Warm Vanilla and Wrinkly Smiles

Christina Berthaud

September 26, 2010

English Comp.

Warm Vanilla and Wrinkly Smiles

            I do not seem to know why but there is one specific time in my life that I remember too well. I have so many memories from my kindergarten year at Bates Elementary School, in Salem, Massachusetts. People say I cannot possibly remember things from when I was five years old. I remember parts of that year very well actually. I can see it now. On the first floor of the building were Mrs. Gorham and Mrs. King’s classrooms on the right side of the hall. I was in Mrs. Gorham’s class. I remember saying ‘hi’ and hugging her every day. She always wore thick tacky Cosby sweaters. With knitted lines upon lines of entangled yarn. Mrs. Gorham was a tiny little blond woman with a short cut. She also wore silver wire framed glasses with a circular lens. Mrs. Gorham smelled like warm vanilla sugar. Till this day whenever I smell vanilla perfume, I think of her. I am sent to a stage of nostalgia. She would smile hard with her aging skin and beige freckles hiding in the creases of her wrinkled face.

            I am not sure it was the first day or within the first week, but people thought my eldest sister was my mother. And being a five year old I thought it was completely silly. I remember I had perhaps six intertwining braids in my hair. I had ponytail holders with colorful plastic balls, wrapped around the top of my braids and at the ends I had shiny little butterfly barrettes. That day my sister and I had on matching jackets. They were a light blue, but my sleeves were too long and rolled up and cuffed at the end of the sleeves. Now that I think of it I look exactly like my sister.

            I remember I used to sit next to this girl Lauren, I cannot remember her last name but I do remember that she was extremely sensitive and cried for almost everything. She had long frizzy blond hair and pale skin. When we were getting to know each other in class Lauren told the class about her baby sister. I don’t know why but then I told Mrs. Gorham that I had a baby brother. She told me I didn’t and I knew I did not but insisted to her that I did. Till this day I have no idea why I lied but I did. Also in my class was Adria Pomales & Justin Scaparttie. They also sat in my blue trapezoid shaped table.

            Mrs. Gorham’s class read Green Eggs and Ham and that same day our teacher made us green eggs and ham. I remember pushing the round plate from in front of me. I thought the eggs were rotten and rancid because they were green, little did I know that the lime green color on my eggs was artificial and totally safe to eat. Our classroom smelled like boiled eggs all day. Kids in the class circled the room exclaiming “P U!" I am sure I was one of them.  After every meal, Mrs.  Gorham would make us brush our pearly tic tac teeth, in hopes of creating good health habits, of which I am sure only a few took on.

            Kindergarten totally care free, nothing but oversized pencils with no erasers, drawing letters along a dotted line and coloring outside the lines. Till this day Mrs. Gorham is one of my favorite teachers. She seen my mother in 2009 and said she saw my face in my mothers. I hope she is still alive. I want to see her again.