Jean Third Grade First Row
Jean was getting ready for school. Jean’s mother insisted that she take the handkerchief her grandmother had sewn for her. Grandma Nettles had asked if jean had used it. It was a small thing, and yet it was not. Jean was in the third grade this year. After an incident that had taken place the week before, Jean was embarrassed and did not want to give the ugly girls an opportunity to laugh at her.
As her mother neatly secured the handkerchief to the loop in her Jeans dress, she decided she would do what her mother asked for the time being. Jean would wait until she was out of her mother’s sight, untie the handkerchief, and stuff it in her desk. Jean’s mother did not understand how her female classmates would treat her when they saw the ugly hand-made material hanging off her dress.
Jean was slow getting her sack lunch and books ready to go to school today. At least her mother let her wear her favorite red dress with blue ribbons. Cindy was the girl who sat next to her desk. Cindy had said how much she liked it.
Jean could hear her father and mother arguing. Jean’s parents argued every morning. Jean could never figure out exactly what had caused it every single morning. Jean sat in the car and waited for her mother to take her to school.
She glanced down at the stitching her grandmother had sewn on the handkerchief. It was beautiful, yet she knew she would be made fun of for wearing it. As they drove up to the school, Jean looked at her mother with apprehension. I have a headache; may I please go back home today. Stop acting like a baby. Get out and get to class. Jean opened the door, got out, and watched as her mother drove off without glancing backward.
Jean’s mother would regret not saying goodbye.
Jean ran to the door and saw the principal standing at the entrance as he did every morning. Jean liked Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith’s wife was her second-grade teacher, and she wished she were her third. Jean rubbed her forehead; Jean did have a headache. Her mother probably thought she was faking. Jean was not pretending to have a nasty headache. Maybe she would ask the nurse for an aspirin. She could not because Jean’s mother would be mad if the nurse sent a note home. The nurse always asked too many questions. Jean did not like the school nurse. Jean walked down the hall to her class, found her desk, and plopped down.
As Jean looked up, Cindy was happily bouncing in the door. Cindy always smiled. Jean wondered why Cindy always smiled. Cindy looked at Jean and smiled and said, what a lovely handkerchief. I wish I had one like it. Did your mother embroidery the flowers? Jean decided she would keep it tied to her belt. Jean smiled back at Cindy. At least tomorrow, Jean could sleep late. The school was out on Friday because of the sports competition. Jean was glad she had not been good at sports; she did not want to be wasting a perfect day away from school.
