. kindergarten (semi-autobiographical) .

The timid, little girl rolled slowly into the brightly lit classroom. All around her little boys and girls shrieked and ran around in circles about the room as she quietly stopped the scooter in the corner of a checkered rug. She stared at it amused by the different shapes and patterns painted onto its surface. One cube pictured a circle of stick-figured children holding hands while another had a stick mother and father holding their stick child in front of a wooden house. Other children glanced at the rug, but the majority couldn’t stop staring at her. She wriggled underneath the belt strapped to the seat and tried to ignore their stares, but all the same the children pointed at her black and yellow wheelchair that stood so much taller than them.

The teacher, Mrs. Finnigan, noticed the girl’s situation and called the group to form a circle. She then introduced herself and explained the events for the day.

“The first thing I want each of you to do is say your name to the class,” she said as she pointed to a chocolate-colored boy sitting right across from the hazel-eyed girl in the wheelchair.

He spoke in a whisper, “My name is Charlie.”

“I’m happy to meet you Charlie, aren’t we class?”

“Yes!”

“Charlie, why don’t you pick someone so they can say their name.”

“I want her,” he said as his hand picked out the little girl.

Mrs. Finnigan went up to her and pushed back a strand of chestnut hair that had come lose from the girl’s ponytail. The teacher smiled at the girl and she timidly smiled back.

“What’s your name?

“My name is Yasmin,” she said in a thick Hispanic accent.

“Class, I want you to meet Yasmin. Welcome to kindergarten Yasmin. We’re very glad to have you,” she said and wrapped her arms around Yasmin and hugged her tightly.

The rest of the hour flew by as each new student said their name and by the end of the day, the shy little girl left the classroom with a train of students holding on to the back of her wheelchair and a glowing smile on her face.