AiyjalonFooseCampbell

July9,2015

LetsTakeaTripDownMemoryLaneShallWe

SinceIgotacceptedintotheScienceandTechnologyProgram,Ihadtoworkoverthe
summer,somethingthatwasnotpartofthedealwhenItookthetestinmiddleschool(Thats
howtheypullyouin.Promiseyouthattheresgoingtobeapotofgoldattheendoftherainbow
butwhenyougetthere,itsarustybucketwithpebbles).Ihadsummerassignmentsforallfour
years,butIamonlygoingtofocusontwoyears:ninthandtenth.Forthesummerbeforeninth
grade,theassignmentwastoreadabookcalled
TheHotZone
byRichardPrestonandwritea
sevenpageanalysispaper.Seven.Pages.Notthreeorfour.Seven.IalmostcriedwhenIgotthat
letterinthemail:
Totheparents/guardiansofAiyjalonFooseCampbell:Yourchild,whois
planningonattendingOxonHillHighSchool,mustreadabookandwriteapaperonit.OhdidI
forgettomentionithastobesevenpageslong,doublespaced,andaboutwhypigsfly?
Like
everyoneelse,Iwantedtoenjoymysummerbreak,notspendtimereadingabookaboutGod
knowswhat.Irememberlookingthebookupandthinking
Whywouldtheypickthisbookofall
books?ItsoundsboringandthetitleTheHotZonewhatsupwiththat?Idontwanttoread
aboutmonkeysandhowtheyarethecauseofEbola.
IdidntevenknowwhatEbolawasduring
thattimeandifIwantedtoknowaboutmonkeys,IwouldhavewatchedAnimalPlanet
.
ButI
endedupreadingthebookbecauseitcountedastwotestgradesandIwasgoingtohavefuture
assignmentsonit.ThebookwasbasicallyabouttheEbolavirusandagroupofCentersfor
DiseaseControlandPrevention(CDC)peopletryingtofigureoutwhereitmighthaveoriginated

from.Throughouttheirjourney,therearedifferentobstaclestheyencountersuchasoutbreaks
andcasualtiesbutitwasaninterestingbook.Thatpaperontheotherhand,wasthestruggle.I
didnotknowwheretostart,howtostart,howtosound,whatitshouldlooklikeyouknow,all
thatgoodstuff.Ididtheassignment,turneditinanddidnotevenreceiveagradeonit!Ididone
smallquizonthatbookandthatwastheendofit.DoyouknowhowupsetIwas?Itooktimeout
ofmysummertodotheassignmentandgotnothingforit.Notevenadiscussionaboutit.
Forthesummerbeforetenthgrade,guesswhatIhadtodo?Thatisright.Ihadtoreadnot
one,buttwobooksANDaplay.Thetwobookswere,
LordoftheFlies
byWilliamGolding
,
and
AThousandSplendidSuns
byKhaledHosseini
.
Theplaywas,
ADollsHouse
byHenrikIbsen.
Annotatethemasyougoalong.
OhJoy.
Haveyoueverjustlookedathowthickabookwasand
thought
Nope,thatsnotthemovefortoday.Actuallythatsnevergoingtobethemove?.
Well
thatwasme.
Twobooksandaplay?Youmusthavelostyourmind...
.ButlikeascholarIreadand
annotatedthem.
ADollsHouse
wasverydramatic,halfthetimeIdidnotknowwhatwasgoing
on.Itwasaboutbetrayal,blackmail,romance(startingtosoundlikeaShakespearianplay).It
probablywouldhavebeenaveryinterestingsoapoperaorLifeTimemovie.OkayIlied,it
probablywouldbecomeaCmovieonNetflix.
LordoftheFlies
wasaninterestingbookthat
representedgovernmentandhumanityasawhole.Youknowwhatitmademerealize?Kidsare
mean.LikehowcanyouaccidentlykillalittleboyandsayWellRalph,thatsonelessmouth
tofeed.
What?!Youaresixyearsoldandalreadyhavethosethoughts?Jesus.
Andwhenthey
werebullyingPiggy,thatwaswrong.Theyevenendedupkillinghimattheend(sorryforthe
spoiler)anddidnotcare.Thoselittleboyswereruthless...betweenagesfourandten.Ithinkthat

itisprettycreativethattheauthorusedchildrentorepresentdifferentaspectsofsocietyandhow
humansarewhentheyareunderpressureorneedforsurvival.
Andnow,timeforthebestpartofthispaper,LadiesandGentlemen,drumroll
please...
drumrollsdowntheaisle.ThankyouRobert!
Okay,picturethis.itisthesummerof
2014andIamsittinginmypajamasinmylivingroom.Mylivingroomisveryspaciouswithan
Lshapedcouchdrapedingreen,redandblueblankets,anoversizedbeanbagupagainthewall
closesttothedoor,fourwindowswithbeigecurtainsandatvmountedonthewall.Onboth
sidesofthetvaresevenfootbookcaseswithvasesontop,picturesofsiblingsandfamily
memoriesliningthetwoshelves,andthreedrawerstofinishitoff.Thereisalsoalampthatis
besideeachbookcase.Eachlamphasasilverpoleandawhiteorclearcovering.Well,Iam
sittingontheshortersideofthecouch,allthewayattheend.SinceIwasplanningonreading
forawhile,Igotcomfortable.Iworemypajamaswithnosocksorshoes,stillhadmyblack
bonnetonandputmyfeetuponthecouch.Icouldhearthekidsthatlivedinmyculdesac
playingbasketballandsoccer.Someway,shapeorformthetelevisionwasontheDisneyJunior
channelandMickeyMousewastalkingaboutfindingGoofyonthemysteriousplanet.Mybaby
sister,Jaylan,wasnoteventhere!Thattvstayedoncartoons.
ThebookIwasreadingwas
AThousandSplendidSuns
byKhaledHosseini,which
turnedouttobemyfavorite.SohereIamreadingpartoneofthebookthatexplainsthe
relationshipbetweenMariamandhermother.Mariamloveshermotherlikeachildissupposed
tobutIdidnotthinkthefeelingsweremutual.Inthebook,Mariamsmothercallshera
harami
andeveryoneintheirvillageknowsthathasanegativemeaning.Itbasicallymeansbornoutof
wedlockorapersonwhoisundeservingofemotionalandmaterialpossessionsthatmostpeople

