By Kayla Gordon
To close out the year, the sixth-grade students at KIPP Academy Chicago participated in their very first writing competition: the On the Corner Contest. We asked students to write about a significant memory they experienced in the city of Chicago. They were prompted with questions such as: What is your favorite part about where you live? What would you want someone to know about your Chicago? Why is Chicago important to you? Out of 100 entries, we selected the top 6 stories to publish, sharing the voices of some of the youngest authors of Chicago’s history. We’re excited to announce Kayla Gordon as a competition finalist!
Clark & Roosevelt
When I was seven years old, my older brother took me to Roosevelt Theatre. There was snow on the ground and it was slippery outside. The escalator was slippery too. While I was walking on the escalator, I fell and hurt my left knee. My older brother asked “Are you okay?!” While he was panicking, I felt like I was about to faint. There was blood all over the left side of my pants.
My brother got the manger. He asked me some questions. He gave me two wipes, napkins, and a Band-Aid. My brother carried me like the princes do to the princess in the movies. We saw Jumanji and went home. My mom was still at work.
At around 11:30, my mom woke me up and asked in a really worried face, “Baby, are you okay?!” I nodded my head.
My brother yelled from his room and said, “Kayla, you want some Home-Run-Inn pizza?!”
I yelled back “No, I’m not hungry!”
My brother said, “Are you sure, Home-Run-Inn pizza is your favorite pizza!”
I just stared at the blanket on my bed.
“I think when she fell, it took away her appetite.” my mom said.
I looked around the room and saw something in the closet. “Mom, what’s that?”
My mom went into the closet and pulled out two presents. I kinda figured that it was for me.
“Here you go,” my mom said. I opened my first present and it was a spying kit from Project Mc².
“Thank you Mommy, thank you!” I opened the other present and it was a journal that talks back to you. I had a big grin on my face. We all smiled at each other. We all had a big family hug.
Even though Chicago has violence, that doesn’t mean that it’s a bad place. Some people will help you when you fall, mentally and physically. Chicago has my family.
