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The envelope

Written by Leilani Kaʻaukai

 

Wow. I'm speechless. 

 

It’s amazing how quickly children can become monsters, in a blink of an eye. That’s what happened to me a couple years ago, in Stockbridge, my school, in fourth grade. Once the teacher said a simple “dismiss” for the long weekend, the formal, behaving students instantly mutated into vicious, bloodthirsty monsters. They were pushing, shoving, fighting back and forth for some useless reason. I, on the other hand, am very different. 

 

As gracefully as a swan, I shifted through the swarm of children. Although bumping into a few kids now and then. Now that it was time to pack up for the weekend, I had to get my mail. In other words, junk.

 

Everyone had little black slits in which handouts went in. I shoved my way past two more fellow students, as I tried to spot my mail box. My box was on top of every one else’s. As soon as my hand slipped in towards my mail, I felt something thicker than paper. This wasn’t normal. Wondering if I had received something important, or maybe even….bad, I hastily pulled out all of my mail, flipping through the colorful papers. There were flyers about the upcoming field trip, math homework, and the one underneath that, was one about donating to the food drive. Finally, I reached a big, thick envelope, which had a sticker on it reading, “To the parent or guardian of Lori Khadse”.After I had read that, I panicked.

 

I had taken the accelerated math test more than a while ago, and according to the teacher, the results were coming in soon. This could be a letter saying that I didn’t get in.  Or……that I need extra help in a subject.

 

Or worse. Everything seemed to buzz around me.

 

My face started heating up into a tomato as I looked at everyone. Just to see who else got an envelope.  I remember one student got one earlier this week, but I couldn’t remember. 

 

Bad news. One of the smartest student didn’t get one, but a pretty smart one did. I spent the rest of the time packing up, sorting out who did, and who didn’t get an envelope. Finally, as the bell beeped through the speakers, I shoved the envelope into my bag, and took off along with the rest of the mini monsters out the door, and into the crowded hallway.

 

Honestly, the taunting letter inside the envelope didn’t concern me. I cared about what my MOTHER thought. She could be a flower when I get good grades, or a bursting volcano when it comes to things like…. well, this. I knew something was going to go wrong.

 

Right after I had exited the classroom, a thought bugged me. I should open the letter…right now. Even though I wasn’t allowed to, I obeyed my thought. My shaky hands clamped the dry envelope, threatening to give me a paper cut.

 

I couldn’t open this on school grounds, I wasn’t allowed to. I could get in trouble. I stopped dead in my tracks as I saw the first few lines:

“Your daughter/ son has been accepted into the accelerated Mathematics program…..”      

 

A smile was straining my face. I didn’t have any words to describe how I felt that day!I couldn’t read the rest, I was too excited! I jumped up in my seat like they, the children, did. Today was an extraordinary day.

 

 

 

Leilani Kaʻaukai from O’ahu, Hawaii. She loves to write short blurbs about exciting moments in her life! She is 15-years-old and she loves to read Short Fiction Break short stories (https://shortfictionbreak.com/) in her free time!