My Classmates: A Reminisce

 

I remember when I was in the fourth grade going to school in Bayside, New York back in the 1980’s.

The school was predominantly populated by Caucasian children. There were also Japanese, Hebrew, a few Hispanic and biracial children as well as some other blacks.

My mother had me bused out of my district while I was in the second grade because she wanted me in an atmosphere of diversity. Also, because the school that I attended prior wasn’t good as far as environment.

I use to bring Now/Later candies to school. The white children were familiar with the candy, yet within the neighborhoods where they lived, they didn’t have access to the many flavors that were sold within mine.

I use to come to school with flavors they hadn’t been aware of.

In the area of Queens Village where I had lived there was a store that sold all kinds of candy that came in wide varieties of flavors.

Soon the children started giving me money to bring them back different packs of Now/Laters.

Word had spread around and the next thing I knew I was getting loaded with dimes, nickels, quarters and even sometimes a dollar as the children were all placing their candy orders through me.

I’d take the school bus home, stop off at the store, pick up everyone’s candy who had asked me for that particular day, and sort out the change to return the next day if there was any left over.

The position I allowed the children to put me in had me a little overwhelmed, but I was nice that way as a kid.

It was cute too.

My mother had mentioned to me when I had gotten older, she said, “You see how the children all trusted you with their money”.

I had never thought about that at the time. I was just eager to get everybody their stuff.

When I think about it though even at an early age certain people knew and showed me, they could trust me.

We as children were amusing to adults, and we as children sure had our share of fun!