Read Identity

Read Identity(Jessica H.) “I just found out that I’m adopted,” Chloe stared at the ground, shuffling her feet. I gawked. “That’s impossible! You look a lot like your mom!”

“No. I was rummaging through the stuff in the attic and I found all the evidence. My adoption certificates and Mom even went for a facial surgery so that there wouldn’t be any suspicions that I didn’t look like her,” She shrugged.

“I don’t know what I’d do if I were you, but I’m still here for you,” I said, trying to comfort her.

In the next few days, I watched Chloe as she turned from a twelve year old goody-goody into a total rip-off. She started to hang out with the bad crowd, learning to smoke and steal and even vandalize the school. Once, she was chatting loudly during assembly with another girl, and the teacher caught her and made her stand in front of the pillars. I wanted to speak out, but I didn’t. I wanted to make a speech, to change everything, but I didn’t. “Whoever wants the attention, the stage is all yours,” the teacher had said.

Time rolled by, and soon the major exams were coming. In the middle of another boring school assembly for the sixth graders, Chloe started to talk really loudly in front of the teachers. This time, the teacher, Miss Ferentine, totally humiliated her. Angered, I stood up. The sixth graders turned their attention to me instead of her, as I made my way to the stage and grabbed a microphone.

“Hey, Miss Ferentine, remember the last time you said if we wanted attention, the stage would be all ours? Well, I think I could use that now,” I said casually. The sixth graders laughed. Miss Ferentine glared at me.

“The purpose of educating a pupil is not to humiliate a person. Scolding doesn’t work on Chloe, so you use humiliation, and that’s not it. I believe that you have to do something about it. You have to build a strong connection with her.”

“Haven’t you noticed that these few weeks, Chloe totally changed? She found out something unpleasant, that’s why. By humiliating her, you make her fire up and want to do something worse. Something like this could change her whole life. If you had talked to her in a nicer way, she would’ve changed or something. But when you decided to humiliate her, she could end up becoming a terrorist or something in the future. That’s who I became, and this is my life regret.”

“Now I’ve said my share, I’d like all of us to give applause to all the children in the world who are mistreated.” Thunderous applause filled the hall as I put down the microphone. I tore off my costume and wig. The sixth graders’ jaws dropped as they learnt that I was the girl who had escaped from the orphanage six years ago, and became a terrorist. I raced out of the hall.