LeyaBina Goes to School

LeyaBina has received permission to go to school today. She can barely contain her excitment, for it's not every day that Mother allows her the luxury of school. Most days mother needs her help and she is forced to stay home. School days are her favorite days. She never understands how other kids complain and would love to avoid school. The other kids think she is peculiar, for she would not miss the opportunity for an education. She worked unusually fast to complete her chores. It seems that little brothers and sisters were more difficult than usual today. The baby wouldnt let her change his diaper, and the floor took way too much time to dry. Finally she washed her hands and was on her way to the room in the gates

They called it school, and she was thankful for that, but she knew. Surrounded by kids in uniform lauging, playing, crying and rushing with their books to a real school, she silently walked the familiar path to her school room. Nobody paid attention to LeyaBina as she hopped and walked and day dreamed her way to school. Her long black braids neatly gathered on both sides of her head. Her black socks tighly pulled up to the top, so that it stayed in place. Her brown shoes cleaned and polished. She washed her dress last night and ironed it in the morning. Today they were going to read all day. She loved to read. She read everything she could find on the way to school. She read the signs and the posters, the headlines and the advertisments. Everything was worth reading for her.

She arrived to the room school early, nobody was there. She sat and began reading by herself as she waited for the others to arrive. One by one the other girls walked in and playfully sat on their seats as they waited for their teacher to arrive. LeyaBina loved her school mates and was happily chatting and lauging. They did not notice that an hour passed by until a little girl came rushing by and announced that the teacher would not be here today. Everyone was to return to their home and school would resume tomorrow. A dark cloud surrounded LeyaBina with the disappointment and anxiety that tomorrow Mother would need her at her side at home. She was very disapointed. She had counted the days that she could no longer remember until mother finally gave her permission to go.

Her eyes cast on the floor she did not notice the bus rushing towards her until he was too near for comfort. She snuggled up against the wall to avoid being hit as she held her breath until he was gone. Coughing from the smoke the bus left behind she continued sadly home.