Laura Friday's Presentation

The Yarn Kids
Laura
In the corner of the classroom, there is an oak-colored wooden closet with a rod to hang
the student’s coats and cubbies below to store their book bags and lunchboxes. I am a
third grader with shoulder length, medium brown hair and big, brown eyes who
reluctantly takes off my coat and places it on a hanger. It is Tuesday morning, a little past
9:00, and I’m wearing an itchy, knitted, pink acrylic yarn dress. Not only is my dress
made from this uncomfortable material, but so are my thick stockings and my matching
pink headband. I peer around the corner of the closet to see the other girls in my class
wearing their cute t-shirts and designer jeans. Jordache and Sergio Valente are the brand
names of choice. The circle of girls with their pretty hairstyles and fashionable clothes
are happy and giggling among each other as they have fun whatever games they play. I
never know their games or their conversations. I am an outsider. I am different because
of my stupid, pink yarn dress. I don’t only have a pink yarn dress, but a blue one and a
yellow one too. I have one for each week of school. Oh yes, I have to wear the same
dress day after day all week long because Mama tells me that is doesn’t smell. I hang
back near the closet for as long as I can until the teacher announces that all of her students
need to take a seat at their desks. Embarrassed and ashamed, I walk from around the
closet with my head hanging heavy, avoiding eye contact with my peers and take a seat at
my desk. I know that I am different from the others because Mama made me so. My
sisters too are clothed in the familiar yarn dresses, yarn stockings, and yarn headbands.
And, my brothers are also not spared the yarn. Mama has knitted countless sweaters and
socks of the same scratchy acrylic yarns. My sisters, brother and I are known as the yarn
kids among the teachers and we are different. Thanks Mama.