The school bell rings as I drive into the parking lot. I enter the doors and make my way to the ladie’s changing room. I somehow feel exhausted from my 3 hour shift that I have worked during my class spares since lunchtime. My uniform smells like coffee and I have noticed a few stains of cream on my work pants all from mixing the drinks near the Drive-Thru window. I get dressed and make my way to the gymnasium to meet my teammates for warm up.
I struggle to find comfort while putting on my sport shoes. These shoes have lasted for 3 years and I was really hoping for it to live another. The holes on the sides expose my blue socks and if I just move a little more, my little toes would start to peek every now and then.
After practice we gather together to sit and listen to my coach. Fees. It is no surprise that I am always the last athlete to hand in their fees after the deadline. I hear whispers behind me. “Doesn’t she have a job? Isn’t that why she is nowhere to be found when the lunch bell rings? Why can’t she pay in time? Where are her parents for this kind of stuff?” Little do they know that the money I make from my job goes towards my parents to assist them in paying bills, contributing to grocery costs, and sending money to our remaining families that live in a different country. We get dismissed and I go and get ready for my other job.
- Growing up and facing the “real world” and understanding the sense of it has made me very thankful for the little sacrifices my parents make for me to stay in school and participate in sports. Though we do not live in a very wealthy life, we have a house, food, clean water, transportation, electricity, and more to fulfill our needs and I would not wish upon anything else.
Hey Lovelee
As I read your story, I felt the moment you would go through every day. Being able to work and play a sport can get very busy. As I went through that as well but having practice after school and then rushing to work, which is a lot to handle at times. As I kept reading, I wanted to know more about the small detail, with the smaller parts leading up to your practice and your thoughts when going to school. Having to work to help your family, is something no one understands unless they have gone through it themselves. After reading this it opened my eyes, as there is so much that could be happening in someone’s life and you just don’t know it.