Personal Narrative: A Sense Of Isolation

As a child, have you ever felt a sense of isolation or alienation? At some point in our lives, we may feel as though we don't belong or that we are alone. There has been a time at one point or another where everyone has felt this way. This sense of isolation can lead to constant fear for one's own safety as well as feeling unwanted. As a child, I would soon know the feeling of alienation, and the potential danger that it would bring.

At the age of nine, my family decided to relocate to Chattanooga, Tennessee. My father had found a better job opportunity, and he needed to move to his new job location as soon as possible. This is a big change for such a small child. Your surroundings have changed, and all your beloved friends and family are

far away. You are alone now, and you must build new relationships. It was at this moment that I had realized another problem, how well will I do with the children at school?

My family had packed, and we began our trip to Chattanooga.

The drive was long, but after some time we arrived at our new home, an apartment complex on the outskirts of the city. Our arrival and subsequent move-in was met with strange looks and whispers. It's not quite a feeling of hostility, yet my family felt slightly unwelcome. The following day, mom had two plans. The first plan was to finish her transfer to a new workplace, and the second was for my placement at a local school. The next day had arrived, and she left me at home with father. Hours later she had finished working out the details of her job and she had finally managed to place me in a school, Wolf-Ever elementary and high school. Classes for the children were to begin that Monday.

The following Monday my mother taken me to the bus stop to be sent to the school. Once I boarded the bus, I immediately felt uncomfortable as I had clearly drawn attention from the group. The trip became longer that I expected because tensions had become higher as even more eyes had be drawn to where I was sitting and with every second my heart began to race faster until we reached our destination and I left the bus to go to school and there I stood at Wolf-ever Creek elementary

school.

As the hours passed and school had concluded I loaded up once more on the bus, but this time I was first so I took a middle seat, a little time passed and more kids started to get on and as each one got on they started to look at me as they passed or sat down in front of me, this brought that feeling of being uncomfortable back from hours later, however there was something different this time there were kids to sit up above the seats to stare at me further, I tried to stare out the window but I could still feel them glaring on me.

The bus took off and as we rounded a corner one of the kids started to talk to me, but it was in a hateful manner. I tried to pay no mind to the words being said and continued to look out the window, one of the kids behind me pushed me and said started to call me names as his friend laughed at me, then one pulled my head around and got in my face, I was able to pulled away but as I did the one behind me had punched me. there was a sharp pain and my vision faded he had punched me so hard to where I was knocked unconscious and fell to the floor.

Hours after my black out I awoke still in the bus only it was later in the day and there was no body on. I was scared and began to panic. I started to cry and the bus driver eventually heard me and ran outside and came to my aid. He then escorted me home in which my mother was waiting at the stop for me. they asked why I didn't get off? All I could say was that someone hit me in the back of the head and everything went black, I couldn't give any names.

That following night mom called one of her co-workers and asked if I could get picked up by them until she finished her shifts. This leads to me having basically a babysitter. I didn't know what to do, the thought of having that same experience again frightened me. Unfortunately, I had no choice. I had to attend school. The next day I was getting picked up by her co-worker named Liz.

That following day after classes I did not board my bus, but rather sat outside on the curb and waited for this Liz lady, as the other kids passed me they would glare, but not for to long as they would soon board there bus and not look back, moments later my ride would appear and when the van came to a stop and the door opened I noticed there was 3 other kids in there as well and they looked at me as the lady up front said “Come get in, we got to pick up one more after this” the feeling from the bus returned but I walked into the van and sat down, as the door shut, fear arose once more.

As we started to drive the kids kept looking at me and I just sat there and tried to occupy my mind as we drove and then the kid sitting next me finally broke the ice by patting me on the shoulder, I jumped and slowly turned to him to only see a hand extended out for a hand shake and with a smile on his face he said “Hey man, my name is Fred, and these are my brothers: Marcus and Montez, Were going to pick up the last one Seddrick from his school next.” I shook his hand and the uneasy feeling started to vanish and dissipate as I shook his hand and seen that everyone around me started to smile.

We picked up the last boy and went to there home, we then traveled to there rooms where they tried to show me many of there games and toys and finally with no fear or uneasy feeling I was smiling and having fun, I felt accepted now after everything that I went through , I didn't feel like I was getting attacked or that something was gonna happen, I found friends after this move and after not being accepted, I had finally been accepted within a group of people that I can call friends.