M.I.A.: month 6 2016

Monologue

Ballet

Creative Writing

CREATIVE WRITING SAMPLES

Mia Lekika Mayengue

Orange County School of Arts

Integrated Arts Portfolio

2016

Redwood Summer

by Mia Lekika

I watched as night fell upon us and the sunset started at Sequoia National Park. I felt so small

as I leaned against a tree. It was a shaded spot with cracks of sunlight coming from the trees

pounding on me. I felt the small stream start to creep up to my ankles.

It was finally night. The exhausting heat perished. I listened to the crackling of the burning wood

and I remember gazing at the bright fire. I watched the fireflies dance around me. I looked up to

the stars to see the smoke leaping and dancing up to the sky and then disappearing.

When I woke up, the damp low clouds had made droplets all around us and the smell of burnt

wood and the song of the crickets were gone. As I opened the tent, little clouds of smoke were

still coming from the fire pit. I heard the new song of the birds that was a little melody that never

stops until night.

I went down the hike to get to the small stream. The rush of the river was like no other yet you

could still see the rocks under the water as if only the water that touched the surface was

rushed but underneath it was still. As I leaned back I saw the canopy which seemed so far but

as if I could reach a break in the canopy.

The sunset was falling upon us again and I was trying to catch fireflies for the night but they all

ran away as if they were leaping into air and dancing to the music of crickets. I still heard the

trickling of water and felt the moistness of the air. I started to let me eyes rest as I watched sap

fall from the trees.

National Novel Writing Month

In 2015, I participated in National Novel Writing Month also known as NaNoWriMo

(http://nanowrimo.org/), a 30 day challenge to write a 10,000 word novel. I completed the

challenge with 10,011 words. The following pages include an excerpt from my book, How My

Life Began: Think About Your Future.

HOW MY LIFE BEGAN

Think About Your Future

SUMMARY

How My Life Began is about a girl who lives in Jasper Park. She is living a normal life and all that

changes during a school play. A famous director finds her and idolizes her after seeing her in the

school play. He decides to make her famous in his new movie. Everybody loves her but her life

turns around. How does her life turn around? You’ll have to see by reading the book.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 Cali

CHAPTER 2 Mr. Fansizio

CHAPTER 3 Just Like Boys

CHAPTER 4 Fame

CHAPTER 5 Non-stop Movies

CHAPTER 6 A New Friend

CHAPTER 7 Stowaway

CHAPTER 8 Abandoned

CHAPTER 9 The Road Home

EXCERPT

CALI

CHAPTER 1

Hi. I’m Cali Labron Jasper. I wear the same red and white plaid t-shirt with blue jeans and

cowboy boots every day. I live on a farm in Jasper Park. You see, my great granddaddy was the

one who founded Jasper Park. I always wanted to get out into the big city but my mom liked

being in the wilderness.

My dad died 6 years ago when dad got in a car accident. I was 7 when that happened. It tore

apart my mother and she hasn’t been the same since the accident. Ever since my dad died, she

just ignored me and just didn’t really talk to me. I felt a little bit like I did something wrong. I know

I didn’t do anything wrong but it wasn’t a good feeling. My mom was always staring at a picture

of my dad all day. I stopped observing my mom after three days because I knew she was in her

room staring at the picture.

Ever since my dad died, I wasn’t the same nice little girl either. I had to grow up overnight. My

mom wasn’t taking care of me but my life was moving on so I had to take care of myself. I didn’t

know what I was doing so my life was falling apart. This is the story of how life all got better.

Hank is my best friend and we go to school at Jasper Tree Jr. High. My favorite subject in

school is reading which is unfortunate because Hank hates reading. But, recently, we have

been selected to be in a play, Dorothy Saves the Farm. I’m playing Dorothy’s best friend, the

farmer’s daughter, and Hank is playing the farmer who gets saved by Dorothy. Which reminds

me, my arch nemesis, Missy Ella, is playing Dorothy.

Missy Ella and I go way back. When we were still toddlers, I was in my hotel room and my mom

invited this family with a toddler, Missy Ella, to our room. When the family arrived, I walked over

to Missy Ella to say hi but she pulled out a pen and waved it all over the place poking it in my

face. Ever since then, we’ve never gotten along. We always seem to meet up with each other as

if somebody wanted us to be friends but, if so, the plan is not working. We can barely even talk

to each other without getting into a fight.

Rehearsals for Dorothy Saves the Farm are not going well. Missy blames me for all of the things

that have gone wrong on set. First, Missy’s hair got caught in the fan (even though I wasn’t

anywhere near the fan). Two, Missy’s scarf got blown away and she accused me of ripping it off

her neck. And three, she tripped and fell into the blueberry pies but told everybody that I pushed

her in.

I was going to school when Hank, my best friend, asked why I was so sad.

“I haven’t got the lines for the play tomorrow correct.”

“Oh well Cali, tonight I will go to your house and practice the lines with you if you want.”

“I would like that but you have detention. You won’t be able to come.”

“Don’t worry, I have a way.”

BING BONG BING BONG.

“The school bells! I’ll race you to school.”

During school, I mumbled the lines to myself all day but I kept on getting them wrong. Some of

them I would get right but I’d forget all of the correct lines. But then, during math, the teacher

told me to stop mumbling and do more work. T-R-O-U-B-L-E. I did not like getting in trouble.

At the end of the school day, I told Hank that I would never get the lines correct. Hank said not

to worry. He’s still going to come over later to help with the lines. I said see ya later and headed

home.

“Mom, I’m home mom.”

“Are you ready for practice!,” Billy yelled.

“Ah! Don’t scare me like that.”

“OK.”

“How did you get out of detention so quickly?”

“I have a way of doing things.”

“OK, well let’s just practice.”

Hank and I went over the lines a couple hundred times each. It was not easy for me to get the

lines correct. But, finally, I could get through all of the lines without making a mistake. I still

wasn’t sure I’d remember the lines tomorrow but, at least, for today, I felt good...

1. Write a paragraph about the basic beliefs of Buddhism using the following words: reincarnation, karma, and dharma.

Reincarnation is when a person died they reappeared in a different person. After reincarnation, if they do their job well, they move to a higher level of treatment in the next life. That is called karma. Dharma is a divine law.

2. What was the purpose of the caste system?

The caste system is the different cast of people in level order.

3. Describe the differences between Hinduism and Buddhism.

Buddhism is about having no sin and Hinduism is about forces of nature.

4. Which dynasty built India's first great empire?

Maurya Dynasty

5. How do you think the Eightfold Path is similar to the Ten Commandments of Judaism? Write 1 paragraph.

The Ten Commandments and the Eightfold Path are the same because they both tell of how to make your life better. They speak of respect for other people and for yourself. It also tells to keep what you want from other people to a minimum.

6. How did the monsoons affect the development of India's first civilizations?

The mansoons helped the crops grow.

7. When the Indus River flooded nearby land, it

A. forced early settlers to become nomads.
B. left behind rich, fertile soil perfect for farming.
C. destroyed the first Indian civilization, Harappa.
D. ruined crops and the people starved.

8. According to Siddhartha, the only way to find the truth about the world was to

A. give up all desires.
B. live like a hermit.
C. meditate for 49 days.
D. fast until you are nearly starved.