==UNITED ARAB EMIRATES==

In the night at twelve o'clock, Maytha couldn't sleep; she was thinking about which section she might join. She had spent her summer holiday thinking which was the best section for her, the scientific section or the art section. All her friends were going to decide which section they would join. After a while she decided to join the scientific section.
When she went to bed, she remembered her friends. She had not seen them for three months and she couldn't be patient until the next day. She had a few photographs of them in her album on the dressing table. She had sweet memories. She couldn't forget her first day in Mezyad School which had been one year before. It was very difficult for her with new teachers and new friends. But because she was kind, friendly and such a nice girl, she didn't take long to make friends with the others.
The next day she went to school early so she could meet her friends. The weather was fantastic. She couldn't believe it! Most of her friends had decided to join the scientific section. That was great for her.
From the first day she worked hard to get high marks and that was just what happened. She got what she aimed for at the end of the year. Just one year and she would join the university. She was interested in biology and she wanted to be a teacher. Everything in her life was fine; she was happy with her wonderful parents and with her friends. In the last year her dream became bigger and bigger and of course, that happened after she got high marks in her midterm tests. But would she still be happy all her life? And what would fate have in store for her?
Before the secondary examination started, all the national students had completed the university application form, but what about Maytha? Why couldn't she fill in this form? She wanted to join the university, but why wasn't she allowed to fill in that paper? She couldn't join the university because she was Omani(*). What a stupid thing made her lose her dream! She didn't choose her nationality. It wasn't her fault. She was so sad. How could she complete her studies? Everything had gone, like the trees when they get rid of their leaves. Her friends were writing their application, but she was looking sadly at them. While they were in the class, she asked her friend who was sitting next to her to show her the application. The teacher noted that and she said, "Even if you did write it, it would be a waste of time."
After the class had finished, Maytha went home. As usual her mother was waiting and when she saw her daughter, she noted that something terrible had happened to her. "What's the matter with you?" the mother asked, but Maytha ran to her room without answering the question. The mother was afraid, so she ran after her, but the door was closed. Maytha was alone in her room and she was suffering from terrible shock. She was walking slowly to the mirror with frightened eyes and her hands were trembling. When she stood in front of the mirror, she couldn't believe what had happened to her. She cried so much that her mother heard her, but she couldn't help her. Although the mother was worried, Maytha didn't open the door until the next day.
While Maytha was sleeping, she dreamt that her grandfather, who had died two years before, held her hands tightly and said to her, "Don't be sad. You haven't lost everything."
This dream gave her the strength and the hope to stand again and to continue her studies.

[Editor's note: (*)Omani=a native or inhabitant of Oman, a country in the Southeast Arabia]