WorldTeach Essay Contest

Drew, our field director, asked all of the volunteers to submit entries for an essay contest. I went into this assignment with a very ambitious idea of what I wanted to write, but at the end of the day, I ran out of time. The whole essay I had in mind did not come together (but I am going to continue working on it for later...), but here is the excerpt that I submitted....Enjoy!!

The Stinky Puddle

I hear the bus coming before I see it. Samoan music blasting through the speakers announces the arrival of my ride to school. I stick my arm out and the multi colored vehicle pulls off the road. I climb in, squeeze past a few passengers, and find an empty seat. It is 6:45 am, and on its way to another 85 degree day. The bus smells of sweat and cigarettes and I am thankful for the air rushing in through the window. We pass by roadside stands selling fruit and brooms. People have begun cooking, and the bus is filled with the smokey smell of bbq as we make our way into town. I reach up and pull on the thin cord that winds its way around the interior of the bus, and the driver immediately pulls over to drop me off. I begin my walk to school, past full garbage cans waiting to be dumped, the busy store, and the stinky puddle.

            The stinky puddle is easily the worst part of my walk. It sits right next to a small sewer station. After a heavy rain the puddle is even bigger and stinkier. Right after I pass the store, crowded with people running in to grab breakfast, I smell the puddle. The sidewalk is still covered with water from the last downpour. The puddle in all its brown leptospirosis-filled glory lays at the edge of the sidewalk. The road ahead is full of cars. I stand at the edge of the puddle and wait. Wait for a break in the traffic to make my way across the sidewalk. If I walk too quickly, I may slip and fall into the stinky puddle. If I walk too slowly, a car may come up and drive through the puddle, subsequently splashing me with the contaminated water.

            The white pickup ahead has slowed to go over the speed bump. Now is my chance. I gather my courage, check my balance, and walk briskly down the sidewalk next to the stinky puddle. It has rained so much that the puddle is larger than before. My flip-flops begin to slip off of my feet. I slide slightly to the right, but quickly regain my footing. However, this momentary lapse in balance has cost me precious time. The white pickup is quickly approaching. At the speed it’s going, I will never make it to the end of the sidewalk, and out of the line of splashing. I walk as fast as I dare, and brace myself. But at the last second the driver of the white pickup swerves to the left, avoiding the puddle, and leaving me dry and stench-free. I let out a sigh of relief and continue on my way.