Ill come back, Ill come back, Mohamad Sharib Bin Mohamad Ali Miah, 22, assured his mother, Zahidah Begum Binti Ali Miah, before taking off for a swim in Medina Lake near San Antonio, Texas.
She never saw him alive again.
On July 4, 2017, the refugee Rohingya family living in San Antonio, Texas decided to spend time relaxing and celebrating Eid. The holy day that concludes the Islamic month of Ramadan.
What was meant to be a happy day, turned bitter. Mohamad Sharib, had accidentally drowned in the lake.
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A New Life:
In the 1980’s a huge group of Rohingya families were displaced from Myanmar. Among them were Zahidah, her husband, Mohamad Ali Bin Sultan Ahmed and their daughter. The couple decided to moved to Malaysia thereafter with the remains of a normal life.
Zahidahs family flourished, days turned to months, and months to 23 years. Their small family grew and being to adjust to life in Malaysia.
On August 22, 2015, the family was given the opportunity to move to the United States. They embarked on a new journey once again, this time with their two youngest sons.
Within a year of moving to San Antonio, Texas, her third daughter moved to San Antonio with her husband and two toddler sons. I had found new happiness, Zahidah said.
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Tragedy strikes:
Life was good, until Tuesday, July 4, 2017.
It was a routine day in Zahidahs household. She was awake by 6 a.m. to make breakfast and chai for her son, Mohamad Shabrib, before he left for his factory job. Her husband, Mohamad Ali, had his day off and Zahidahs younger son, Mohamad Emrans was on summer vacation.
By noon, Mohamad Sharib was back home. He told Zahidah that the factory gave him the rest of the day off for a national holiday. He convinced his family to have a picnic at Medina Lake; a location 55 miles north of San Antonio.
Mid-way through the journey, Zahidah said that she did not want to go to the lake anymore. I wasnt feeling it, she said
