“Alarm Rings.” “It’s already time to wake up,” I whispered. At this time of life, my English is getting better at the age of eight years old. As I’m getting ready to go to school in my head. I know it’s reading day, so I’m excited to read my favorite book. As I was rushing to get ready, I almost left my book bag and my mom behind. I always loved reading day. It’s like I learn new vocabulary words when I read, and my English gets progressively better. My mom shouts, “Moussa, wait for me” in an African accent while I shout back, “Mommy, we have to go.” As we were walking a thought just came into my head. I was always a curious young boy who liked to ask questions, so I asked my mom if people understand your English because some people don’t understand mine. She says back to me, “I take you to school in this English, I make doctor appointments with this English, and I could buy food with this English, so that’s what it all matters about. I nod my head, understanding where she is coming from. As we enter the school, I give my mom a goodbye while I say “Kambe,” meaning bye in Bambara. As I skipped steps to my classroom 306 Ms Adams assigned us seats, for us so we waited in line until our names were called. I wasn’t aware, but I can read energy and scope out the classroom before I make a wrong move. “ Moussa, you’re next to Jeffrey in the yellow seat.” Waiting for instructions to be called. “We will read for 30 minutes, then write a book report. Ms Adams walks up to me and elaborates on what we are doing for me, just in case I didn’t understand. As I grabbed my book, she said another announcement, “ There’s a chance it will be a safety drill in the next 15-20 minutes. I didn’t know what a safety drill was, so I brushed it off. As I continue to read, I’m writing down words I’m not familiar with, so after I finish Ms Adams can help me define those words so I can expand my vocabulary. Ms Adams approached me again ‘’Moussa, do you need help with these words? “ I nodded my head yes. As she explained to me, she said now use these words in the sentence. My English is limited, so it will be hard for me, but one thing I always do is make an effort. I wrote down, and I look at the sentences in the book so I can use context clues, etc., so I can make my own sentences. Suddenly, I just feel something tiny being thrown at me. I brushed it off, but then the second one hit me and landed on my loose-leaf paper. Picked it up to examine it. It was like someone was peeling their eraser and plucking it at me. I look around, and everyone looks all innocent, so I couldn’t tell who threw it. Then I hear a deep voice from the loudspeaker. It sounds like mumbling to me, as I said, I was limited to a certain point in English. But now I know what it was. He was saying everyone lock your doors, turn off the lights, and evacuate to the corner of the classroom. Everyone is moving fast, pencils dropping, chairs are getting pushed out of the desk, and I see everyone moving quickly and quietly. But I’m in shock. “What is happening Ms Adams’’ she didn’t hear me. “ Ms Adams,” Ms Adams, “shhhhh, come Moussa, come here.” I ran to the closet she was in. My heart was racing, my heart beat was skipping deuces. Memories of family start to appear in my head like something terrible was about to happen. I was scared and sweaty like someone was about to bust in the door with a gun like a school shooter. I just closed my eyes and said the words “ God, please not today” repeatedly in my head. Then I heard the speaker’s voice again, which I heard earlier. The same deep voice saying the drill has lifted me, not knowing that that means I started in that same spot, until Ms Adams walked up to me and asked if I was ok. I raise my head, and she notices I’m sweating and in a state of shock and scared at the same time. “No, No ‘Safety Drill’” by Moussa Camara. No Moussa, it’s fake, not real. I’m sorry I didn’t warn you before it happened, so you would know and not be confused,” said Ms Adams. I told her, “I didn’t know what the person on the speaker was saying. Times like this can be hard for people who are limited to English because they don’t know what’s always going on and are unaware of what’s around them.

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