Upside Down

School?

" Wake up sunshine", Mr Brown woke me up to his wonderful touch on my arm. I was expecting the worst like probably Mrs Brown pouring acid on me but I was lucky that it wasn't. But why the urgent call. Oh wait, I was going to school. Oh my god, I wasn't even dressed, by then I actually didn't know what it was so I prepared myself for a festival. I expected excited children and bright lights. I wore a dress my father but for me when he came back from one of his safaris , the thought of him made me weep, I wanted to put Sudan in the past but my connection to it wasn't only skin deep but it stretched right to the bone.

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The ride to the 'School festival' was exciting, I couldn't stop looking out of the window for any sign of festivity but I didn't. When we arrived I was confused, this was no festival, it was a huge structure with different rooms and I peeked inside to see children about my age and I spotted Jordan, he was actively participating in the activity. I felt the urge to ran into the class room and indeed I did.

The school day went by and I learnt what school actually was. I foolish could I be, school was the total equivalent of the fire place back home in Sudan. Our eldest and wisest people would be the teachers and we learnt things about the outside world.
It was time for a break between the hours of 9:00-10:00am, I was lead to our the sand pit with my new classmates by the teacher, Ms Joule. I was amazed by the game S we could play, I looked around to see Jordan surrounded by a circle of children and the were playing a game. I moved closer but my footsteps got slower as I noticed stares. They were all white kids and then I realised I was the odd man out.
"Jordan, why is she so black?", that question hurt me till this very day, the girl, Amy, was a Californian and the diva of the class. I wasn't the kind too judge but I felt it in my bones, around her I really felt black. I fit in perfectly with the other kids but suddenly Amy was more of the mean one. She was like the king alligator during treating season, seeing all the new ones as a threat. I knew she would come around someday.

Life went on, birds flew, the sun rose and it looked a little brighter. Mrs Brown and I hardly met or talked anymore, I was caught up in school and I wanted so badly to be promoted to year one, it was quite obvious that everyone goes to the next level, I mean who repeats kindergarten.

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It was the end of year party and the everyone was thrilled and dressed to kill. We were young but we did know how to party. I had gotten a hang of the style of dressing so I seldom wore my Sudanese dresses. I had met a few friends but the one I considered and consider as my best friend was Abigail, she was I red head and a very clever girl I must say. We were two peas in a pod cliché but cute for five year old.