Amanda's+Stories

Amanda Goulden November 1, 2010 7A Short Story

“Finish packing, Jackie, we have to leave in fifteen minuets!” Mom said franticly. “I’m not getting on that plane Mom; there is nothing you can do to make me!” One day it’s Switzerland the next it’s Africa, I thought. Err, my mom is a paleontologist and she travels around the world just to fine some useless bones. I was born in Florida and my mom had to get to China in less than a month so I have been traveling for my whole life. That’s my story, the girl with no friends who travels around the world with her mom. “Get in the car Jackie,” Mom yelled. “I’m coming, gosh!” When we got to air port my mom took our bags through security and we had too go through it too. Then after an hour or two our plane number was called. The only good thing about traveling with my mom is that she gets a private jet because of her job. Oh yeah, first class. After a really long time the pilot said that we would be there soon. I looked out the window and saw Africa. My mom started to get all excited when she saw it, she was taking and talking about the amazing bones that she would discover but I just tuned her out. Mom really it’s just bones. When our plane landed it was really late, so we went to our hotel, checked in and slept. Well not really, the beds were gross and when I got into my bed there was some kind of weird lizard thing! After a really long night my mom woke me up really early and told me that the other paleontologists would be here soon so I had to get ready. I never knew that one place could be so hot, it’s gross! As me and my mom walked to find the other paleontologists I saw these people who were wearing long tribal dresses and doing some kind of dance. My mom started to talk about the tribal dances and that the scientist got to attend one and see what it really was. Finally we got to the other paleontologists and they started unpacking their tools for digging. Mom took me to meet every single scientist and they all told me what a great place it is, I’m not buying it though. Mom told me to go find something to do while she was out digging. I decided to walk around; I’m going to be here for a while so I might as well see what there is. As I was walking I saw more dances and there were goats walking around the streets! It was actually kind of cool. As I was walking a goat started chasing me, forget what I said about cool, and it was trying to eat my skirt. As I was running a girl came and took the goat. ”Sorry about that, Apudo doesn’t listen very well.” “ That’s okay, shouldn’t you be in school?” I asked “No my brothers in it are but my family couldn’t afford for me to go. Do you go to school?” “Yea, it starts in the middle of September.” “Oh, what’s your name?” the girl asked me. “I’m Jackie” I said. “Hi Jackie, my name is Safi.” “See you later Safi” I said as I walked away, “It was nice to meet you.” As I walked back to my mom’s site I saw more dances and some boys in school. When I reached my mom’s site she greeted me with a big dirty hug and some bones. “Hey Jackie, we found some dinosaur bones and they are going to be sent to the lab tomorrow! How was your day?” “It was good. I met a girl named Safi and she is really nice. She has a goat as a pet.” I said. “Oh good maybe she can come to the dinner that the African scientists are hosting!” Mom knows that this is important for me, she has always been wanting me to find a friend. “Hey Safi it’s Jackie!” Safi came out of the barn and I asked her if she wanted to come dinner with me and my mom. When I asked her she got really excited and seeing her so happy made me happy. “Hey mom, Safi is coming to dinner! How was the digging?” I asked “It was great; there are some pictures of the bones on the camera if you want to see them.” Mom seemed a little stressed but I didn’t want to ruin my day. I fell asleep for a while and then I got cleaned up for the dinner. I was really excited that Safi could come with me. When we were about to leave for the dinner we picked up Safi at her house and she met mom. Mom really liked her and was happy that I met her. Finally we got to the dinner and Safi and I sat in the back. I don’t know why mom was so excited about this dinner because it was so boring, just a bunch of scientist talking about things that I couldn’t understand. Safi was telling me that this was traditional African food. It wasn’t great but my mom said that I should get used to it because it was all we would be eating. After the dinner mom, Safi and I walked to her house and she asked me if I wanted to spend the night. Mom said that I could. Safi showed me around her house. It was small but really cool. Her house was like a barn but nicer. She took me to see Apudo, her goat, and let me feed