BerkVille

Meaningful changes!

The previous week was unsteady but encouraging. We were all relieved when we learned about Babylon's conflict. We laughed about it at our lunch table, but we were sorry that happened to him.  Actually, no we wasn't. We were all simply relieved to be free from the fear of being detained for a murder we did not commit especially Dustin. Every-time he even caught sight of an officer his heart would race. But for now he could breathe, we could all breathe. And for a while we could worry about our disastrous lives...

6:18 a.m
Saturday. This was what a quintessential day in Dustin's life looked like. He would get up early, brush his teeth and wash his face, wash the dishes that his family members had left in the sink the night before, prepare breakfast for his sister and grandparents, prepare himself for school if there was any that day, then go to work with his aunt once school had ended, return home around ten, clean up the house, unwind, and get him and his sister ready for bed. Today he started earlier than usual to get in some time to play a game of Minecraft with Mandy and I.

He reheated some cassavas from the fridge for his grandparents and made a cup of ginger tea for each of them. He placed the food on the tray next to their medication and waddled down the hall to their bedroom door. He despised the creaking floor boards as he walked over them and asked his uncle to repair them before entering their room for the hundredth time.

As he walked in, he noticed his grandfather perched in the rocking chair that sat in the balcony of their bedroom, listening to a radio station. His grandmother, on the other hand, was fast asleep, the comforter wrapped around her from head to toe. He called out to them as he poured pills from the pill bottle, "Ma! Pap! "Please come and get your breakfast and medication!"

   His grandfather limped into the bedroom and started feasting. But his grandmother remained motionless and silent. He called out to her again, not thinking much of it. There was no response. He approached her and took the comforter off of her. The icy chill of her body brought his heart to a halt as he shook her to try to wake her. She was gone.

It was as if he blinked and everything changed in a split second. Her body was collected by the funeral home. He blinked once more. His mother was sobbing and clutching her sister for comfort. He blinked again. His grandfather was having a nervous breakdown. And once he blinked once more he opened his eyes to find himself in bed that night, unable to process what had even happened that morning. All he knew was that he would never see his grandmother again.

8:40 a.m
Monday. Dustin told us the terrible news about his grandmother as we filed into the auditorium that morning in single file lines. This morning felt a lot different to him as he had to only make three cups of tea.

We all took turns saying "accept my sympathy" before sitting next to each other in the auditorium's north-east corner. We always rushed to get those seats because they were in the most open part of the auditorium that let in a chilly draft. This morning all eyes were on us as we waited for the assembly to commence. Some students even made their way to where we sat asking if we knew what happened to DeeJay or if we did it. Which I don't get. If people are looking at us for potentially murdering another, WHY would you ask us about said murder? Can't you see you're just asking to be the next victim?

Once the assembly began the principal gave his usual opening speech after he made us pray, then he began to announce the list of students who was running for "Head Prefect". We weren't surprised when he called Beth's name. She has always wanted to be head prefect but had put it in the dark when she and Gary began to date. So for the last two weeks she had been planning an unbeatable campaign to finally crack but into what she likes and mot what other people like for her. But what we didn't realize was that her main mission was now to change the school's ways and make it better. Particularly among the male population. But first she needed to appeal to them to make sure she swept the ballots. We have more male students at school so just half of their vote would guarantee a win.