Fatma

Last Friday, I felt like an infant going to pre-school for the first time. I just didn’t feel right.

For everyone else, attendance is their first priority, but ever since I had my scoliosis corrective surgery, I get tired really easily, and going to school for a whole week straight is a big achievement.

As I walked into school, I thought of the promise my mum had made me. She told me that if I went to school, we would redecorate my room and eat mouth-watering snacks. I felt like nothing could get me down, but I was completely wrong. As the day progressed, I felt worse. In the span of six hours, three older girls pointed and laughed at me, someone threw a pen at my face, and a boy in my science class threw a glue stick at my head. I felt really embarrassed and was in pain for at least five minutes. And to top it all off, I had to take a 45-minute bus ride home. But an hour of crying while watching Dave Chappelle skits helped me a lot.

And, for the boy who threw a glue stick at me: I’ll be waiting at your wedding ceremony. As your wife is walking down the aisle and you’re crying tears of joy, I’ll be there. I’ll be there with a glue stick in my hand, ready to return the embarrassment. ♦