him. I now know that goats are the grossest thing ever, they smell awful. Safi and I went into her room and we were really tired so we fell asleep very fast. “WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!! WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!” Safi screamed into my ear. What is she doing it’s almost 5:00 AM. “Yes Safi” I said trying to keep my cool. “We have to go and do work outside.” She said trying to sound innocent so I would go with her. “Safi, its 5:00 in the morning I don’t want to wake up!” I said. Err. We went outside and I saw my mom as we walked to the farm. “Hey mom, why are you up?” She told me that the scientists have to get their day going early. Safi showed me how to plant seeds and how to pick vegetables. As I was digging into the ground to plant some seeds a worm crawled into my hand. “EWWWW” I screamed as I threw the worm off of me. “Worms are the most important insect for farms. They help the soil, don’t hurt them.” Safi told me. Later Safi and I walked to the digging site. “Hi Mom, what are you doing?” I asked. Mom was down in a 10 foot hole. Gross dirt and bones what could be worse? “Jackie I have some bad news,” Mom said as she climbed out of the hole. “What did one of the dinosaurs come back to life?” “Jackie, my boss just asked me to fly into Dublin, Ireland to go to a conference with some extremely important scientists.” Nerd conference, I thought. “So when will you be back.” “Jackie we are both going, this conference is for at least a week.” “MOM, we can’t leave,” I said furiously. “Once I make a friend for the first time we have to leave. Of coarse thanks a lot.” Err, this is just my luck. Mom walked me and Safi to the hotel so we could wash our hands and then go to breakfast with the scientists. “So this is it Safi. One more day, then I have to leave.” Safi looked depressed. “Is there any way we can communicate?” I asked her hoping for a good answer. “Well, there is a phone near my house, so I could call you.” Safi said. I thought about that and asked her what the phone number was and she gave it to me on a piece of paper. “Thanks, I’m going to miss you so much, believe it or not you’re the only friend that I have made in any country.” “My only friend is Apudo; I think he will also miss you.” I thought about all the places that I have been to in my life and it brought back some memories about mom and I but Africa is the one place I make a friend and have to leave early. That’s just my kind of luck. The next day mom was saying good bye to all of the scientists and I was saying bye to Safi. “I thought that I should give you something to remind you about me and Africa and what fun we had these past few days. Here are some seeds to plant when you get to your next home. I hope they remind you of me.” Safi said quietly. “Thanks, here is some thing to remind you of me.” Mom helped me find a school for girls near hear and how much money it was, so I got Safi enough money for her to attend school every day of the week and see if she likes it. When I showed it to her she got so excited and gave me a huge hug. “THANK YOU SO MUCH” Safi screamed into my ear! I told her to see if she likes it and then I gave her a hug. “JACKIE, we have to go now!” Mom yelled. “Bye Safi, thank you so much.” Mom and I reached the air port and got on the plane, at first I thought this trip was going to be awful but I am really glad I went and how the trip went. When we got to Dublin I was really tired so we went right to the hotel. Before I fell asleep I went outside and planted one flower seed and then watered it. After we left Dublin Mom took me back to America and she surprised me with a house. As I looked around it I thought I heard something in the closet. “AH” Safi came out of the closet and gave me a huge hug. “I missed you so much. It has been at least two months since we were together. I thanked Mom so much after that. Safi and I had the best time for the week she was here and when I have to leave and go to another country I hope that I will have as much fun as I did in Africa.

//I was born in Illinois in 1998. I am 12 years old and I am in 7th grade.//

//I enjoy playing,soccer,softball,basketball,swimming,running,and playing with my friends. Also I play the piano and trombone.// //In 5th grade we did a lot of writing and I loved it!! We did a lot of poetry and I was really good at that. We made anthologies filled// //with different kinds of poetry. Also I love to write stories that are fiction or narretive. I LOVE TO WRITE!!// //My favorite color is// ** GREEN!! ** //I love to travel around the world. I have been to Italy, Ireland, France, Hawaii and other places around the country...//
 * //I hope you enjoy my short stories!!!!!!//**

=** Amanda ﻿ **= = =