The library club at Gateway Primary has been writing their own personal memoirs, writing them in memory snapshots of a child's world. Here are some of the best...unedited!
I Froze! by Jason Jani, grade 4I
When I was five I went to the toilet. I started looking at my face in the mirror because I could feel something poking out. Then suddenly, I froze and hit my head on the sink. I couldn't feel anything but I heard my brother running in. He saw that I wasn't moving. He screamed for my parents and my parents ran in. As soon as they saw me, they panicked. My father tried to open my mouth with the old car keys but suddenly I heard a crack. The keys broke!
My parents rushed me to the hospital. Sadly, I still don't know how I froze!
Themba Makoni's Memwa, grade 4I
I was in my bedroom changing after school when I heard my neighbour's dog bark. I wondered why the dog barked. Suddenly, I heard my brother scream. I ran to the guinea-pig cage and saw 99 dead guinea-pigs. One guinea-pig was missing. I looked in the cage; it was not there. I asked my brother but he said it was not there.
On the next day, I smelt a strange smell in my room. I looked in my cupboard and I saw it. I threw it away and sprayed my room with deodorant.
When I visited Botswana, by Cheif Musabayana, 4I
I was really excited to go and explore Botswana: for the first time I traveled to a place not in Zimbabwe. I saw cities I had never seen before. I thought I was dreaming. For the first day of the holiday, I woke up early. It did not really feel like a holiday when I woke up early. My father had woken me up because he thought I should go to the gym and beef up. I thought I should go to the gym for I had Chinese-noodle arms at that time.
After the gym I made a bucket list. A bucket list is a list of things that you will do before you die or before a certain time in your life. Well, I felt excited because I was going to overcome my worst fear: fish! Well, I could not say my worst fear is fish, but eating fish is my worst fear because of the eyes and skeleton of a fish. When I was three I ate fish and almost choked on a fish bone.
Before that I went to the mall with my mom and I saw an amazing toy. It was a giant truck and it was so cheap. I asked my father to buy it for me and he bought the truck for me. I was very happy and I felt like I had the best father in the world. I thanked my father with joy and love.
When we were coming out of the store, I saw a packet of gum which came with an action figure and that action figure was Spiderman!!!!! Spiderman was my favourite and I was really tempted to steal him and the gum. So, cunningly, I took the gum and action figure. At the food court later, I slipped up some gum and my dad caught me. He dragged me back to the sore and took out his Holy Bible in front of the shopkeeper and twacked me. It was really painful but I know I deserved it. We went back to the food court and I apologized to my dad and I ate my food in silence. The food was really good so I cheered up again.
After lunch we went back to the hotel and for the rest of the holiday I did not steal a thing and I ended up having an amazing holiday.
When I was Alone, by Munashe Mutamangira, grade 5M
It was a Monday morning. My parents were not yet here; it was silent and the electricity was not there. It was raining.
I looked at the crack in the wall. I kept hearing voices and it was dark. My brother was still sleeping. I could smell the chickens mom and dad had left.
I felt lonely.
I could feel raindrops on my head.
I felt scared so I went to the phone. There were some messages saying that they had some urgent business to attend to.
When I was alone.
Hartly dog died, by Zoey Nortier, grade 3Y
When my dog Hartly died I cried and felt very sad. I felt sorrow in my heart. I felt like I could have done something about it.
I closed my eyes and dreamed about me and her playing in the warm sun. On the bright, green, cool grass we played. The both of us enjoyed playing in the harmless grass and warm sun. I picked Hartly up and hugged her. Then we went inside.
Then I woke up from my dream and I hugged my mom and she said stop crying, it's okay.
The kid who haunted us, by Anesu Kanhai, grade 7M
It was a Saturday afternoon. I had come to pick up my next-door friends. So we were taking a walk in the neighbourhood and we dared each other to walk past the boundary of the close. I hated that place because it had stinking bushes and weird people.
