Short Story of Tolerance
The sun is shining and most people are lightly dressed. Everyone,except one girl who is standing
apart in front of the entrance of North-Valley-Highschool. She wears a headscarf and she
somehow looks like she doesn't belong here. I don't think much of it and just go into my
classroom before the bell is ringing. Our English teacher Mrs Brandon comes too late as always
and we've all got some time to talk about the upcoming volleyball examination. Then Mrs
Brandon arrives with the girl wearing the headscarf coming up behind her. She seems to be
afraid and shy and you somehow feel sorry for her. Mrs Brandon says that her name is Lara and
that she comes from the Middle East. Lara is supposed to introduce herself but as soon as she
opens her mouth everyone's starting to laugh. She has an accent sounding as if she has just
learned how to speak. Lara blushes and Mrs Brandon needs to calm the laughing class. Next to
me, the seat is not taken, always at the wrong time. Lara sits next to me not saying anything and
looking down at the floor. I feel sorry for her, for the reason that I exactly know how terrible it is
to come to a different world not finding one's way. Our task in English is to work together in
pairs and to analyse a text. Lara is very quiet and so I have to talk. The longer I watch her, the
more beautiful she seems to me. Her jewellery is exotic and shining in the sun. She has the
darkest eyes I've ever seen. I try to teach her some words and that's why we finish last.
After the English lesson I have a short break to relax. Just when I have found a good place in the
shadow, Mrs Brandon walks towards me asking whether I can help Lara with homework after
school. Thinking about it, I accept it because I somehow think she's interesting. After the break
Mrs Brandon gives Lara's address and her number to me. Looking at it I wonder because this
address is in fashionable Beverly Hills. Two afternoons later I stand in front of a big house in the
middle of Beverly Hills. A little women opens the door wearing a dressy garment. She gives me a
warm welcome and I immediately feel comfortable. The house is luxuriously furnished with a lot
of gold. In the center of the house there are boards hanging with letter on it which are unknown
to me. Lara's room is on the highest floor. She's waiting for me and is happy to see me. I start to
explain some words to her and realize that she's not that afraid and shy. The longer we talk with
each other,or at least we're trying,the more fun it is to be with her.
After about two hours, I ask her where she comes from and she tells me that her father and his
family came to live here for the reason that her father works in an embassy. She tells me on her
own that she wears a headscarf as it is part of her culture. The more she tells me about it, the
more I understand her and her views.I stay until late at night and we talk with each other.
The next day at school we sit next to each other and I notice just now that everyone's staring at
her as if she was a monster. This continues in P.E.. And when she falls everyone laughs at her. I
run up to her and help her up when I see Cloey, the captain of the cheerleading-group,coming
rigth to us saying that she thinks it is silly that Lara is still wearing a headscraf in such a modern
world. Lara goes red and starts to stutter whereupon I get angry at Cloey and begin to scream at
her that she should tolerate other cultures and that she might not like everyone,but she hast to
tolerate and accept other people anyway. Cloey turns red and walks out of the gym. Lara gives
me a strong hug and we both laugh about Cloey being such a coward and her other stupid
cheerleaders.
Now Lara and me are inseperable. She teaches me something about her culture and language
and I explain to her how to cheer a baseball team and how to make popcorn.
The End