Original Writing: Memory One - First Day at School
Original Writing
Memory One
"Hello, Emily. Do you want to come upstairs? Follow me."
I obediently followed the strange man up the stairs, turning nervously to wave to my mum. She smiled encouragingly and waved back.
"You'll be fine," she mouthed.
"Please let me be liked." I wished with all my heart. "Please don't let any one bully me."
We walked swiftly along a corridor, classrooms on either side, turned a corner and entered a large classroom. I stared around, bewildered. None of the classrooms were as big as this in my junior school in Milton Keynes!
"You can sit over there," the man said. I sat down and looked at the teacher. He started to talk about how long he had been at the school. He was balding, and what little hair he had left was grey; he also had a grey beard. I hoped his personality wasn't grey too.
I looked down at the graffiti-covered desks. They were the sort that the Victorians had, so the lift-up lids creaked but at least you had your own space to put things.
"So, Emily, tell me something about yourself." Mr Troman's deep, rumbling voice disturbing my brief daydream.
"Uh...um..." I mumbled, unsure as to what he had said. I warned myself to pay attention to my surroundings from now on.
"What about your favourite animal?"
I ran my hands over the graffiti, tracing the lines with my fingers. "Horses." I mumbled again, not looking at him, then kicked myself. "Sit up straight." I wanted to make the right impression. I could have started up a conversation about how I ride every weekend without fail, and how I wanted to work with horses when I am older. But instead I just mumbled.
"Right," he answered.
I turned at the sound of the white door opening. "White means purity," I thought. Did this mean I was going to be ok?
A huge group of people swarmed into the room. Swarmed like bees. Bees swarming around their hive. Me.
"Be quite now!" Mr Troman ordered. I trembled.
The bees swarmed over by the blackboard and stared at me. Their next victim.
"So," Mr Troman started. The bees shifted position to look at him. "Anyone interested in horses?"
A few children raised their hands. Three of the children stood out to me like three red poppies in a sea of buttercups. One girl had put her hand up. She had blonde hair tied up ...
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A huge group of people swarmed into the room. Swarmed like bees. Bees swarming around their hive. Me.
"Be quite now!" Mr Troman ordered. I trembled.
The bees swarmed over by the blackboard and stared at me. Their next victim.
"So," Mr Troman started. The bees shifted position to look at him. "Anyone interested in horses?"
A few children raised their hands. Three of the children stood out to me like three red poppies in a sea of buttercups. One girl had put her hand up. She had blonde hair tied up in a tight ponytail. She had a slight frown - she wasn't smiling. She looked like the sort of girl you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of - a bully. Please don't pick her, I wished, crossing my fingers. The next was a pretty girl called Leanne. She was laughing at some joke someone next to her had told her and she looked really friendly. Her brown hair was tied back in a ponytail and she looked less menacing then the first girl. But, to my disappointment, I noticed she didn't have her hand up. The last person that stood out to me was the most georgeous guy I had ever seen. I could hear my mother's voice in my head; "Trust her to be looking at boys straight away!" I smiled to myself. The guy had short blonde hair that was spiked up and his eyes were a wonderful dark shade of blue. I wished he had his hand up but he didn't. I would have to work my magic on him later.
"Caley, go and sit next to Emily. She is new here and I want to make her feel welcome."
Hearing the teacher's voice again I turned to see who he had picked. To my dismay he had picked the bully! He then placed everyone else in the class while my nerves got even worse. I cheered up a bit though when I realised he had placed Leanne on my table.
"Hey, I'm Caley, it's spelt strangely: C-A-L-E-Y. Sorry, I'm nattering about nothing! So you like horses? I kind of do." Caley spoke to me, her voice bubbly and reassuring, her eyes sparkling. So maybe I had been wrong about her. I was taken aback by her, as she was not what I had been expecting, and it took me a while to realise I was supposed to answer her.
"Uh...Yeah I ride," I answered nervously.
