The Principal’s Daughter

“Lana, Lana, wake up…”

I was sleeping, dreaming of going bowling for the first time in my life. Mom promised to take us bowling today.

I kept dreaming until my younger brother, Sami, entered my room waking me up.

I was so tired, so it took Sami a lot to wake me up. But when I finally woke up, he said “We’re not going bowling.”

                When I heard him, I jumped out of bed like crazy.

                I usually yell at him when he wakes me up, but this time I did not. I was like “What? Why?”

                “I like when you act like a crazy girl,” Sami said.

                “Oh, tell me this was a lie!” I said and I covered myself with my pink blanket again.

                I thought that he was lying to me; he always does that with me.

                “Lana, but I swear to God that it is not a lie… We are not going bowling today,”

                “I actually don’t believe you… Go out of my room. I’m really tired.” I said.

                “You are not supposed to believe me, but I’m saying the truth,” Sami said before I told him in a really loud voice, “Go outside!”

                “I’m going; you think I’m staying with Miss Melon Head,” Sami said.

                My brothers always call me Miss Melon Head.

                I threw a pillow at him, so he hurried outside.

                I could not sleep after Sami left the room. I was thinking, what if he was saying the truth? What if we are really not going? What if Sami was not joking this time?

I went out of bed and into mom’s room.

“Mom, are we going bowling? And where is dad?” I asked mom who was sitting on her bed pressing buttons on her phone.

She looked at me and said, “I’m sorry sweetie, but yesterday, when you were sleeping, your dad hit his car, so we took it to be fixed. And today, he took my car to go to a meeting, so we can’t go bowling,”

“Will we go tomorrow or after tomorrow or something like that?” I asked her.

“Maybe. We’ll see,” she said.

So, Sami was saying the truth for the first time in his life.

I wanted to go to my room to write in my diary. I usually do that when anything like not going bowling happens.

But I entered my room to see my smaller brother Amin looking for something in my closet.

“Amin, what are you doing in my room? I told you a thousand times that you are not allowed to come into my room. Go out right now,” I said to him.

“I am not going out until I find the basketball,” Amin said.

“The basket ball? First, I don’t play basketball. Second, why would a basketball be in my room? And third, a basketball is not that small to look for it. You could just open the closet and look. That is only after you have my permission.” I was very serious.

“I am sure it is in your room. I looked in the entire house except your room and I did not find it.” He said and he continued looking for the ball.

“I am going to count till three, and if you are not out, I will...” I started saying.

I had to think of something to say. I thought and thought…until finally, I had the perfect thing to say.

                “If you don’t go out of my room after three,  I will tell your friends that you once ate rotten eggs,”

                “I don’t believe that you will ever do something like that,” Amin said and he continued looking for the ball, but this time he was looking under my desk.

                “I swear to God I will,” I said.

                “I don’t believe you,” he said, and he was still looking for the ball.

                “One…” I started counting.

                “Oh no, she’s serious,” Amin said ran out of the room.

                 I am great! … I always trick my brothers!

                I washed my face and hands, changed my pajama, fixed my bed…, the usual every-morning stuff.

                I went downstairs, and as usual, I sat and did nothing. Sami was watching ‘Dora’, Amin was looking for the basketball, and Yaman, my older brother was using the computer.

                While Yaman was using the computer, mom came in and told him, “Yaman, I need to use the computer. Just one minute,”

                Mom was at the computer. A minute in mom’s world is usually about an hour!

                Yaman came and sat on the couch beside me. He started to play on his phone. Five minutes passed. “Why are you doing nothing?” He asked.

                “Do you have any suggestions for what I can do?” I asked.

                “Umm…yeah, you could help Amin find the basketball, or you could go open your piggy bank…” Yaman said.

                “I am not helping Amin find a stupid basketball, and I’m not opening my piggy bank now; I just bought it a week ago.

                “Ok, then you could come eat cereal with me,” Yaman said and we went to the kitchen.

                We filled two bowls with cereal and milk, and I got two spoons and went to the couch.

                While I was putting the first bite in my mouth, mom was like, “No eating on the couches. Go to the table you two.” Mom always catches when we do things she doesn’t like.

                “Mom, we are the oldest in the family!” Yaman said.

                “I said go to the table,” mom said again, but in a louder voice this time. I should have known that we couldn’t get away with something like this.

                We two went to the table.

                 There are many rules that mom had. No eating on the couches, no running in the house, no balls, no junk food, no walking with shoes on inside...

                Whenever we tried to break one of mom’s rules, we wait for mom to shout!

                I always wonder, “Are all moms’ like that?”

