The Shehus

yoPezar, Sindi, Marsela and Marilen had been waiting all year for summer. When the holidays finally arrived, they travelled from Albania to Greece to go on a big cruise ship. The ship looked like a floating city. Sindi ran straight to the pool area, Marilen stood at the edge of the deck taking pictures of the sea, and Marsela smiled as the warm wind blew through her hair. Every day felt exciting. They explored beautiful Greek islands, ate huge buffet dinners, and watched the sun set over the ocean. Pezar felt proud seeing his family happy and relaxed. For that one week, there were no worries — just laughter and sunshine. When the holiday ended, they returned to Albania. Pezar went back to working long hours at the pizzaria, stretching dough and preparing fresh pizzas from morning until late at night. Life slowly became stressful again. Money problems and disagreements created tension at home. After many arguments, Pezar and Marsela decided to separate. It was painful, especially for the children. Marsela realised she needed a fresh start for herself and the kids. After thinking carefully, she made a big decision — she would move to England with Marilen and Sindi to build a better future. They packed their bags and said goodbye to Albania. When their plane landed at Luton Airport, everything felt different. The air was colder, the sky was grey, and people spoke fast English around them. It was scary but also exciting. At first, they went to London. The city was huge, busy, and full of opportunities. They saw famous landmarks, crowded streets, and bright lights at night. But very quickly, Marsela realised London was too expensive. Rent was high, transport cost a lot, and she struggled to manage the money. After some research and advice from friends, they decided to move to Manchester. Manchester felt more affordable and welcoming. They found a small flat and slowly began settling into their new life. Marilen started at KD High School. On her first day she felt nervous, but she soon met a boy called MK. He was confident, friendly, and helped her understand her lessons. They became good friends, working together in class and encouraging each other to do well. MK showed her around school and introduced her to new people, helping her feel less alone. Sindi joined a local football team and quickly made friends. Football helped him feel confident and part of something. Marsela found work and worked hard to support her children, determined to give them a stable future. Back in Albania, Pezar continued working in the pizzaria. Sometimes, while taking pizzas out of the oven, he thought about his family in England. Even though they were far apart, he still cared about them and hoped one day things could improve between them. In Manchester, life wasn’t always easy. There were challenges — new language, new culture, new responsibilities. But Marsela became stronger. Marilen grew more confident at school, and Sindi became braver on the football pitch. The cruise in Greece felt like a lifetime ago, but it was the last happy memory they all shared together as one family. Now, they were building a new chapter — different, difficult at times, but full of growth, hope, and new beginnings. It had been a long time since Marsela, Marilen and Sindi first arrived in England. Manchester no longer felt new or scary. They understood the buses, the shops, the schools, and even the weather didn’t bother them as much anymore. Marsela was working hard every day, sometimes two jobs, determined to build a stable life. Sindi was doing well in football and had dreams of joining a proper academy one day. But Marilen had started to change. At first it was small things — coming home late, new friends Marsela didn’t know, spending more time outside than at home. MK was still around, but Marilen had also started hanging out with a group of older Albanian boys in the area. They acted confident, wore expensive clothes, and always seemed to have money. They told her they were “connected,” that they handled “business.” They made it sound powerful and important. Marilen liked the feeling of belonging. After moving countries and going through her parents’ separation, she had felt lost for a long time. This group made her feel noticed. But the streets were not what they seemed. One evening, police cars rushed into the neighbourhood. There had been trouble — arguments between rival groups, shouting, tension. Marilen wasn’t directly involved in anything serious, but she was there when it happened. That alone was enough to frighten her. When Marsela found out, she was heartbroken. She hadn’t worked so hard and sacrificed so much for her daughter to get pulled into dangerous situations. That night they had a long conversation. Not shouting — just honest words. Marsela reminded her why they came to England. For safety. For opportunity. For education. MK later spoke to Marilen too. He told her those boys didn’t truly care about her future.