Memoir Writing

by Katelyn Anderson

“Nmmphh… I’m so sorry Mr. Wacker!!” I sobbed to my principal with leftover crumbs of white bread in my mouth.

Early March, 2008. I was 7 years old. First grade. My class consisted of monstrous, booger-filled kids who couldn’t spell ‘mustard’ or ‘kite.’ Tyler always wore a ratty tomato-red sweatshirt and smelled of rotten milk. Anna spent hours on her blue and pink eyeshadow in the morning. Luke’s hair was greasier than a pizza. Andrea ate her boogers.

I liked going to school. I had science, gym, history… and lunch. Lunch was the worst part of my day. There were 6 or 7 smelly lunch ladies in ripped hairnets who practically lived in the kitchen. They wore tattered, ragged uniforms that had leftover spaghetti sauce stains. A few had crooked, yellow teeth. Elementary schoolers despised school lunch. It was an honor to have home lunch. Students praised the kids with home lunch.

On a typical morning before school, my mom would make me a healthy breakfast usually consisting of eggs and toast. One morning, however, I asked for something more.

I asked for a home lunch.

My mom happily nodded, grabbing my bright pink lunch box. Before the bus arrived, my mom slapped two pieces of white bread together with peanut butter and jelly.

Later, as lunch ladies slopped “food” on trashy plates, I raised my head high and passed the other students, carrying my homemade lunch to my side. I felt like a celebrity. Students’ mouths gaped open in awe. “She has a home lunch,” “I wish I could be like her,” “isn’t that Katelyn Anderson?”, I heard students whisper.

I sat at a lunch table still showing off my possession. I closed my eyes and slowly ripped the Velcro, hearing angelic voices sing around me. I was ecstatic. As I opened my eyes to reveal the sandwich, my heart dropped. I couldn’t believe it. The sandwich wasn’t there. Inside my lunch box, there was nothing. It was empty. The one thing I had been looking forward to… was gone. I didn’t know what to do. Did that mean I needed to buy a school lunch? Starve myself? Ask the other fortunate home-lunchers for crumbs? I sat in my spot: frozen.

A parade of home-lunchers skip to my table and sit down.
“Where’s your home lunch, Katelyn?”
“You told me that your mom made you a PB&J! Where is it?”

I was beyond embarrassed. The home-lunchers stared at me, judgmental.

Daniel, a tall, shy, brown-haired boy who always brought home lunch, sat next to me. His lunch box was red and had Lightning McQueen from Cars on it. He ripped the Velcro and pulls an apple, granola bar, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich out of his Cars lunch box. I sat, watching Daniel, with wide eyes. His lunch looked delicious. A fresh, honeycrisp apple, my all-time favorite granola bar, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich was all I hoped for that day, but didn’t receive.

Daniel glances at me and my poor, empty lunch box, and continues to munch from his apple. I was hungry. I looked around, unable to find a solution. I was not going to buy school lunch. I couldn’t. After all I went through… and then buying school lunch? I couldn’t.

Daniel’s sandwich was sitting silently next to me. I saw the strawberry jelly oozing from the soft, white bread. I had no choice. At that moment, approximately 12:15pm of March, 2008, I wasn’t thinking. So many thoughts were buzzing through my tiny head and I didn’t know what I was doing.

I snatched Daniel’s sandwich and before he could stop me, I tore a huge piece off and shoved it down my throat. Gulping and opening wide for another piece, Daniel frantically looked side to side, hoping a staff member would notice. As I’m quickly eating, smearing peanut butter across my cheeks, Daniel screamed. Tears immediately gushed from his eyes and he yelped once again. Employees were rushing to our table. I finished the sandwich, wiped peanut butter off of my face, and smiled in hopes that I wouldn’t get into trouble. Daniel angrily pointed at me and the staff members dragged me by the ear down to the principal’s office.

I had never been inside of the principal’s office before. It was silent. There were whispers of secretaries and keyboards clicking. It was a giant room painted in whites and blues. A large sign saying “Scenic Heights Elementary School” hung on the wall. It smelled like a doctor’s office. I was shoved into an uncomfortable chair and the evil staff members left, thankfully. The secretary scowled at me and continued to type on her keyboard.

It felt like I waited for hours. I was tired of counting the popcorn on the ceiling and the keyboard clicks were getting annoying. Finally, Mr. Wacker, the principal, opened his office door. I shivered. He was scary. At least 7’4”, the man was terrifying. He ate children for breakfast and had a lazy eye.
“Katelyn Anderson?”
I could feel sweat drizzle down my spine. I was going to the principal’s office. What if he ate me? Expelled me? Threatened to kill my family? I was nervous.
“Come on in, sweetie, I won’t bite!”

I stood up from the uncomfortable chair. The secretary snarled at me. I slowly walked towards his unwelcoming grin.

Inside, he offered me a chair similar to the uncomfortable one. I sat down. The room was very open and friendly. Mr. Wacker had pictures of his children and wife throughout his office, and a candle was enflamed. It smelt like cinnamon. He didn’t have a lazy eye and was an above average height for a male. Mr. Wacker asks me to explain what occurred, and I did.

“Nmmphh… I’m so sorry Mr. Wacker!!” I sobbed to my principal with leftover crumbs of white bread in my mouth.

He smiled and began to laugh. He thought it was funny, as strange as that seems. He was not mad. He did not eat me, nor did he expel me. He told me that I needed to apologize to Daniel for my actions. That was it. I was overly shocked. I had heard hundreds of rumors about Mr. Wacker, and none regarding what had just happened. He was… nice.

When I got back to class, Daniel was still weeping. I slowly walked up to him and sincerely apologized. He smiled, wiped his tears, told me that it was okay, and gave me a hug.