                When Yaman and I were done our cereal, we put our bowls in the dishwasher. Another rule: no plates whatsoever on the kitchen counter.

               

“I’m going upstairs,” we said at the same time and we looked at each other and laughed.

                “If you beat me up, then you are the winner and I have to give you dollar. And if I beat you, then you have to give me a dollar,” Yaman said.

                “Wait a second. You are four years older than me. I don’t want to be in this race,” I said and I ran upstairs to beat him.

                “You are such a big, fat cheater,” he said and he ran so he could beat me.

                I sure reached the finish line before him.

                “A dollar… Give me a dollar,” I said.

                “Dreaming or what? You cheated, you told that you don’t want to race, and you ran to win. I don’t give money to cheaters,” Yaman said.

                “You lied to me. You told me that if I win, you will give me a dollar, and if you won, I would have given you a dollar. A deal is a deal!”

                I said that and went to my room as if I was mad at Yaman. He should win this race… it’s just a dollar anyway. Why am talking a lot about it?

               

I took my Skip-It and went outside to the backyard to play.

                I started to play with it. I did not play a lot because Amin called me in a really loud voice from his room, “Lana…Lana…Hurry! Come…,” he shouted.

                I thought that something had happened. I held my Skip-It and ran upstairs to him.

                “What? What happened?” I said kind of worried.

                “I found the basketball,” he was really excited.

                “You made me come all the way up to tell me that you found your basketball?” I said.

                “Yes…and I found it in my room under the bed.” He said.

                He was looking in my room and it was in his room.

                I did not say anything after that and I went to my room and put the Skip-It away.

                I thought of the perfect thing to do.

                I went to Yaman’s room. He was writing “It’s My B-Day” with his pastel colors on a special pastel paper.

                How could I forget my brother’s birthday? His birthday is tomorrow. I talked to him as if I knew that it was his birthday tomorrow.

                “Is the DVD player in your room?” I asked him.

                “Umm…Yeah.  It’s in the first drawer in my closet,” he said not looking at me.

                I opened the drawer and took the DVD player. I also took a bunch of DVDs. Then I left to my room.

                I chose ‘Madagascar’ to watch.

                In a part of the movie, the lion Alex sings, “Happy birthday to you. You live in a zoo. You look like a monkey. You smell like one two,” to his friend the Zebra.

                When the movie was over, I called Amin and Sami. Each one of us made a birthday card for Yaman.

                I wrote on my card, “Happy birthday to you. You live in a zoo. You look like a monkey. You smell like one two.”           

When we were done, I remembered that I had Math homework.

                I opened my school backpack. I looked for my Math book, but I did not find it! I looked and looked, but no luck.

                What do I do now? The Math teacher would never forgive me.

                I decided to write her a letter telling her that I forgot my book in the class.

Sunday, February 1, 2010

Dear Miss Dina,

I am writing you this letter now because I forgot my Math book at school yesterday, so I couldn’t do my home work.

I hope that you don’t get me in trouble.

Enjoy Your Time, Always

Your Student

Lana

I hope she doesn’t kill me!

                I put the letter in my backpack.

                The day passed…

                I woke up the next morning at 7:00 at my alarm ringing.

                I went out of bed and I went to wake up Sami and Amin. But when I entered their room, I had an awesome idea.

                 I got a marker and drew a small flower on Sami’s foot. Then I drew a star on his hand. After that, I drew a smile on Amin’s face. He had a happy face!

                “Amin, Sami, wake up you two,”

                None of them woke up, until I started tickling them.

                Amin woke up saying, “I’m gonna kill him…I’m gonna kill him,”

                “What were you dreaming about?” I asked him.

                “He stole my money,” Amin said again.

                “Amin,” I shouted, “Your dream is over. Now we are in real life,” I said that in a really loud voice and then I hit him with his pillow on his head.

                “Aww…,” Amin said and he looked at me and threw the pillow back at me really hard.

                “What’s up with you? We have school,” I shouted at him.

                Amin sat on his bed and looked scared, “He stole my money. Call dad,”

                “I’m gonna call dad. I’m gonna tell him that you have problems,” I said and I went to call dad.

                I went to mom’s room. “Dad! Dad! Wake up!” He woke up fast. He’s not like Sami and Amin.

                “Amin is having a nightmare. He told me to call you because I don’t know who stole his money,” I said.

                “Wake up Yaman and don’t worry about Amin. I’ll see what’s wrong with him,” dad said.

                “Okay dad, but hurry, because Amin might break something any minute,” I said and I left the room to wake up Yaman.

                Yaman is like my dad; he wakes up quickly.

                I got ready for school and made sure that I did not forget my pencil case because I always do.

