Erikah watched as one of the boys stuck his foot out and tripped another boy, causing him to drop his books and school papers. The bully and several others began to laugh, but Amberly and her friends glared at them until they got up and helped him gather his things.
Right before math, Erikah noticed three boys offering to carry a girl’s books for her. “Why do they like her so much?” She asked Daina. “That’s Lillian.” She said. “She is considered the prettiest girl in school, because she’s always smiling. That’s what’s different about this school. When you focus on people’s hearts instead of what’s on the outside, you learn what true beauty is. I mean really, why would anyone want to be like them?” She nodded towards a group of boys who were playing catch with the pencil case that they had taken from Amberly. Erikah shuffled her feet uneasily. “The world would be a better place is everyone saw people the way God does.”
That night when Erikah read her Bible, she came across a verse that stuck out to her. It was 1st Samuel 16:7. “…For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” She was gradually beginning to realize that she was seeing things all wrong. If God only cared about the way people acted, and not how they looked, then that must be the way He intended things to be. Tears rolled down Erikah’s cheeks as she thought of the way she had treated Bridget and laughed at Carl and the others. “But that’s all about to change.” She thought determinedly.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
True Beauty, page 3
Girls, time to get ready for school!” Erikah’s aunt called. Daina and Erikah hurriedly got dressed in their uniforms and ate breakfast, and then Aunt Kay drove them to the little middle school in town. “It looks a lot like my school.” Erikah thought. “Maybe this won’t be so bad.” But as soon as they walked through the door, she knew there was something very strange about it.
She rubbed her eyes and took another look around. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Everyone looked exactly the same! “W-what’s going on?” She asked her cousin wide eyed. Daina cocked her head to the side. “My mom didn’t tell you? Our president is running a scientific experiment. He wants to compare the differences of a normal town to a town where there are only two sets of DNA.” A girl identical to Daina waved to them as she walked by. “Come on, we’d better get to class.” She told Erikah as the bell rang. When their social studies teacher (who, of course, bore a striking resemblance to Aunt Kay) introduced Erikah to the class, they began furiously whispering to each other and giggling. She tried to ignore the stares from the other students as she shyly walked to her desk.
During lunch, Daina pointed to a girl and whispered, “That’s Amberly, the most popular girl in the whole school.” To Erikah’s surprise, Amberly began walking over to their table. “Hi! Mind if I sit here?” Daina scooted over to make room for her. “You must be Erikah.” She said smiling. “I’m Amberly. It’s nice to meet you.” Erikah was taken aback. This girl seemed genuinely friendly, but how was that possible? “This month I’m volunteering at an animal shelter. If you like animals, maybe you two could come with me sometime. The kittens are so cute! Well, I’d love to stay and chat, but I’d better get going. I have to help pick up all the empty cups and wrappers because the poor janitor broke his leg. My mom and I are going to visit him in the hospital after school. See ya later!” After she left, Daina sighed. “I wish I could be more helpful and friendly like her.” She said.
She rubbed her eyes and took another look around. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Everyone looked exactly the same! “W-what’s going on?” She asked her cousin wide eyed. Daina cocked her head to the side. “My mom didn’t tell you? Our president is running a scientific experiment. He wants to compare the differences of a normal town to a town where there are only two sets of DNA.” A girl identical to Daina waved to them as she walked by. “Come on, we’d better get to class.” She told Erikah as the bell rang. When their social studies teacher (who, of course, bore a striking resemblance to Aunt Kay) introduced Erikah to the class, they began furiously whispering to each other and giggling. She tried to ignore the stares from the other students as she shyly walked to her desk.
During lunch, Daina pointed to a girl and whispered, “That’s Amberly, the most popular girl in the whole school.” To Erikah’s surprise, Amberly began walking over to their table. “Hi! Mind if I sit here?” Daina scooted over to make room for her. “You must be Erikah.” She said smiling. “I’m Amberly. It’s nice to meet you.” Erikah was taken aback. This girl seemed genuinely friendly, but how was that possible? “This month I’m volunteering at an animal shelter. If you like animals, maybe you two could come with me sometime. The kittens are so cute! Well, I’d love to stay and chat, but I’d better get going. I have to help pick up all the empty cups and wrappers because the poor janitor broke his leg. My mom and I are going to visit him in the hospital after school. See ya later!” After she left, Daina sighed. “I wish I could be more helpful and friendly like her.” She said.
Friday, March 12, 2010
True Beauty, page 2
As soon as she stepped off the bus, Bridget, the girl with Down’s syndrome from next door was waiting for her. “Yoo-hoo, Erikah!” She called as she leaned over the fence and waved. “Welcome home!” Erikah waved quickly as she dashed to the door. “Hi, dear.” Her mother greeted her. Spike, their German Shepherd ran to her and began wagging his tail happily. “He’s been waiting all day for you to get home. Why don’t you take him for a walk?” Erikah clipped Spike’s worn leash to his collar and peeked out the window. She wanted to be sure Bridget was gone before she went back outside.
When she finished walking her dog, her dad was just hanging up the phone. “That was your Aunt Kay, Erikah. Your cousin Daina’s school is having an exchange student program, and they thought you’d be perfect.” “But I’ve never even met them.” Erikah said. “You have; you were just too young to remember.” He said. “They live in a different country, so they can’t visit often.” “This is a wonderful educational opportunity.” Her mother said. “And I think you’ll have a lot of fun spending time with your relatives.” Erikah sighed. It looked like she had no other choice. “I’ll go pack my suitcase.” She muttered.
