History of the First Day

"History of the First Day"

My day begins each morning with the thunderous sounds of hundreds of footsteps pounding upon the marble hallways. In addition to this I am greeted with an almost ceremonious ritual as the students yell and bang upon my body as if it will make my old joints move any faster. Finally I am aware enough to do as they wishÐ'...who could remain asleep after the kind of physical and verbal assault I had just received. I spin to the desired numbersÐ'...38Ð'...4Ð'...27 and with a click I am open.

The student wastes no time as he begins to carelessly throw his new school supplies within me. They smell of the new plastic smell that I have come to miss during the long summer months and im am aware that soon school will be in full swing. The weight feels heavy upon my metal shelf and presses against my thin walls, but I must endure as I do every year. Suddenly there is the echo of a distant bell, perhaps down the hall somewhereÐ'....for I can only see my section of the hall directly in front of me. As the sound reaches the boys ears, this same boy that attacked me minutes ago, he hurriedly slams the remaining books into me and grabbing what he needs races down the hall. He like the other students must hate to be late to first period on the first day.

For a few minutes after this incident I watch as new students aimlessly wander down my McGowan hallway. They keep looking at slips of paper until it finally seems as if they have found what they are looking for and then they vanish further down the hall. After that I am alone for fifty-two wondrous minutes with no students and only the occasional hall monitor, but they pay no attention to me for I ma just a hollow block of metal to them. This does not bother me though because I know that I play a necessary role in the smooth operation of the school.

There is that same DING..DING..DING..And suddenly there is the sound of hallway doors being opened as the many eager students inside spill forth from them. I am hoping that the boy will return again and take some more of his supplies to lighten my load. As the seconds tick by and students begin to once again leave the hall I realize that the boy will not be back this time and it is not until several periods later that I see him again.

It is now sixth period if my calculations are correct and the dinging sound has just been heard