contents - Gallatin School of Individualized Study - New York ...

Khazanah AwadMy Mom WhenShe Was a Little Girlmy mother was not afraid of anyone when she was at school. She misbehavedand had many problems with students and teachers, but her biggestproblems were with the principal.My mother used to live in the village. There, the women and girls would takea kind of powder from the trees, mix it with water and use it like a mask to cover theirfaces and shield them from the sun. But girls weren’t allowed to do this in school.One day my mother put this stuff on her face and went to school. When theprincipal saw her face, and the other students who were wearing it, too, he sent themback to their homes. They said that they wouldn’t do it again, but he did not listen.As they left, they saw the principal’s donkey, on which he rode to and fromschool every day. So my mom said to the girls, “Let’s take the donkey.” They took itwith them far away from school, around 30 or 35 blocks. Then they left it there andwalked home.When the school day was finished, the principal wanted to go home, but hecould not find his donkey. He looked for it, and the students looked for it, but theydidn’t find it. While they were still looking, a man told him that he saw girls fromFalsan, the village where my mother lived, take the donkey with them. The principalsent some students to look for his donkey, and they found it where the girls had left it.The next day, the principal didn’t say anything to the girls. He just looked atthem and laughed.After years passed, my mom got married and had a daughter, who grew upand went to school. And the principal looked at my sister and said, “Don’t do whatyour mom did!”Passing Down57khazanah awadA native of Yemen, 24-year-old Khazanah Awad has lived in New York for five years. Shestudies at CUNY’s Brooklyn College Adult Literacy Program, and wishes to acknowledgethe assistant director, Cheryl Georges, as well as teachers Louise Mancuso and PhyllisRada. With respect to her goals, she writes, “I would like to improve my English. I want toget citizenship. I want to have my own house.”