Soon, Erikah was flying through the sky in an airplane, on her way to some little place no one had ever heard of with her aunt and cousin. “So, what’s your school like?” Daina asked her. “Well, it’s just a typical school, I guess. Unruly boys, bullies, geeks, popular girls…” Daina nodded. “It’s the same way at my school pretty much. By the way, I met your neighbor, Bridget when we came to pick you up. She seems like a very nice girl.” Erikah fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat. “You disagree?” Daina asked puzzledly. “She’s nice and all, it’s just that… well…” “Well what?” Daina persisted. Erikah sighed. “Oh, never mind.”
When she finished walking her dog, her dad was just hanging up the phone. “That was your Aunt Kay, Erikah. Your cousin Daina’s school is having an exchange student program, and they thought you’d be perfect.” “But I’ve never even met them.” Erikah said. “You have; you were just too young to remember.” He said. “They live in a different country, so they can’t visit often.” “This is a wonderful educational opportunity.” Her mother said. “And I think you’ll have a lot of fun spending time with your relatives.” Erikah sighed. It looked like she had no other choice. “I’ll go pack my suitcase.” She muttered.
Soon, Erikah was flying through the sky in an airplane, on her way to some little place no one had ever heard of with her aunt and cousin. “So, what’s your school like?” Daina asked her. “Well, it’s just a typical school, I guess. Unruly boys, bullies, geeks, popular girls…” Daina nodded. “It’s the same way at my school pretty much. By the way, I met your neighbor, Bridget when we came to pick you up. She seems like a very nice girl.” Erikah fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat. “You disagree?” Daina asked puzzledly. “She’s nice and all, it’s just that… well…” “Well what?” Daina persisted. Erikah sighed. “Oh, never mind.”
Spring-Time Loveliness
Here are some pictures I took a few years back at the peak of flower season! Spring is just around the corner, folks!!! :D
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
True Beauty, page 1
Sorry I haven't been blogging much in the past few months... I've had to use a different computer, and that makes things all "scrambled". (As I like to say.) But anyway, the other day I realized I hadn't put my new short story here yet, and while it's not very good at all, at least it's something, I guess. I don't even know if anyone reads my blogs, LOL; but anyways, here it is! ;)
13-year-old Erikah grabbed her pink backpack and raced out the door as the school bus screeched to a halt in front of her house. She moved to the back of the bus and tried to block out all the noise so she could study her spelling words one last time. “I buy all my clothes from designer boutiques.” One of the cheerleaders said smugly. “Where did you buy your outfit, Erikah?” Surprised, Erikah looked up from her spelling paper. She didn’t want them to know she shopped at thrift stores. “I don’t remember.” She replied. Cheerleader Girl flipped her movie-star blonde hair with her manicured hand and began texting away on her cell phone. “Probably some lame local place.” She said as she rolled her sapphire eyes. Erikah slid down further into her seat and ran her fingers through her plain brown hair. “Why didn’t God make me rich and beautiful like them?” She thought.
During science class when everyone was choosing a lab partner, all the popular kids scrambled for each other, leaving her with Carl Smitty… the geekiest kid in the whole school. Erikah sighed as she made her way over to his table. “Big surprise...” She mumbled to herself. “Aaaaalright students, today we will be studying bacterial growth.” Their teacher, Mr. Clarkson said. “Oh, cool!” One of the boys shouted. “Thank you for your enthusiasm, Jason; now please be seated.” Mr. Clarkson said firmly. “This is fascinating.” Carl said as he looked up from his microscope. The class immediately broke out into an eruption of laughter. Some prankster had put something black on the eyepiece of the microscope, leaving a dark ring around his eye. “Hey Smitty, did somebody punch you in the face again?” A boy named Mike yelled. “Order! There will be order in this classroom!” Their teacher bellowed. “Carl, go and wash that off and come right back.” Carl’s face glowed red with embarrassment as he trudged out of the room.
Nearly all the kids spent the whole bus ride home making fun of Carl and some of the other less popular people at school. Erikah didn’t find it the least bit funny, but she laughed along with them anyway.
13-year-old Erikah grabbed her pink backpack and raced out the door as the school bus screeched to a halt in front of her house. She moved to the back of the bus and tried to block out all the noise so she could study her spelling words one last time. “I buy all my clothes from designer boutiques.” One of the cheerleaders said smugly. “Where did you buy your outfit, Erikah?” Surprised, Erikah looked up from her spelling paper. She didn’t want them to know she shopped at thrift stores. “I don’t remember.” She replied. Cheerleader Girl flipped her movie-star blonde hair with her manicured hand and began texting away on her cell phone. “Probably some lame local place.” She said as she rolled her sapphire eyes. Erikah slid down further into her seat and ran her fingers through her plain brown hair. “Why didn’t God make me rich and beautiful like them?” She thought.
During science class when everyone was choosing a lab partner, all the popular kids scrambled for each other, leaving her with Carl Smitty… the geekiest kid in the whole school. Erikah sighed as she made her way over to his table. “Big surprise...” She mumbled to herself. “Aaaaalright students, today we will be studying bacterial growth.” Their teacher, Mr. Clarkson said. “Oh, cool!” One of the boys shouted. “Thank you for your enthusiasm, Jason; now please be seated.” Mr. Clarkson said firmly. “This is fascinating.” Carl said as he looked up from his microscope. The class immediately broke out into an eruption of laughter. Some prankster had put something black on the eyepiece of the microscope, leaving a dark ring around his eye. “Hey Smitty, did somebody punch you in the face again?” A boy named Mike yelled. “Order! There will be order in this classroom!” Their teacher bellowed. “Carl, go and wash that off and come right back.” Carl’s face glowed red with embarrassment as he trudged out of the room.
Nearly all the kids spent the whole bus ride home making fun of Carl and some of the other less popular people at school. Erikah didn’t find it the least bit funny, but she laughed along with them anyway.
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