MY FRIEND BASTIAN by Mihai Cucu, student at School no.5, Brasov
“Behave yourself when you get there”, my mother told me when she left. Her voice was kind and gentle.
I slowly got off my bed and started walking, on tiptoe to the loft of my house where I had heard noises two days ago. I was looking around attentively. I could see small footprints in the fine dust that was covering the cold floor.
I got in front of a half open door. I pushed it carefully and had a revelation that was both unexpected and confusing. The loft was full of books stuck to the ceiling. I had never seen so many books before. I could barely hide a scream of amazement.
I got closer to the only window which was wide open to the sky. There, there was a quiet boy skimming through a book. He looked at me as if we had known each other for a long time.
“My name is Bastian”, he said, “and I have just come from the most contradictory world called Fantasia. Sit here, next to me”, he continued. “I want you to listen to a story called “My childhood”, written by myself:”
It was here, with me the other day.. Today, I can feel it more like a breeze or a shadow which touches me gently, which passes by and I leave it behind. Day by day my childhood remains somewhere in my memory, with games and stories, with joy and so many questions starting with “WHY?” I’m trying to call it but my words are overwhelmed by emotion because it can no longer give me answers .I’ve grown up, it is still small and tender but not insignificant.
“Come with me, my childhood”, I say. “I will keep you in a special place, in the middle of my heart, for a lifetime.”
And it follows me, nestles close to my soul and I hope it will never leave me.
It was while Bastian was reading this story that I realized I was no longer a child. I closed my eyes and I remembered my own childhood. I also realized why my mother had told me to behave.
Today I was good.
I said farewell to Bastian and promised to visit him again. I got back to my room but I couldn’t stop thinking of Bastian’s story and the magic words he had uttered before I left: “Childhood is a jewel you wear your whole life long.”
Acest eseu este castigatorul premiului II in cadrul 2010 Shakespeare School Essay Competition, grupa de varsta 11-14 ani, avand ca tema “Imagine you could step into your hero’s world for one day”. Premiul a constat intr-o scoala de vara de limba engleza de 2 saptamani la St Michael”s College in Anglia, un curs intensiv de vara de limba engleza la Shakespeare School, precum si in carti si alte cadouri de la Diverta si Fischer International. Dorim sa il felicitam pe Mihai pentru faptul ca s-a evidentiat din peste 3100 de eseuri trimise la concursul national de creatie in limba engleza organizat de Shakespeare School si ii uram mult succes in continuare!