We went but we did not go far. As soon as we were about to step an inch we all saw a kid riding his bike with full speed. We though he was passing by... As he came nearer we decided to run. That day I was with my little sister; she was still small. So we ran but the funniest thing happened; my little sister was behind and we were in front. The boy was next to her and we though that he was going to grab her by the collar. But she fell by herself in the bush and the kid stopped. She started to cry my name out...We stopped and stared and I got back and took her and we threw stones at his head and feet. He was angry. He chased us but he soon got tired.
We laughed at my sister on the way home.
The day I forgot my underwear, by Tapiwa Gwiza, grade 6I
It was a bright morning in 2009; the flowers were blooming the birds were chirping and... oh whatever! Why am I trying to make you people feel good when I'm not! Maybe you guys should be making me happy, because after I'm done with this story I'm going to be very embarrassed!
So, on with the story, well, it's time I told you by now, wow, it's getting pretty hard telling a secret I've kept for so long but... in grade one I forgot my underwear!! Man! Does it feel good to get secrets off your chest.
My first grade teacher, Miss Wilsher - aka the best teacher in the galaxy after my third grade teacher Miss Clark - was reading to us, like all first grade teacher do. I felt a well, you all know that feeling that says: YOU ARE IN DANGER! Well I had that. As soon as the feeling went I felt the worst thing a girl could ever feel, and that is having no underwear!
As soon as I felt it my tiny, cute and chubby face went hot. I quickly covered my dress. (By the way, don't judge me, because those were my early days of first grade and I was young. Now I'm a mature sixth grader and I've learnt my lesson). I was scared that the new faces around me would judge me and laugh, but now I've spend many years with those new faces and I know they will understand. OK, I lie; one person in the class, my best friend, will understand, the rest of them are immature monkeys who laugh all day. Most of them any way.
Just so you know, that was one time and I swear I will never ever in my young life do this wickedly embarrassing thing ever again. But some people in my class might...
The burnt hands, by Tinerudo Mawoyo, grade 7M
"Mama, ndirikumbira ceravita," I said, running to my mum's bedroom.
She was sitting on her bed, talking to my dad. She said I could so I ran to the kitchen and took my small stool which was slightly out of my reach. I reached my hand up to take it, but it was too far. I went up on my tiptoes and got a grip on it. I finally got it! Then my hand slipped and it came and hit my head. The maid, who was washing the dishes, put some cold water on my head and went back to what she was doing.
I got on my stool and turned on the stove. I put some milk in a pot. I then went to test if the stove was hot enough. I put both my hands and pushed them downs as hard as I could. I screamed at the top of my lungs. The neighbours came running through the front door. My mum came through the back because she had been doing gardening.
The maid got fired there and then and I was fed the ceravita in two bandaged hands.
The day I was thrashed, by Hannah Makowa, grade 7M
"What exactly happened?" the headmaster questioned.
"Well, the story begins here," we answered frightfully.
We were playing in the muddy pond at YFC (Young Farmers Club) when we saw the pig was ready to charge. We all got frightened and started doing extraordinary things: some ran up a tree, some climbed the roof and others went onto the slide. The boys began to be naughty and started throwing rocks at buildings. We broke a window but because it was in a hidden place nobody saw.
The boys decided not to throw rocks anymore and instead jumped over the fence. We all gathered around the fence and rashly decided to jump over the weakest side. It obviously broke, sir, and that is the true story. The pig did not break it as we said.
"Thank you," the headmaster said. "As you already know, I knew you guys were lying about the pig breaking the fence and that's why I have to thrash you."
With bottoms black and blue we sat, staring at the wall, vowing never to lie again.
Bye, bye kittens, by Farai Chimbera
It was a sunny morning, a Saturday. I woke up at 5 a.m. and checked the kitten's room (well, the study really, but it sleeps there) and there were these strange, small, black creatures. I thought they were rats. I was thinking, "why the heck is my cat cuddling rats?" So I got closer and I saw they were the cutest things. Kittens! My cat was now old, old enough to be a mother.
The whole day was me playing with them.
Then night came.
Electricity was gone and someone left the door open. Not only that but we had two dogs. One of them decided to do something bad. My sister came and told me the most horrible news I had ever heard; my dog had just devoured those poor, cute, defenseless, innocent things.
I knew cats and dogs were enemies but not to this much.
