My Most Memorable Day

Sophie Turner

The most memorable day of my life was the very last day I spent in South Africa. For ages I was uncertain about whether we were going or not but I could not stop thinking about it and wondering what it would be like. I imagined it being extremely different: the weather, the school and the people. One day when I was sitting in class I kept thinking about it no matter how hard I tried to concentrate. I was trying to figure out if I should tell my best friend or not because I could end up telling her and then it never happening so I would have upset her for no reason. Then suddenly it just came pouring out that I might be moving to Scotland. It was the first time I had heard anyone put it that way so I stopped speaking, no longer able to say anything without tears pouring down my face.

The final day had arrived; 1 could not believe it! I left the house in utter chaos with dozens of packers cramming our possessions into overfull boxes. Instead of going to school for the entire dayl was just staying for an hour to say goodbye to everyone. When I entered the classroom everyone was shouting and hurrying to hide things. I looked at the familiar surroundings and all the faces I had known for the past five years of my life. Moving was going to be terrifying and I was going to miss everyone extremely but I could not help feeling a tingle of anticipation run through me at the thought of the new and exciting world I was about to enter.

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by everyone jumping up and hustling me from the room. They took me to our pavilion overlooking the whole school that had been transformed. There were decorations everywhere with a long table which you could no longer see because it was so heavily loaded with delicious looking food. There were balloons hanging off all the walls, doors and chairs. I was so surprised I had certainly not expected them to do this. They all came rushing, surrounding me with hugs and presents. We all fell silent when the teacher entered carrying a small red box. He stood at the front talking about how they all hoped I would have a great time and that they did not want me to leave. He then gave me the box which, when I opened, I discovered a beautiful, gold dolphin charm bracelet sitting in the middle. I felt a rush of affection towards them all and the back of my throat started burning.

I had known these forty people for so long . . . we had had several arguments; we had laughed until bodies ached; we had won and lost things; we had been on camps, dancing around non-existent fires in the pitch black with rain pouring and now I was leaving this all behind and I could possibly never come back again. I saw my best friend sitting on the edge slightly away from everyone she hated anyone seeing her upset and she never cried but now I could see clear droplets trickling down her face. I really did not want to leave her.

It was time to leave school for the final time, while I was saying goodbye I tried to remember every moment of it. I was fine until I hugged Jennifer for the last time and I burst into tears. We stood in the middle of everyone holding on to each other neither of us wanting to be the one to let go. Eventually we stepped apart and I walked to the car which I was going home in to pack up the rest of my life. I entered the house and saw that everything had been packed and the boxes were all piled up ready to be taken to the lorry. My dog was flopped against the wall looking very perturbed. Luckily we were able to take him with us, however, he had to be put in to quarantine for six months. Which I knew was going to feel as if forever. I also saw the empty fish tank and hamster cages lying there because we could not take them with us. Looking at the lonely cages filled me with sadness so I went out into the sun.

I decided to climb the huge tree we had at the back of the garden which overlooked everything: my house, the park, the shopping centre and my school. From there all the memories of everything that had happened here came flooding in. I could remember the day that my little brother had been swinging on the swing and suddenly monkeys had all started jumping on the jungle gym and he had received such a shock he had fallen off, flat on his face. I leant back against the trunk and thought about how different life was going to be from now on and I decided the change was going to be good . . . however hard it was to let go of everything else.