The Speak Out Team are working with the creative writing group at Welland Park Academy and came up with a brief to Choose from: “Write a short story about living your dream life”; “If you could live any one day again, what day would it be?”; and “Write a postcard from your dream destination”. Here is one of our competition winners.
Why am I here? I could have picked any day, but why this one? 3rd May 2019. Nothing practically out of the ordinary happened on this day. Nothing I can remember at least. I went to school, probably did my homework in the library, came home, and went to rehearsals with my friends. Nothing that I didn’t do every other Friday. So why this one? I tried to think back and remember anything amazing or even somewhat interesting that happened on this day, but my mind was blank. Nothing happened.
I woke up to the sound of my alarm. I got out of bed and went to get ready for school. I mean maybe I chose this day because Fridays were my favourite days of the week, drama, and music lessons during school then when I come home, I go to rehearsals. I went downstairs to see my brother Ryan and my sister Amy sitting at the table eating breakfast. Nothing out of the ordinary here. I sit down and start to eat my breakfast, oatmeal like always. I then went upstairs and got changed. I next go to the mirror and start to do my hair. I gaze at myself in the mirror.
I finish doing my hair and move onto my makeup. I managed to do it a lot quicker today because normally I have to do my mascara about 5 times before I get it right.
I hear my Mum calling me from downstairs. “Come on we’re going to be late!” she yelled as I ran down the stairs. I reach out on the counter to grab my little bag. But the counter was empty. “Mum where’s my little blue bag?” I asked in a state of panic. “What do you mean? You don’t have a little blue bag?” she replied concerned. “Mum stop messing around I really need to find it,” I spoke, frantically searching any place I thought I could have left it. I always keep it on the counter. I take it to school but the second I come home I place it right on the counter so I don’t lose it. “I’m sorry Charlotte I just don’t know what you’re talking about,” my Mum stated looking at me as if I were a crazy person. Suddenly, I stopped in my tracks. I remember why this day is so important. May the 3rd 2019 the day before I get my first seizure. This means I don’t have my medicine and I don’t have to have someone watching me constantly to make sure I don’t have a fit. I turn to look at my mum, who was looking quite nervous. “Never mind,” I say as I walk out the door, my Mum following close behind me.
I now know why I picked this day. I wanted to be treated normal again and not like a china doll that could break at any moment. I wanted to feel like a person and not like I was made of glass. I wanted people to see me as the cool and funny kid, that I am not the sick kid. But after this day, that’s all I will ever be. Just the sick kid.