have.ButIwasthinking
Shesfive!!!Idontseewhyyouhavetoconstantlythrowthatinher
facetojustifyeverymistakeshedoes!
Iwassomadathermotherfortreatingherlikethatandit
wassomethingMariamhadtogothrougheveryday.Likejustbecauseyouarenotlivingalife
fullofrainbowsandponies,doesnotmeanyouhavetobeabitterperson.WhenMariams
motherhungherselfandshewasblamingherself,Isaid
Sheshouldnotblameherselfforher
mothersactions.Mariamdeservedtospendtimewithherfatherandshewaswrongfortrying
tostopit.Sheneededtoactuallybestrongerinsteadofpretendingsheis.
Mariamwentthrough
alotofmentalandverbalabusebeforeshewaseven13yearsold.Andrightafterhermothers
death,shewasforcedtomarryamiddleagedmanbecauseherfamilydidnotwanther.Once
again,IfeltreallybadforMariambecauseonceagain,peoplewhoaresupposetocareandlove
herarejusttossingherontothenextperson.YearslaterayounggirlnamedLailawasintroduced
intothebookandshejustsohappenedtolivedownthestreetfromanadultMariam.The
AfghanSovietWarwasgoingonatthetimeandLailalostherbrothers,bestfriendsandparents.
Somehowthough,shestillmanagedtostaypositivebutIthinkitwaswiththehelpofherbest
friendTariq.ThiswholesituationgotmethinkingabouthowluckyIwastobeinanonwar
zonearea.Ididnothavetogothroughthissituationatanypointinmylife(sofar)andpeoplein
otherplacesaroundtheworldhaveseensomuchdeathanditsaddensmebecausethatisalotfor
someonetowitness.Especiallywhenitstartsatanearlyage.DuringtheseeightchaptersIwas
thinking
Dang..thisisreal.LikethishappensintherealworldandIknewaboutit,butonlyto
acertainpoint.ItmustbereallylonelyforherbecauseLailaistheonlysurvivoroutofher
entirefamily...Thisisreallysad.
Yearslater,justlikeMariam,RasheedforcesLailatomarry
him.
Thisissome.foolishness.Eventhoughheisamanandoverthere,womenareproperty

withnovoice,thatisjustpitiful.Imeanhealreadyhasonewiferight?Heshouldhehappyand
satisfiedbutnoooo,shecantgivehimanychildrensotosshertothesidewhydontyou.
Just.ugh.
LailahadtwochildrenonebyRasheedandonebyTariq.Aziza,Tariqschild,was
neglectedandverballyabusedbyRasheedbecauseshewasnothischild.Zalmaiwasconsidered
thegoldenchildinRasheedsworldbecausehewasaboyandthatisallRasheedwanted.He
triedtogetridofherandcovereduphisintentionsbysayingthatshewouldgetaneducationif
theysentheraway.DidIthinkthiswasright?Nope.Notatall.ButIguessmenindifferent
culturesdonottakecareofanyoneelseschildren.AnothereyeopenerformeIguess.Bothof
themwentthroughmental,physical,andverbalabusewhilelivinginthathousewithRasheed
anditwasokay.Itotallydisagreewiththattypeoftreatmentanddiscriminationtowardswomen
inothercountries.Whatmakesawomandifferentfromamanbesidesphysicalattributes?
Nothing.LikemydadalwayssaysWhatcanafemaledothatIcantdobesidesgivebirth?
Absolutelynothing,anditgoesbothways(notthebirthpartofcourse).
SoIwasonpartthreeofthebookandsomeone,IthinkitwasmystepsisterThalia,
decidedtogetsomethingtoeat.Ihavenoteatenandit'sprobablyalmostfiveintheafternoon.
Timeflieswhenyouareimmersedinabookdoesntit?ButIdecidetocontinuereadingbecause
IreallyenjoythebookandIwantedtofinishit.FiveminutesintothepartIhearpotsandpan
clangingagainsteachotherinthecabinets,undertheisland,cabinetdoorslammingshutand
Imthinking
JesusChrist.canyoumakeanymorenoise?CantyouseeImreadinghere?
*rollseyes*
Andthenmygrandparentscomeovertovisit.Ilovethemtodeathbut,itwasnota
goodtimeforthemtocomeover.Mygrandfatherisnaturallyloudandhehasascratchyvoice
thatgoesalongwithit.Canyouimaginehearingthatwhiletryingtoread?Yeah,itdoesnot

workout.Mygrandmotherontheotherhandhasasoftlikevoicebutsheasksalotofquestions
Whatareyoudoing?,Ohreally?Whatsitabout?,Why?Thenshewouldwanttoeducate
meaboutasimilartopicthanwhatwasinthebookandbytheendoftheconversation,wecould
betalkingaboutwhybirdsfly.ItwasjusttoomuchgoingonandIreallywantedtojustsitthere
andenjoymybook.SowhatdidIdo?Iwenttomyroomuntiltheyleft.Ipersonallydonotlike
stayinginmyroombut,itwaseitherthatoroutsideandIwasnotmessingwiththosemutant
bugs.