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

osa corales Being Together82rosa coralesi Friendsremember my best friend, Lupe. I met her when we started junior high schoolin Mexico. On that day, we were in gym class. The class was almost over whensomething bit my leg. I didn’t know what kind of bug it was or if it was poisonous.It might have been a spider or a poisonous alacran (scorpion). I felt dizzy and myvision blurred. I remember many children came to the nurse’s office to see whatwas going on. The nurse asked my name, but it was hard to speak because the poisonaffected my whole body. I felt numb and very dizzy. I remember the nurse askinghow they were going to bring me to the hospital because almost all the teachershad left.I had almost lost consciousness when I heard a kind, lovely voice offerto pay for a taxi to take me to the hospital. My vision was very blurry, and it wasdifficult for me to see the charitable soul who saved my life. One year passed beforeI found out who she was.The day that we met again was the day we started the second year of juniorhigh school. We were with other children playing outside the classroom, and thedean of teachers came and tried to chase us. All the students screamed and said,“Run, the dean is coming!” The dean of teachers caught almost all the studentsexcept Lupe and me. We ran and hid behind the door, and nobody saw us. Whenwe came out from the door, we were face to face and we started laughing. Then shestared at me and said, “Oh my God, you are the little girl who was in the nurse’soffice!” I said I was, and we hugged. After that, we were inseparable best friends. Iremember those two years as the happiest, most beautiful years of my life.When junior high school ended, she was very sad because she had to moveto another town and we might never see each other again. It was a very sad day, andI never did see her again, but I still remember her with gratitude. She was like mysister, and she still occupies a special place in my heart.Rosa Corales, age 37, was born in Mexico and has lived in New York City for20 years. A married mother of three, she studies at the Workers UnitedEducation Program, where Jackie Bain is her teacher, and Nancy Lorence isthe site director. She describes herself as “very interested in learning andimproving my English.”