Even though my cat gave birth again, I will always miss the first kittens I ever had.
I Froze! by Jason Jani, grade 4I
When I was five I went to the toilet. I started looking at my face in the mirror because I could feel something poking out. Then suddenly, I froze and hit my head on the sink. I couldn't feel anything but I heard my brother running in. He saw that I wasn't moving. He screamed for my parents and my parents ran in. As soon as they saw me, they panicked. My father tried to open my mouth with the old car keys but suddenly I heard a crack. The keys broke!
My parents rushed me to the hospital. Sadly, I still don't know how I froze!
Themba Makoni's Memwa, grade 4I
I was in my bedroom changing after school when I heard my neighbour's dog bark. I wondered why the dog barked. Suddenly, I heard my brother scream. I ran to the guinea-pig cage and saw 99 dead guinea-pigs. One guinea-pig was missing. I looked in the cage; it was not there. I asked my brother but he said it was not there.
On the next day, I smelt a strange smell in my room. I looked in my cupboard and I saw it. I threw it away and sprayed my room with deodorant.
When I visited Botswana, by Cheif Musabayana, 4I
I was really excited to go and explore Botswana: for the first time I traveled to a place not in Zimbabwe. I saw cities I had never seen before. I thought I was dreaming. For the first day of the holiday, I woke up early. It did not really feel like a holiday when I woke up early. My father had woken me up because he thought I should go to the gym and beef up. I thought I should go to the gym for I had Chinese-noodle arms at that time.
After the gym I made a bucket list. A bucket list is a list of things that you will do before you die or before a certain time in your life. Well, I felt excited because I was going to overcome my worst fear: fish! Well, I could not say my worst fear is fish, but eating fish is my worst fear because of the eyes and skeleton of a fish. When I was three I ate fish and almost choked on a fish bone.
Before that I went to the mall with my mom and I saw an amazing toy. It was a giant truck and it was so cheap. I asked my father to buy it for me and he bought the truck for me. I was very happy and I felt like I had the best father in the world. I thanked my father with joy and love.
When we were coming out of the store, I saw a packet of gum which came with an action figure and that action figure was Spiderman!!!!! Spiderman was my favourite and I was really tempted to steal him and the gum. So, cunningly, I took the gum and action figure. At the food court later, I slipped up some gum and my dad caught me. He dragged me back to the sore and took out his Holy Bible in front of the shopkeeper and twacked me. It was really painful but I know I deserved it. We went back to the food court and I apologized to my dad and I ate my food in silence. The food was really good so I cheered up again.
After lunch we went back to the hotel and for the rest of the holiday I did not steal a thing and I ended up having an amazing holiday.
When I was Alone, by Munashe Mutamangira, grade 5M
It was a Monday morning. My parents were not yet here; it was silent and the electricity was not there. It was raining.
I looked at the crack in the wall. I kept hearing voices and it was dark. My brother was still sleeping. I could smell the chickens mom and dad had left.
I felt lonely.
I could feel raindrops on my head.
I felt scared so I went to the phone. There were some messages saying that they had some urgent business to attend to.
When I was alone.
Hartly dog died, by Zoey Nortier, grade 3Y
When my dog Hartly died I cried and felt very sad. I felt sorrow in my heart. I felt like I could have done something about it.
I closed my eyes and dreamed about me and her playing in the warm sun. On the bright, green, cool grass we played. The both of us enjoyed playing in the harmless grass and warm sun. I picked Hartly up and hugged her. Then we went inside.
Then I woke up from my dream and I hugged my mom and she said stop crying, it's okay.
The kid who haunted us, by Anesu Kanhai, grade 7M
It was a Saturday afternoon. I had come to pick up my next-door friends. So we were taking a walk in the neighbourhood and we dared each other to walk past the boundary of the close. I hated that place because it had stinking bushes and weird people.
We went but we did not go far. As soon as we were about to step an inch we all saw a kid riding his bike with full speed. We though he was passing by... As he came nearer we decided to run. That day I was with my little sister; she was still small. So we ran but the funniest thing happened; my little sister was behind and we were in front. The boy was next to her and we though that he was going to grab her by the collar. But she fell by herself in the bush and the kid stopped. She started to cry my name out...We stopped and stared and I got back and took her and we threw stones at his head and feet. He was angry. He chased us but he soon got tired.
