Nick+M

= MOLLY  = = = = -When I was ten in Israel, everyone celebrated Hanukkah. Now that I am eleven and in the U.S.A., I realize it's not the same here. Life is different in America. Life is kind of boring here. I used to run around in open fields and play games, but here in Cleveland it's hard to even play soccer. There are streets, but no fields. = = -It's also hard to celebrate our traditions because people make fun of us and say "monkeys from Israel, monkeys from Israel," over and over again. You know, it makes you feel sad inside. Then one day, when I was going to the store for my dad, I was walking by (what used to be) a trash yard. When I saw it, it was full of beautiful plants and there were a few people gardening. I saw one empty patch, so I thought, "Well, I don't mind if I do." I stopped and thought about what I was going to plant and decided corn. I picked corn because in Israel my mom planted corn for us, and that was what we lived on. =

= -So, I went to the store and got my dad's stuff, and I used the leftover money to buy some corn seeds. However, when I was at the counter, the cashier asked,"Why are your eyes all squinted?" So quickly, I left in tears, so embarrassed. When I got to the garden there was still an open spot left, so I started digging the holes for my seeds (about 5 inches apart). I was still feeling lonely when a Chinese girl my age came and said "Hello, I see you're going to fill the last patch of the garden, with what...corn?" I was happy because I had someone to talk to! We got to talking and she said her name was Halo. We talked about our lives and they were pretty similar...sad. We decided to make a pact to meet at the garden every day. = = -After a few weeks of gardening, I returned one day and there were a lot of people in the yard. I asked Halo what was going on, and she replied "It's the harvest festival." I talked some, sat down for awhile and I even sold my corn to three different families. Not even a week had passed and all three families came back saying it was the best corn they had ever eaten! I went to the garden for the rest of my life! Halo and I went at 4:00 P.M. everyday and she even convinced the neighbors to quit teasing us. I was once again happy like I had been in Israel. =