That One Tear

• Natasha Karim, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2009

Name: Natasha Karim
Age: 11
Grade Level: 7
School: East Hills Girls Technology High School

That One Tear
I was smiling, it was the first time I laughed in front of my class, and it was the first time that I was glad. My cheeks were sparkling with bright red; they looked like big cherry tomatoes sitting on my face grasping my skin, eager to live. All of the students were clapping whilst whistling madly with joy like gorillas smashing their chests with their hands. Nothing could spoil the moment. It was what I wanted, it was the first time I actually got what I wanted, the first time that I was happy and lucky. I span around twice to express my pleasure. As I clapped my face stretched as my grin took over the surface.

But then I stopped; turned off by a remote. I looked through the window, leaning on a table, I felt dizzy, there was something out there that I couldn‘t recognise. There was something blurry, foggy through the window. I could see a girl lying on the ground, she looked familiar. Noises rushed through my head, they sounded like an ambulance, people screaming, crying and yelling. My head started to ache. Something was wrong, I felt guilty for being happy. Someone was hurt.

I blinked twice and peered through the window once again, it was a person that looked like me… Sarah!; Sarah was hurt, damaged and unconscious. I ran dramatically, instantly, insanely, horror overflowed in my brain. I charged out of the door like a bull outraged of red, all of the girls ran after me, I ignored them, only Sarah was on my mind. I kept galloping through each path. I was close; near Sarah I could hear the police racing each other into the school. I was close to the courts.

There was Sarah, lying down on the floor she looked dead which worried me, scared me. My red cheeks turned flat blue while they dripped down onto the ground, my eyes were bursting with rain, and my legs were shivering as if they were against a blizzard in a dark malevolent environment, I wasn‘t surviving. I collapsed to the ground, laid my hands on Sarah’s heart. A beat, I felt a beat. I knew she wasn’t dead but I was uncertain if she was conscious. A lady walked towards me. She was brave to go into war with only her love and comfort. I swung my arm and hit her softly signalling not to come. She nodded. I needed a moment of silence. Quiet…

Soon the ambulance figured that I had enough, so they made their way to Sarah. I wiped my nose clean and followed them. Sarah was put into the ambulance’s van; I sat next to her and her sport teacher, Ms Claudia. She told me all about the accident and how sorry she was then she broke down into tears just like all the others. Her sorry made no difference to how I was feeling, I shook my head and just turned away not caring about anything but Sarah. I felt quite disrespectful so I told her not to worry; though I did myself.

I stared at Sarah it was quite hard with the sadness stabbing my heart. I turned away blocking the tears and blinking twice to repel the water. I held Sarah’s hand, squeezed it tightly and closed my eyes.

A small drop ran down a hill on my face and landed safely on Sarah’s arm. It swam around wagging its fishy tail on her. Then I heard a cough, she was alive! We were close to the hospital to comfort her though, but she was alive! Everyone thought that my hope and faith saved her-I did too!