               

My dad is the principal of our school. And because of that, everyone thinks that he makes me win in contests and that he gets me good grades.

My mom is a teacher. She does not teach in our school.

Today, we had to take mom to her school and then go to ours because dad’s car is still being fixed.
               

                When I went down from the car in front of the school, a girl named Maria and two other girls were like, “Hey principal’s daughter.”

                “Hey,” I said and I walked quickly into the playground.

                “Wait!” Maria shouted to me.

                I looked at her to see what she wanted. She was like, “Don’t walk quickly. A teacher would catch you and tell your dad.” She said that and then looked at the other girls and started to laugh.

                I did not pay attention to them and I continued my way into the play ground.

                I started looking around to find my best friend Sarah. I could not see her. But then she came jumping for behind with my other best friend Reema.

                “Hey you guys,” I said.

                “Hi Lana! How was your holiday?” Reema asked me.

                “It was good like every holiday,” I said.

                We went and sat on a bench and kept talking until the bell rang.

               

I am in grade seven, Yaman’s in grade eleven, Sami’s in grade five and Amin’s in grade six.

                We had grammar in the first period. I hate grammar a lot.

                When we were done the grammar exercises, the teacher told us to put our journals on our desks.

                When we write in our journals, the teacher gives us a topic, and then we write about it. Then the teacher chooses a few students to read what they wrote out loud for the class.

                The topic this time was ‘What is one thing you would really like to have?’

                The teacher asked me to read my journal this time.

                I stood up and I started to read, “A thing I really want and I really wish to have is a sister. I wish I have a sister. I have three brothers and I really wish that I have a sister. Thank you.”

                Then it was Maria’s turn to read. She wished to buy the nail polish that she dreams of. And she said that it costs $20!

                The next period was Math!

                 When teacher Dina entered the class, she said that she was going to check our homework.

                I took the letter out of my bag and asked her, “Miss Dina…I need to go to the bathroom,”

                “Okay, but quick,” she said.

                I put the letter in her hand and ran out to the bathroom.

                I only asked to go out so that the teacher reads the letter while I’m not in class.

                When I came, Miss Dina was reading the letter. I think I did not return at the right time.

                “Lana, why did you forget your book at home?” Teacher Dina asked.

                “I forgot it here in the class,” I said.

                “But why?”

                “Umm…”

                Like why would anyone forget his book? It was not on purpose! What is this stupid question she asked?

                “Oops, someone’s facing a problem,” Maria said sarcastically. She was happy that I was facing a problem.

                “Lana, don’t forget it again and go to your seat now. Maria, I want to talk to you after the class,” Miss Dina spoke in that serious-teacher tone.

                “Ok,” Maria said.

                I went to my seat and made an ‘L’ with my fingers to Maria. ‘L’ is for ‘loser’.

                All the time in the school, Maria and everyone else were telling me that I couldn’t break the law in the school because the teachers would tell my dad.

                At the end of the math period, the teacher told us our math marks. No one got a mark over 12/20 except me, I got 19/20.

                Then, everyone started saying that I got this mark because my dad is the principal named Ahmad. They are all wrong. I was born smart because my dad the principal was born smart!

                Everyday at school is the same!

                The day at school passed quickly…

Yaman went to visit his friend after school. Good, because we could prepare for his birthday surprise without him being around.

Amin and Sami decorated the ceiling in his room with blue and yellow balloons, and they put the birthday cards in a basket they decorated on his bed.

While Amin and Sami were in Yaman’s room upstairs, I was making a cake in the kitchen. Then, they came and helped me. We wrote ‘Happy B-Day’ on the cake. We put kiwi and strawberries on top of the cake.

It looked delicious!

We then went to Yaman’s room to see it for a last time.

“Umm…it’s still missing something.” I said.

We got colored cardboards, cut them into medium squares and wrote on each of them one letter ‘H-A-P-P-Y-B-I-R-T-H-D-A-Y’ and we hanged them from the ceiling.

After that, we went outside, got some flowers and put them in two baskets. We were thinking of throwing them in Yaman’s room, but mom would not let us, and we didn’t think he would like that.

                We wrote ‘HAPPY B-DAY’ with the flowers in the front yard.

                After that, we went inside and decorated the hall and the front door.

                A few hours later, we heard the doorbell

                “He came…He came,” Sami was excited.

                Amin opened the door and Sami and I were like ‘Happy Birthday!’

                But guess what? After we shouted ‘Happy Birthday!’, we recognized that it was not Yaman. It was Aunt Nawal.

                “Umm…I’m not Yaman,” She was disappointed.

                “Oh, hi,” I said.

                “I got a cake because it’s Yaman’s birthday,” she said.

