My Personal Narrative
Vivre En Enfer
My brother was looking out the window to the new camp, looking across the many fields my dad drove by. Me and my brothers eyes are bagged from no sleep the night before. He tried to tell me what camp is like, but I knew he was lying because he has never been to sleep away camp. “It’s gonna be rough, but we can get through it,” said Thibaud.
Suddenly I had this feeling. I’ve had this feeling before, your stomach feeling all achy and you feel like you are about to throw up. It was the first day of school, Pre K. I had just walked into the classroom and I could see all my classmates. The sick feeling in my stomach worsened. My teacher welcomed me. She was like a giant compared to me, same as all of the other adults. I sat down in a chair at the farthest table and kept to myself.
When the activity started I sat down on the rug like everyone else, it was mourning meeting. I could see a kid I met earlier, Harvey and another friend, Victor. I sat in the middle of both of them and then we started. I met Lily, Zoe, my old friend Sam and a lot of other kids.
Sam had a wheelchair and I would always get to use it. When Sam was born his brain didn’t connect to his legs so he couldn’t walk.
At my first day at lrei, things were different. When I first saw Sam that day I was so happy. My parents didn’t tell me we were going to school together. Then we had lunch. I ate lunch with all my new friends.
I was back at camp Tekakwitha. We parked in the field/parking lot and met with my counselor, Simon. He took my bags to my cabin while my parents my brother and I ate lunch. It was all French Canadian food like quiche, shepherd’s pie and a lot of other delicious food. I went to my cabin with my parents and got ready for me to stay a month. Made my bed, stacked my bags and got the rest ready.
Then I started to read. I was kind of bored. I read for at least two hours. Then my counselor told me to go outside for cantine. Cantine is where they give you candy and ice cream. Also what they do is they take 4 starburst and hammer them together so you get 4 flavors. Right now my idea of camp changed. I met some of the older kids who are really nice, caught up with my brother and hung out with my friends. It is really good. After cantine is siesta. Your counselors are the only ones who sleep during siesta so you can hang out with your friends in the cabin. I met my cabinmates. Arnaud D, Arnaud C, Antoine, Jean Simon/ JS.
Two hours later, after bain (swimming in the lake). I go to the dining hall for dinner. I could smell the steak on our way there. Food at camp was really good. Not like in movies where the food stinks. Half way through the meal another kid comes, Victor. I did not know he spoke English at the time. When we got to our cabin he started speaking English, and I made a face that I wish to not make again. I was really confused. After that we went to roast marshmallows and then went to sleep.
That night I thought about the events that day. My view of camp had really changed. I really wanted to stay now. My new friends were great. Everyone I met, Victor, JS, Antoine. The two Arnauds. This is gonna be my life for a month. I better get used to it.