THE KALAHARI
By
Alexis Wright
Grade 5
IDDS
“I want to go there!” said Ella while watching TV one day. She saw a very cool swimming pool.
“What is it?” said her mother.
“It’s called The Kalahari and it’s like a swimming pool!” said Ella.
“Well, your birthday is coming up so I will think about it,” her mother said.
Ella hopped from the couch and ran upstairs to her room. She wrote Kalahari on a piece of paper and put it on her wish board. She wanted to go tell LiLy and Lasioniga, the twins.
“Mommy, can I go outside and play with LiLy and Lasioniga?”
“If they’re out there.”
Ella went outside and looked at the playground and saw LiLy and Lasioniga. Ella raced to the playground. As she was running, she felt the nice summer air flowing through her hair. Her little, itty-bitty feet stepped on rocks which ended up getting stuck to her skin. Ella lived in a very big house with her mom. Her dad died in a car crash on his way to work a long time ago. Today, her birthday is coming up and she is turning six-years old. She is in first grade and is very happy to be having a birthday so all her friends can come over.
Ella stopped at the playground and called to LiLy and Lasioniga, telling them to come over to where she was so she could tell them the news. LiLy and Lasioniga were in the 2nd grade and eight years-old. LiLy and Lasioniga came over and were out of breath from playing and running.
“Ella, why are you so jumpy?” asked Lasioniga.
“I have a secret to tell you!” whispered Ella.
Ella started telling LiLy and Lasioniga about what she saw on TV and how it was so cool.
“Do you want to come?” asked Ella.
“We’ll have to ask our mom,” said the twins.
LiLy and Lasioniga’s mom’s name was Yolanda. They also had a little sister named Zoey. Zoey got everything she wanted. Every day, LiLy and Lasioniga came to the park because Zoey cried and cried to get what she wanted. LiLy and Lasioniga complained about the crying every day.
“Please, you have to come because it’s just so cool! I don’t think you have to ask your mom,” said Ella.
“Yes we do have to ask her or we’ll get in trouble,” LiLy said smartly.
“Fine, then I don’t want you guys to go to my birthday party,” cried Ella.
As she was walking away, she said “We’ll have fun without you because we will have Chris Brown singing at the pool for my birthday party.”
As soon as LiLy and Lasioniga heard Chris Brown come out of Ella’s mouth, they started laughing really hard. Ella, to her surprise, turned around.
“What are you laughing at? I thought you liked Chris Brown and his songs and all that stuff?”
“What we are laughing at is you and we know that you are not going to have Chris Brown at your birthday party!” exclaimed the twins.
Ella got so mad that she started to cry. LiLy and Lasioniga stopped laughing and looked at Ella. Ella’s face was as red as a tomato and tears were running like rain drops down her face. Her fists were balled up really tight like she was going to punch somebody. She was frustrated with LiLy and Lasioniga and they knew it but didn’t care. They started to walk away from Ella.
Ella said, “You guys do not care about me and how I’m going to turn 6 and, and…”
LiLy and Lasioniga were coming towards Ella. Ella just froze. LiLy and Lasioniga were saying sorry and crying.
“Why are you crying?” asked Ella.
“Because we do not want to make fun of you and we are sorry for what we did and we do want to go to your birthday party, even though we know that you aren’t…” Lasigioniga paused.
“And we know that you aren’t going to have Christ Brown at your party.” Lasiioniga and LiLy started to laugh. They fell on the floor and laughed like they never laughed before. Then, Ella wiped her tears, the ones that had fallen like raindrops from her eyes, and fell to the floor with her friends. She started laughing herself.
One day from today, Ella will be six years old. Ella was very excited because her step-daddy was coming. Her daddy is usually a hard working man. Every time Ella asked her daddy to help with her homework, her daddy would say, “Not right now” or “Maybe later.”
Later that day, Ella and her mother went to the store buying stuff for Ella’s birthday party like balloons and food and confetti. Ella saw a little girl about 6 or 7 years old with blond-brown hair wearing a red tank top with a yellow and orange flower and blue jeans with red, yellow, and orange flowers on them. Ella thought she was a nice, nice girl. Ella went up to the girl and said,
“My name is Ella.”
The girl smiled and said, “My name is Michelle Watson and I’m new in town.”
Michelle had an accent of a country girl. Michelle’s mom called then.
“I have to go,” said Michelle.
When Ella and her mom got home, Ella asked if she could go to the park. Her mother said yes.
Ella ran to the park like she always did. Ella saw LiLy and Lasioniga. They saw Ella and said hello.
Ella yelled, “I made a new friend. Her name is Michelle and she has a country accent. It’s so cool. You should hear it.”
LiLy and Lasioniga looked at Ella angrily.
“What’s wrong with you guys?” asked Ella worriedly.
“You made a new friend,” asked LiLy.
“And you’re telling us now,” said Lasioniga.
“Yeah, why can’t I?” said Ella. “I don’t need your permission.”
“We didn’t say you did,” said LiLy angrily.
“Well, you’re acting like I had to!”
“Just drop it, ok!” yelled Lasioniga, pushing LiLy away from Ella.
“Our mom said we can go to your birthday party and she said if Chris Brown is there we have to leave,” Lasioniga said.
“Ok,” said Ella. “Now let’s have some fun!”
Later that day, Ella saw her new friend Michelle Watson. Ella ran up to her.
Michelle, somewhat frightened, said “Hey Ella.”
“Hey Michelle! My birthday is coming up and I was wondering if you would like to come?”
“I will ask my mom right now.” Michelle was wearing an orange tank top with jean capris. She had some orange flip flops with flowers on them. She had her hair in pigtails. Michelle came back breathless, saying,
“When – is – your – birth – day – party?”
“May 31.”
“What – time?”
“2:15 pm.”
“What – day – of – the – week – is – that?”
“Thursday.”
“Ok. See you later Ella. Gotta go,” Michelle yelled as she was running to tell her mom the news.
Today was the day. Today was Ella’s birthday and she was glad she was turning 6. Ella got started jumping on her bed saying, “Woohoo! It’s my birthday! I’m going to party because it’s my birthday!”
Ella jumped down from her bed and ran outside to go meet LiLy and Lasioniga.
“It’s my birthday!” cried Ella.
“Happy Birthday!” yelled LiLy and Lasioniga.
“Thank you.”
Ella went back into the house. It was 11:00 am and it was almost time for her birthday party. Ella was very tired because she woke up at 6:00 am worrying about her birthday party. Ella fell asleep on the couch. When she woke up again, it was 2:15 pm.
“Mom, Mom! It’s 2:15! Can we go now?”
“Yes we can. Go get LiLy, Lasioniga, and Michelle.”
“Michelle is coming?” squealed Ella.
“Yes, her mom said it was ok.”
“Yes! I just made a new friend!”
They went and picked up LiLy, Lasioniga, and Michelle. Michelle was really quiet because she didn’t know LiLy or Lasioniga. Ella liked to hang out with her friends. They got to the water park and first they swam and went down the water slides. Then they had pizza and had the time of their life.
“I really like your birthday party,” said Michelle.
“Thanks,” said Ella.
People came to Ella’s table with a big birthday cake singing Happy Birthday to Ella.
“Blow out your candles and make a wish!”
Ella blew out her candles and made a wish. Her wish was to have a great birthday party like this again.