Introduction (memoir)

My name is Moe, one of the million nicknames that I have obtained from friends and loved ones over the years, but that's another story. Walking into my house is Rome reincarnated, With pillars that seem to hold up the ceilings, mustard walls that feels like tiny, rough massagers caressing your hand, detailed crown molding that trims the ceiling perfectly. Ceramic tiles greet our feet through out the house, dark wooden floors in the bedrooms, pendant lights hang over the bar in the kitchen with accent lights to help bring that special ambiance for dinner. In the living room, a romantic fire place mantel grasps your eye with leather seats surrounding it with welcoming comfort. The warmth of my home is enough to make you feel like an infant in a mothers womb. It smells like blueberries, taste of sweet raspberries freshly picked from the Garden of Eden. My home to me is an escape from reality and into dream land.
On Sunday, I was born at 5:34 pm, a minute after my twin sister. That day my mother knew she would close up shop and stop having kids, so my sister and I made our family of six into a family of eight. Four years later, it was time for my sister and I to start school at CAC Academy. I don’t remember much about my first few days of school, but I know ,for a fact, that I was the one who stayed in trouble. Most of the times it was because I would throw up an offensive finger at one of my class mates, but how does a four year-old supposed to know what it meant or for that matter even offensive? Other times it was because I would forget to say ”excuse me” after natural occurrences. What got me in trouble the most was when I didn’t want to sit by my teachers daughter, that move I didn’t make got me spankings. Me, knowing no better, thought I deserved it. After a one or two years with my short teacher, Sister Mitchell, my mom enrolled my two sister’s and I into EP Elementary School down the street from our house.
First day of school at EP was like entering a new world made just for kids. It was everything I didn’t expect. The first thing I noticed when I got there was that they had no lockers like I had heard. In my mind “ ALL” public schools had lockers. When the bells rang to go to class I was all eyes, taking in every corner, crack ,tile and student as I walked to Mrs. Haynes class. After I successfully made it to her class I took my seat near the front of the class. I noticed everyone starring at me as if they could smell the “new kid” on me. After that exciting day I couldn’t wait to go back the next day. Weeks of fun and learning I was disappointed to hear that it would all have to be put on halt for Hurricane George. After weeks of recovery it was time to go back to school to finish the rest of a wonderful year out in second grade.
Year 1999 and on to fourth grade with Ms. Locke. That year I dreaded going to her class because of all the bad rumors I had heard previously from every kid in the school including my oldest sister. That year at EP, in my book, history was made, it was the worst year that I had ever had at school. For some odd reason I was her main target to pick on about every little thing. If I didn’t divide the way she wanted, I met “buddy” her ducted taped ruler that made quite a connection with my butt, and here I thought they took spankings out of school years ago. She didn’t spank me much but made up with fussing at me. One day we had sack lunches, in my bag I had a ham sandwich , an apple and other condominiums . I began fixing my sandwich and turned to see where my top bun disappeared to, Ms. Locke helped me find it by saying “Oh Lord, girl its on the floor! Pick it up and get another one from the cafeteria, just so clumsy!” she barked at me. And then she said to Mrs. Mystical, the assistant teacher, “Dumb little girl.” I did as she said thinking to myself “ I’m so clumsy.”. After that we never saw Mrs. Mystical again and no one ever knew why. One day I made a “D” on my test and Mrs. Locke called me up to show me what I had made, as if the bad grade wasn’t enough she hit me as hard as she could on my bottom and then wrote on my test that she had did so. I went home to show my parents my test as Ms. Locke had instructed. I showed the paper to my mom because I knew how my father was, he would take things out of proportion and set Ms. Locke straight and my mom was just the opposite…..so I thought. I never read the letter my mother wrote her but Ms. Locke never laid a finger on me again. Finally that year was over, once again, so I thought. I had to come back for tutoring all I could say was “ crap”. Of course, I had to go and it turned out to be way better than what I had expected. I had made peace with Ms. Locke and proceeded to the fifth grade.
Fifth grade was grand with Ms. Bosarge, especially her class parties. We would learn and have so much fun while doing so. After we sat in class with her we would change classes to go to our designated areas while Mr. Alderman, the principal, played “Good Morning” on the intercom. Reading was also the best with Ms. Lowell, until one day one of my classmates, Joseph , began hassling me with his little mind games he would play. He would always greet me with such joy and emotion until during reading I was teamed up with him and Dennis in a group. He asked me if I liked him, so I lied and said yes then he asked if we wanted to go together and so I said “no…wait yes” I lied again. Then he whispered to me “ girl I’ll kill you. Cut you up and put you in a bag.” he began to laugh and I began to cry, so I asked if I could call home for my mom to pick me up but she wasn’t home. I went back to my seat and Joseph began to ask me “what’s wrong?” And “why are you crying?” he started giggling after that and never talked to me again.
Time finally came for me to leave EP and on to the big kid school. That day I almost shed a tear but fought them back when I knew I would be going on to new and higher ground. Mr. Alderman was not so lucky, I saw the tears falling down his cheeks because he would miss his favorite class of students. We would miss him too, the best principal ever.
First day at EM was nerve wrecking and exciting all at the same time. I absolutely had absolutely every idea of what to expect when I got there. One reason being, being told by my older brothers and sisters and other students, and another reason, having a great imagination. I was once again disappointed to find that there were no lockers like I had hoped. I later found out they were taken out due to too much drug activity. EM also turned out to be the best school ever, even if it had zero lockers. That year I experienced my very first pep rally and first foe-bomb threat which was also the hottest day ever in 2002. But all in all that year was full of surprises and fun. By the summer came , we found out that the city had decided to shut down EM and combine schools with M Jr. High our main rivalry. Everyone just knew that year was going to be crazy, with M and EM combined all in one. Turned out to be a pretty pleasant year there, we didn’t have as many fights as we predicted but newly gained friendships. That year during summer at a church event I met Mrs. Mystical all over again, my mother recognized her but I had no Idea who she was. I figured it out after she said her name. after she made sure I remembered her she asked how I had been and she finally told me why she had left EP. She said she had quit her job because she couldn’t bare to see me treated so badly, especially because she thought I was such a sweet and bright student.
Finally in the bigger kid school where I knew I was bound to grow and mature beyond belief, Talk about excited. It was a good first day of school but we kids always have to complain about the crappy teachers we got and how lame they were, but I knew we were all talk and deep down inside they actually half way liked them, at least I did. Once again a good year had been interrupted in 2005, by a Hurricane named Katrina. We were gone for almost two months and plus some. After we slowly recovered school was back in no time. That year was finally what I had expected and so much more, but still no locker! I guess I can get one when I go to the gym when I’m older. HT✿