                “We already made one… but we could always have two,” Sami said.

                After we were all inside, the door was knocked. It was Uncle Hassan and Aunt Ramai.

                “Hi,” they said.

                “Hello, welcome,’ I answered them.

                After that, our relatives started to come one after another. And I was opening the door every time. Until the door knocked again, and I thought that it was one of our relatives.

                I opened the door, and guess who it was? It was Yaman! When I saw him standing in front of me, I was like ‘Happy Birthday!’

                He did not seem to be happy. It’s the first time his birthday party is so crowded.

                “Amin, Sami! It’s him, hurry!” I started shouting until they came.

“Oh, you really made me a party?” Yaman said, but happily this time.

“Uh... ha,” I said.

“Thanks,” Yaman said and he hugged me.

Yaman took his shoes off and he went with us inside.

A huge smile was on Yaman’s face when he saw everyone in the living room.

“Thanks a lot everyone!” he was sort of shy and happy.

We had cake and sweets and juice. We had lots of fun. At the end of the party, Yaman unwrapped his gifts. Uncle Saeed got him a net book!

He got many awesome gifts.

I don’t know why, but some of my relatives got me, Amin and Sami gifts.

I got a purple dress from Aunt Sena, a purse from Aunt Nawal, and hair ties and clips from Uncle Hassan and Aunt Ramai.

The day passed quickly….

One day at school, the science teacher announced a science fair in another school. She said that our school was going to choose seven projects that were going to participate in that contest. The first prize was $700, the second prize was $500, and that the third prize was $300.

There would be judges to decide on the winner.

I really wanted to participate in that science fair so I win that big amount of money. Also I wanted to show everyone at school that I was smart, and it had nothing to do with dad being the principal.

At home, I searched on the internet for a great project that I could help me win the contest. Then I found an awesome project, ‘Which Pain Reliever Dissolves the Fastest in the stomach’.

I read a lot about it. I liked it a lot.

I told the science coordinator at school about the project, and she really liked the idea.

“But you have to do it quickly. You don’t have time; the science fair is a week from now,” she said.

At home, and as usual I did not work on the project until the last day.

On the day of the science fair, Amin woke me up.

“I am lucky; I’m not going to learn anything today. I’m gonna be in the science fair all day long!” I thought to myself.

But when I sat in the bus that was taking us to the science fair, Maria and a girl named Zeina came and sat beside me.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” I asked them.

“The science teacher told us that you have a project, so we decided to make our own project. Then we can be your friends there in the fair and beat you,” Maria said.

“Wow. I feel lucky now!” I thought.

At the fair, I fixed my posters.

I had a problem…Maria’s project was to my right!

Maria was telling Zeina, “Now her daddy will let her win the first prize,”

She was talking loud so I could hear her.

“My dad can’t make me win in any contest, and the judges in this contest are going to choose the winners. I’m gonna show you Miss Maria that I’m gonna win, and I’m gonna show you that I am smart without my dad!” I felt angry while talking.

“bla…  bla… bla!” Maria said and started whispering in Zeina’s ear.

I presented my project very well. Not because I hate Maria, but her presentation was terrible.

A few days later, a school bus took us to the school where the science fair was. The winners were going to be announced.

I was sitting where students were told to sit in the auditorium. I felt nervous. I really needed to win.

A tall, thin man, wearing a black suit and glasses, was standing on the stage talking.

“…and now, we are going to announce the names of the winners. We have the third prize…” and he said the name of the person who was not me, and the name of the school which was not our school.

Then the man said the second prize…I t was also not me. It was not from our school too.

The students who won the prizes went to the stage and took medals and envelopes that had the money.

I felt disappointed. I was sure that I did not win the first prize. But I was really surprised I heard, “Which Pain Reliever Dissolves the Fastest in the Stomach, Lana…”

I went to the stage and I took the envelope and the medal.

While I was on the stage, I recognized mom, dad and my brothers sitting in the first row. Mom was taking pictures.

I went down the stage and hugged mom and dad.

“Lana…you are my dearest sister. Can we share what’s in the envelope? Or you know what, why don’t you give it all to me?” Amin was joking.

“We’ll share. You can have a dollar.” I said.

“You didn’t tell me you were coming.” I told mom.

“How could you win without us taking pictures?” she said laughing.

“Who would like to go bowling?” dad asked.

“Really?” I asked him.

“Yes!” he said

On our way out, I heard Maria crying to Zeina, “How could that happen? Her dad was not a judge!”

We went to have lunch. Then we went bowling…

It was lots of fun…

Now that my school problem is solved, I think I have time to choose names for my brothers similar to Melon Head… or maybe even better.