"So," Leanne piped up, "I'm Leanne, but call me Lenny 'coz I hate the name Leanne. Seen any guys you like yet?"
"Don't be silly Lenny, Emily has only just got here and you're already bugging her about boys!" Caley stopped me from answering, but spoke with good humour to Lenny.
"No, it's OK," I said, more confident now, "he's kind of OK." I pointed at the blonde.
"Matt, he's cool. We'll have to get you two together. He has noticed you and when Matthew Smith notices you it means he wants to get to know you more!" Lenny said excitedly.
Caley sighed and shook her head, laughing. I smiled, wondering why I had ever worried and feeling slightly guilty that I had misjudged her.
Memory Two
"Hi Em. Are they new? And the hat? Very exciting. You'll need the hat today, you will never guess who you are riding!"
I laughed, holding my head slightly higher in my pride.
"Yes, they are new," I bent down and gave my new black leather half-chaps a loving stroke. "So is the hat. Who am I riding then?"
"Conker." Lou laughed.
My stomach lurched. "W -What's wrong that?" I stumbled over my words, secretly dreading riding probably the naughtiest pony in the whole yard of twenty horses. However, I wouldn't show my anxiety.
"His tack is over there with his grooming kit!" Lou pointed, ignoring my question. Tacking up was easy enough. I had groomed and tacked Conker up plenty of times.
"Hello, gorgeous boy," I tried to hide my worries as I pushed a stray wisp of bronze hair from my face. The bay pony pushed his pretty Roman nose into my hand, searching for a carrot. I laughed nervously, pushing him away and getting to work on his coat with the brushes.
A couple of minutes later I led the now shining, fully tacked up pony out of his stable. Lou smiled at me.
"Good luck."
"Yep." Suddenly I was determined to make Conker behave himself, allowing me a good ride. I took a deep breath and vaulted onto his back. With a burst of energy, he immediately trotted up the yard, his shiny hooves clip-clopping loudly. I tried as hard as I could to sit to his bouncy trot.
"If you are worried, the horse you are riding will feel it and make fun of you..." My riding instructor's voice from years ago rang in my ears as if she were standing right next to me. I took another deep breath.
"Right, we are going to canter now," the escort said, "Em hold on tight to Conker, don't let him buck."
I knew what the little pony was capable of. I nodded to the escort, Nick, and gathered up the reins. Immediately I felt the telltale signs of Conker bunching himself up to buck. "No way" I thought and gritted my teeth, pushing him on with my legs, refusing to let him mess me around like he did everyone else who worked at the stables. I was determined that we would both enjoy this ride. Soon enough we both relaxed and he cantered, seemingly carelessly across the fields.
"Now this next canter is very fast, and my advice is; only come if you are very confident with your horse." Nick raised his voice from the front. I smiled and took Conker off to join the others, getting ready for the fast canter. He pranced excitedly.
"Ssh. Calm down!" I whispered to him. But I was excited too; I had never done this canter before. As we all took off like greyhound racers I realised that all the larger horses were galloping off in front, and Conker was striving to join them.
"Go for it." I leaned forward, urging him on and giving him his head. It felt like we were eagles soaring through the sky. I had never gone so fast in my life.
As soon as we returned to the stables, I vaulted off Conker's back and threw my arms around his neck, giving him a kiss at the same time. He nuzzled my pockets for food and whickered at me. I laughed; fishing out a carrot and letting his velvety lips take it from my hand.
"Come on then, lets put you to bed for a well-earned rest." I had been wrong about him after all.
Both of these memories show a person experiencing anxiety and worrying about something - the first day at school and the first time riding Conker - that in the end turns out to be perfectly fine, and the person actually enjoys the new experiences. These anxieties and worries often occur in everyday life, and I have learnt not to let fear of the unknown - which often is all that it is - stop me from doing something.
These memories also show that appearances can be deceptive and it is best to be open minded and objective, rather than worrying about each new experience before it arrives.