We laughed at my sister on the way home.
The day I forgot my underwear, by Tapiwa Gwiza, grade 6I
It was a bright morning in 2009; the flowers were blooming the birds were chirping and... oh whatever! Why am I trying to make you people feel good when I'm not! Maybe you guys should be making me happy, because after I'm done with this story I'm going to be very embarrassed!
So, on with the story, well, it's time I told you by now, wow, it's getting pretty hard telling a secret I've kept for so long but... in grade one I forgot my underwear!! Man! Does it feel good to get secrets off your chest.
My first grade teacher, Miss Wilsher - aka the best teacher in the galaxy after my third grade teacher Miss Clark - was reading to us, like all first grade teacher do. I felt a well, you all know that feeling that says: YOU ARE IN DANGER! Well I had that. As soon as the feeling went I felt the worst thing a girl could ever feel, and that is having no underwear!
As soon as I felt it my tiny, cute and chubby face went hot. I quickly covered my dress. (By the way, don't judge me, because those were my early days of first grade and I was young. Now I'm a mature sixth grader and I've learnt my lesson). I was scared that the new faces around me would judge me and laugh, but now I've spend many years with those new faces and I know they will understand. OK, I lie; one person in the class, my best friend, will understand, the rest of them are immature monkeys who laugh all day. Most of them any way.
Just so you know, that was one time and I swear I will never ever in my young life do this wickedly embarrassing thing ever again. But some people in my class might...
The burnt hands, by Tinerudo Mawoyo, grade 7M
"Mama, ndirikumbira ceravita," I said, running to my mum's bedroom.
She was sitting on her bed, talking to my dad. She said I could so I ran to the kitchen and took my small stool which was slightly out of my reach. I reached my hand up to take it, but it was too far. I went up on my tiptoes and got a grip on it. I finally got it! Then my hand slipped and it came and hit my head. The maid, who was washing the dishes, put some cold water on my head and went back to what she was doing.
I got on my stool and turned on the stove. I put some milk in a pot. I then went to test if the stove was hot enough. I put both my hands and pushed them downs as hard as I could. I screamed at the top of my lungs. The neighbours came running through the front door. My mum came through the back because she had been doing gardening.
The maid got fired there and then and I was fed the ceravita in two bandaged hands.
The day I was thrashed, by Hannah Makowa, grade 7M
"What exactly happened?" the headmaster questioned.
"Well, the story begins here," we answered frightfully.
We were playing in the muddy pond at YFC (Young Farmers Club) when we saw the pig was ready to charge. We all got frightened and started doing extraordinary things: some ran up a tree, some climbed the roof and others went onto the slide. The boys began to be naughty and started throwing rocks at buildings. We broke a window but because it was in a hidden place nobody saw.
The boys decided not to throw rocks anymore and instead jumped over the fence. We all gathered around the fence and rashly decided to jump over the weakest side. It obviously broke, sir, and that is the true story. The pig did not break it as we said.
"Thank you," the headmaster said. "As you already know, I knew you guys were lying about the pig breaking the fence and that's why I have to thrash you."
With bottoms black and blue we sat, staring at the wall, vowing never to lie again.
Bye, bye kittens, by Farai Chimbera
It was a sunny morning, a Saturday. I woke up at 5 a.m. and checked the kitten's room (well, the study really, but it sleeps there) and there were these strange, small, black creatures. I thought they were rats. I was thinking, "why the heck is my cat cuddling rats?" So I got closer and I saw they were the cutest things. Kittens! My cat was now old, old enough to be a mother.
The whole day was me playing with them.
Then night came.
Electricity was gone and someone left the door open. Not only that but we had two dogs. One of them decided to do something bad. My sister came and told me the most horrible news I had ever heard; my dog had just devoured those poor, cute, defenseless, innocent things.
I knew cats and dogs were enemies but not to this much.
Even though my cat gave birth again, I will always miss the first kittens I ever had.
