By Angelianny, age 15
Have you ever walked into a crowded room? There are people talking and smiling everywhere. You cannot help but feel joy. Until it happens… A little girl ran up to me. She smiled. Her mouth started moving, but I could not understand a thing she said. I shrugged my shoulders. She looked at me and ran off.
A few moments later, another girl ran up to me. She too started what looked like talking to me. Again, I could not understand a word. By the time the third girl approached me and I could not understand her, I was almost in tears. I was 12. I lived in the Dominican Republic.
Then one day, my family brought me to the airport. I was so excited to see the planes. We got on one and took off. When we landed, I was in a different world. It looked like a nice place. Nice houses, beaches, lots of people. But the people spoke a different language. I later learned it was called English.
I was told we had moved to St. Maarten. I did not like this at all. I had no friends here. I did not know where I was. Worse, they said I could not go to school. So I was enrolled in an afternoon school. I met a little girl there. She took a liking to me and helped me learn to speak this English. Just about the time I mastered this new language, the teacher wanted me to learn another language...Dutch.
Now almost three years later, I am a good student once again. I made more friends. I am studying hard and planning to go to university and get a degree. Then I want to get a good job. I hope someday to get married and have a family.
The lesson I learned from this move to The Friendly Island is to never give up – just never give up!
