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A stomach growled. Pencils
scratched on scraps of neatly
lined paper. A bubble, the pro
duct of the forbidden pleasure,
gum, was heard as it popped.
Feet shuffled now and then, as
nervous tapping movements
and noises filled the room; a
typical before-lunch classroom.
A thin, scrawny looking
character sat at the head of the
class, partially hidden by the
comparatively, enormous desk,
piled high with books and
papers. Her head perched atop
an unhealthy, neatly clothed
body and was covered with
blonde strings of hair. From
/behind this mingling of
strands, peered two, large,
brown eyes. Behind those eyes
were thoughts, and a mind
which compensated for the
ragged appearance.
Studying her students ^and
involving herself in their lives,
presented a purpose for teach
ing to this devoted educator.
Looking around the room, she
-aw many faces, each distinctly
different yet each most obvi
ously similar. Her mind, ab
stract and analytical of situa
tions, examined the class.care
fully, noting similarities in
dress, attitude, and values
among all of the students. She
wondered how they could bear
to be so assimilated and absorb
ed. so that . no person was
distinct and all was just a big
blur. Her eyes rested subcons
ciously on one certain speci
men: Leslie Mendell.
Through thickly lashed, pen-
etratingly bgbwp eyes, Leslie
saw her world. These eyes,"'the
only opening to her “true ^elf”
from the world, saw life and
examined it in a most critical
fashion. Her eyes were a*reflec-
tion of her inner feelings and
thus the true Leslie was in
capable of concealing‘her emo
tions. for usually her express
ive eyes told all. Leslie’s world
'was fairly limited, restricted
by age and experience. Her
life was composed of many
•conflicting elements, a reflec
tion of home, outsi 'e. and inner
telationships, “and far from the
calm, joyous, and carefree life
adults always seem to think
adolescents are surrounded by.
But to a stranger walking
down the street, a teacher, or a
fellow student, Leslie appeared
to be merely an average “all
American” teenager—rebelli
ous and fun loving. How far
vet how near to the truth.
The scratching of pencils and
the scribbling of pens contin
ued. Various pastimes were
used to while away the stiff
hour of study hall—awaiting
lunch. Some slept. Others
siudied. More sat and stared
into space while bored hands
carefully doodled miniature
masterpieces on pieces of
.-cratch paper. And still others,
actually only one specific per
son. created, worded expres
SHALOM
by HA KHAR A WOLFF
SHALOM is a word with an ambiguous meaning: hello as well as
good bye; G-d be with you, and peace. So adolescence is ambigu
ous, with more than one meaning or direction. From childhood,
inadequacy, to adult maturity. Farewell to one stage of life, yet.
without one instant stop, on to another. The time of suspension—
this transitional period of life—is a most difficult one, but only
part of the chain of the continuity of existence.
This is a story, unique for the individual, yet universal in theme,
of a certain adolescent who stumbles from childhood to adulthood
hesitantly and tenaciously, yet inevitably, reaches her point of
determination and timidly says—“SHALOM”.
—THE AUTHOR
sions of turbulent thoughts.
Jotted down on Leslie's paper
were questions and a thought
chain, put in what she
sidered poetry.
Death—to die
v_Ljje—to live
with many
family, friends
beginnings, ends
But alone
Always together—Alone
forever
Why
for purpose maybe?
What is that?
the thing we lix'e for?—but
still I cannot see
Why?
Eves that look but cannot see
Minds that think but cannot
understand
Lives are lived but they are
not alive
In Reality
Alone.
Life.
Death.
Why?
Forever to be the Unknown
Black, full questionable
yet unanswerable.
Eternally Why
Whoever kxwws speak up—
Who me?
'No, you
No—it could never be I.
Certainly there was more to
come that was hesitant in its
revelation, but the ringing of
the dismissing bell upset .the
chain of thought - flowing
through Leslie’s brain. So the
poem reached its end. So the
the wandering thoughts of the
lonely yet lovely (for some
strange, sudden reason) teach
er, as her students filed out and
eagerly trotted down to the
lunchroom.
Mass confusion and utter
chaos met them. The disgust
ing sight discouraged some,
while others, desperate for any
nutrition possible, jumped into
the hall of bedlam, and join
ing what had a faint likeness
to a line, awaited their turn to
purchase the delectable slop.
Leslie self-consciously walk
ed away from the kitchen,
slowly carrying her tray so as
not to spill the sloshing soup
onto her peanut butter sand
wich. and make it soggy and
odious. Surveying the cafeteria
self this “mush,” she remem-
self this “mush”, she-;remem
bered with satisfaction the in
vitation extended her in the
form of an indirect question
(“Why don’t you ever sit with
us now that we’re in high
school?”) by Marilu, a junior
high school buddy, the previ
ous afternoon.
Leslie spied the place where
MSvilu and the “popular” kids
were sitting and hastily made
her way forward—forgetting
the sloshing soup and her
strong dislike for soggy peanut
butter sandwiches as her eyes
drifted to her hands, her fing
ers. and her fingernails. Those
fingernails—what a bother—
were finally long and the ob-
con-
This perceptive composition was an entry in the Atlanta-Colum-
bus BBYO “Originality Competition” last fall. Barbara, a mem
ber of Aviva Chapter-BBG, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs
M. S. Wolff.
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The Southern Israelite