The School Project That Became a Lifetime Job

By: Becca, 6^th grade

          It was community service week at school. And I was as nervous as ever. Sorry to be rude but my name is Stephanie Stone. I’m in 6^th grade. And this week we will spin a wheel and find out what community service we will be participating in for the next 2 weeks and weekends. For this year it happens to fall on my birthday. And I do not want to get the part in talking care of an elderly person. Everyone says that when you have to take care of the old people, sometimes they would start hitting you with their cane. And I don’t want that to happen to me. Especially on my 12 birthday!!!

          “Stephanie! It’s your turn to Spin the Wheel!!!! Of COMMUNITY SERVICE!!!” My teacher was starring at me like I was some kind of contestant on The Wheel of Fortune. This was not the kind of treatment that I wanted.

          I slowly walked up to the wheel to spin. And with the dumbest look on my face, I took a big spin and waited, and waited, and waited for just a few more minutes. And finally the wheel started to slow down and finally the wheel stopped. Then I turned around and looked at the wheel. IT STOPPED ON ELDERLY PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!! I turned around and saw the people who were whispering behind my back. It was the worst feeling ever!!!

          “Nice job weirdo. Now you can spend the rest of your 2 weeks and weekends by spending them in the elderly people’s home. Happy days!!!” Now even some of my best friends were turning their backs on me just because I am going to be at the elderly home. What a day!!!!

          As I slowly walked home I passed the elderly home. I stopped and starred. Is this the type of situation I wanted to be stuck in for the rest of the 2 weeks and weekends? Is this the type of torture that I wanted to be stuck in? Being teased by my friends all the time, being pushed off the bench in the lunch room just because I had the most horrible community service job in the world. EVER!!!!!!!!         

          The next morning was Saturday morning. It was also the morning that I have to start my community service job. My mom stomped into my room and poured a cold bucket of water on my body. I leaped out of my bed with the most furious expression on my face. I could not take this anymore. I checked my clock to see what time it was. It was 6:01 am!!!        

          “What is this about????? Waking me up at 6:01 am!!! That is cruel and unusual from a parental guardian like you!! Most parents would let their children sleep in until they wake up in the morning! UUGGHH!!” I slammed my head onto the pillow that I was sleeping on then slammed another pillow onto my head.

          “This is not cruel and unusual. Your teacher e-mailed me yesterday while you were at school and told me to wake you up early so that you have time to get dressed and get down to the nursing home before 7:30 am. Your elderly person’s name Lela Hutchinson. So get up now and get dressed.” My mom was acting nice but I could tell that she was really stressed out.

          I got up and got ready. Once I was finished, I goggled the address and printed it out from my laptop then grabbed the paper and ran downstairs. My mom tossed me a banana and then I ran to the door. Just before the bus started driving away, I waved up my arms to get the bus driver’s attention the hopped onto the bus. I gave the bus driver the paper, the caught the next best seat on the bus and sat down as soon as I could without being tipped over.

          Then, after 5 minutes, the bus stopped again. So I looked out the window and this wasn’t the stop that I had excepted. I looked at the door and saw my best friend walk onto the bus. She was on her way to her community service job. I quickly turned my head and grabbed a paper that I had found on the floor and covered my face so that she wouldn’t recognize me.

          “Stephanie!! What are you doing here? I thought that you would still be sleeping now. Wow. It’s 6:45 am. Do you mind if I sit here?” Before I knew it, Anna was sitting beside me and had grabbed out a notebook that was labeled ‘Community Service Notebook’. She pulled out a paper that had a daily schedule on it. I didn’t know what to say then. I was astonished.

          “I’m here for my community service job. Remember, I’m taking care of an elderly person today.” I didn’t know why I had blurted that out right then. I was in such a scared mode.

          “Oh yeah. Well, see you at school!” Before I could say good-bye, Anna was out of the seat and moving as fast as she could to the next best seat. As far away from me.

          “Stephanie. I believe this is your stop.” The bus driver was looking straight at me. I was so embarrassed that he had said it so loud. After he said that, everyone was staring at me with disbelief. I stepped out of the bus and headed to the home.

          “I’m looking for Lela Hutchinson.” I was staring at the youngest women in the nursing home. She was about 30. And she had the IQ of 2. She had her iPod in and was banging her head to some rock music. I couldn’t believe it.

          “HEY!!! HEY!!!!” I yanked out her earplugs so that she could hear me.

          “Hey kid! What do you want? I’m trying to rock out to some music.”    

          “Look. I’m here for Lela Hutchinson. This is for a school project” The young women lead me over to room 213. I was waiting while for her to open the door so I could go in when I saw some nurses wheeling this lady to the hospital

          “It’s going to be alright. You’re going to be at the hospital in just a few moments.” I could hear the groaning of the older woman as the nurses wheeled her over to the ambulance waiting outside.

          “Lela! You have a visitor! Her name is…. Stephanie Stone.” She had to look down at her clipboard. Which I noticed had a list of daily visitors for each elderly person.

          “Okay. Lead her in. What’s your name darling?” Lela was sitting on her bed reading a book that was upside down.

          “Like that lady said before, my name is Stephanie Stone.” I started to sit down, but then when I sat down, I felt something sharp on the chair. I didn’t know what it was, and I was sure that I didn’t want to find out.    

          “Look, this is not for people to sit in. Okay, this is for Lela’s sewing needles. ONLY!!!!” I was barely there for 5 minutes and I was already fed up with this community service job. I wanted to escape out of the window and take the bus home.

          “Come sit down on the bed sweetie and I will show you pictures I took with Elvis Presley at prom. Just take the bin out from under the bed and take out the flowered photo album.” I took out the flower photo album and gave it to Lela. We sat on her bed, looked at the photo album, and talked and laughed for hours. Next thing I knew, the young women was pulling me out of the room and I was standing out in the parking lot.

          I came back 3 days later to see Lela. I walked in with the happiest look on my face. And I helped every person I could find.

          “Move out of the way!!!!! 911 is here for an emergency!!” I moved out of the way and was trying to see who was on the cart. It was Lela!!! I could not believe it.

          The next day I went to the hospital to visit Lela. I did not know what to expect when I walked into the hospital room.

          “Stephanie. I am so glad that you came. I have an explanation. I am about to die. I want you to have all of my photo albums. You were the first person I have shared them with and you know more than anybody else. I will be giving my night dresses to my sister. So…………………………..” And those were the last words that I have ever heard from her. I laid by her side for the rest of the night until my mom came to pick me up the next morning.

          I walked into school the next week with the saddest face on. But I told my teacher my experience and she gave me an A+.

          For the rest of my life I took care of elderly people. But I have never felt better in my life. And this will be my lifetime job. Until I die, then all I will have to do is bring my stuff over to the nursing home and I will be all set.

 J  The End!!!  J