
The Big Journey Begins
When school ended, Mazen’s grades weren’t perfect, but his mom decided to take him anyway. Mazen was actually happy. “Going to Yemen is better than staying home all summer,” he thought.
He packed his little backpack with a hat, a water bottle, and some cookies. “Let’s see what Yemen is hiding,” he whispered. “But I’m still thinking about Europe!”
The next morning, the adventure started. On the plane, Mazen looked out the window. The ground looked like it was running below him! It looked like the mountains and clouds were having a race.
Mazen felt sleepy and fell into a strange dream. He dreamed he was floating in a big, empty space. There were no rocks, no trees, no people—not even any dirt! He felt scared. “Where is the earth? Where is everyone?” he cried out.
Then, he heard his mom’s voice from far away: “We’re here, Mazen! We’ve arrived in Yemen!”
Mazen woke up with a jump. Everyone was heading to the plane door. It was just a dream! He put on his backpack and stepped out with his mom.
The Story of Mazen
They stayed in a beautiful hotel decorated with colorful folk art. They found a magazine showing all the cool places in Yemen and picked the best ones. The next day, they went to Old Sana’a (one of the oldest cities in the world).
“This is a time gate,” his mom said as they reached a huge old gate. “We are going back 200 years in time!”
Mazen’s Adventure in Old Sana’a
Mazen was curious. They walked through narrow streets that looked like a movie set. There were tiny shops selling spices, clay pots, and shiny copper. It really did feel like they had traveled back in time!
Mazen saw an old man making clay pots by hand. “Why don’t you use modern machines, sir?” Mazen asked.
Mazen’s Adventure in Old Sana’a
The man smiled. “If we only care about the ‘now,’ the past will die. We make these so our history stays alive to guide us.”
Mazen looked at his mom. “Have you been here before?” “No,” she smiled. “But I’ve always dreamed of it.”
Mazen’s Adventure in Ibb
The next day, they hopped on a bus with a group of friendly people to go to a city called Ibb. It felt like a real adventure! The bus drove up winding mountain roads. It felt like the bus wanted to fly on the clouds instead of driving on the ground.
Mazen met a boy named Iyad on the bus. They became fast friends. Mazen liked talking to him so much that he decided he wanted to visit Iyad’s hometown, Hadramout, next.
When they reached Ibb, it was so green! Mazen put on a Jambiya (a traditional curved dagger worn on a belt as part of Yemeni folk dress). He felt like a hero from an old storybook. The air was fresh, and the mountains looked like they were wearing green velvet coats.
“Do you want to see the mountain stairs?” his mom asked. Mazen laughed. “Mountains don’t have stairs, Mom!”
But when they arrived, he couldn’t believe his eyes. The mountains had terraces (flat fields built like giant steps into the mountain for farming). “Wow!” he shouted.
In Ibb, he tried yummy food like Aseed (a warm, smooth dough-like dish served with savory broth). He spent two days swimming in waterfalls and meeting the kindest people. Everyone treated him like family.
Mazen’s Adventure in Hadramout
Finally, the families went to Hadramout. “I will take you to a festival,” Iyad promised. “We will sing traditional songs like ‘I gave him Ash-Shihr and I gave him Al-Mukalla’ (famous songs about beautiful coastal cities in Yemen).”
As they drove along the coast of Al-Mukalla, Mazen watched the seagulls flying over the blue water. It felt like they were singing a “welcome” song just for him.
When they reached the desert area, Mazen was shocked. “There are mountains, valleys, deserts, and the ocean all in one place!” he cried. “Is this a secret paradise?”
They sang and played at the festival all day. Mazen wished the sun would never go down.
Mazen’s Adventure in Socotra
“Now for the surprise,” Iyad said. “We are going on a boat to an island called Socotra!”
They sailed across the water until a magical island appeared. When Mazen stepped onto the sand, he gasped. The sand was bright white! “Mom, the dirt is a different color!”
“There is an old story,” she said, “that when the first humans left heaven, they landed here because it was just as beautiful.”
Mazen ran toward a strange tree that looked like a giant green umbrella. “What is that?”
“That is the Dragon’s Blood Tree,” his mom explained. “It’s very famous. People say that if you cut it, red sap comes out that looks like red blood! It only grows here.”
Mazen’s Adventure in Socotra
“I’ve never seen anything like this in the whole world!” Mazen shouted. “And you never will,” Iyad’s mom smiled. “It’s one of a kind.”
Mazen had the best time. He went fishing, swam in fresh water, and even met a “Caveman”—a kind man who lived a very simple life in a cave. He also met two farmers, Mr. Suleiman and Adeeb, who were working hard to save all the rare plants on the island.
The Story of Mazen
The Best Trip Ever
When the vacation was over and Mazen went home, he wasn’t frowning anymore. He had hundreds of photos. He posted them online and told a story for every single one. All his friends were amazed! Even the friend who went to Europe thought Mazen’s trip to Socotra looked like a dream.
His mom came into his room to ask him if he still wanted to go to Europe. Before she could say a word, Mazen hugged her.
“Mom,” he said happily. “Yemen is the most beautiful place I have ever seen in my life!”
The End
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