Day 9

It was probably the hardest thing I had to do growing up. Draw the entire world. How do you ask that of a child? The entire world? I couldn't even fathom what the whole block was, how did Ms. Rothstein wanted me to draw the entire world?

I went home on a Friday afternoon, completely devastated. I knew I would have to spend the entire weekend and probably buy every single crayon imaginable to complete that impossible task.

I told my mom what was ahead of me, on the verge of tears, and she smiled and handed me a globe and said "this is reference. Do your best". I stood there, holding the globe, not understanding what she meant by 'reference'. Wasn't that a globe?

I ran upstairs, dragging the reference with me and sat at my desk.

I got the biggest piece of paper I could find and started outlining the continents.

So many of them! So many turns and knacks!

After what felt like an eternity, I could start coloring. Since my sister wasn't home, I sneaked into her bedroom and borrowed (without her consent) her box of coloring pencils.

I looked for the brightest blue I could find and start coloring the oceans, which took me almost a whole hour of hard labor.

It was a masterpiece. I wanted it framed and put on my wall. I wanted to run down the street holding it up and scream "Look! Look! This is the most beautiful thing you'll ever see!". I fought the urge to show it to my mom because I wanted to bring it back with a huge A+ written on it. The rewards would be sweet!

I couldn't sleep out of sheer excitement on Sunday night. It would be the very first time I would get an A in school and I was overjoyed with the possibilities. After the first A, everything would be a lot easier!

I had the drawing with me on the bus and didn't show to anyone, since I wasn't someone to brag.

When it came to Ms. Rothstein's class, I held my hand as high as I could so I would be the first pick. Obviously, she chose Andy Keenan, that brown noser. But I was second to show, and Andy's drawing had nothing on mine.

I stood up, proud as a peacock, and handed my drawing to Ms. Rothstein. She looked very serious for a while, looking up from the drawing directly at me and back at the drawing.

Then she said, in a terrible tone "Is this supposed to be a joke?" and turned the drawing to the class. Everyone laughed.

I couldn't understand what was wrong! Everything was perfect! All the countries were there, everything,every piece of land, even Antarctica, and the ocean was the purest blue!

All I could mumble was "What's wrong?" while looking at the floor. Ms. Rothstein wrote a gigantic F on my drawing and said "This oughta teach you a lesson next time you decide to paint the oceans green!"

It was a bad day to find out I was color blind.