by Clydene Rae

Created on: January 08, 2009   Last Updated: February 07, 2009

My family had just arrived in Hawaii while my father was stationed at Hickam Air-force Base on Oahu. I was six years old and would be changing schools to attend kindergarten. We did not have housing set up on the base yet, so I was to attend a school off the base until there was housing available..

The first day, I saw my friend Billy. Billy's father was in the Air-force and served with my father. It made both of us to feel better that we knew someone in the class, especially being the new kids..

Kindergarten doesn't change much from day to day, nor from school to school. Play, listen to stories, eat lunch, snacks and nap time. When it was nap time, the teacher rolled out "nap sacks", they were amazing! I had never seen anything like them, I couldn't wait to take a nap. It rolled out on the floor, and you climbed in the top like a sleeping bag, it was denim sewed together in a big square. At the very top in the corner was a square pocket, that you slipped your shoes in. I could not wait to slip my shoes in that special area, and crawl in for a nap.

When it was our turn, Billy and I were each handed a small blanket. I didn't understand why the two of us couldn't have the "nap sack". A six year old mind does not understand, that we had entered the school term during the year, and there were no extra "nap sacks" available.

When my mother arrived to pick me up, I was in tears, and sobbing. while she looked me over to check if there were any limbs missing. she bent down and said "I can't understand you, slow down and tell mama what is wrong". So between sobbing and sniffling, I was babbling about the "nap sack". She had never heard about a "nap sack", and all she could think of was "knack sack", which is what my dad used when he had to go away overnight on flights. She thought I had brought his "knack sack" and lost it. She was frantic, because she didn't know I had taken it. She looked everywhere, when she couldn't find it she went to the teacher to ask her if she had seen it. Now my mother is 5'7", and had a thick southern accent, The teacher was maybe 4'9", and English was not her first language. All she knew was the big women was yelling about the "nap sack", and saying she needed it right now and did she know anything about it. The teacher was shaking her head, my mother was ranting, and I was still sobbing.

Finally. the teacher went and got a "nap sack". She showed it to my mother and I stopped crying, my mother looked confused and turned around. "Is this what you are crying about"? "Yes", I said sniffling. My mom tried to apologize to the teacher for the confusion, And like any six year old, once I knew my mom was taking care of everything, I stopped crying. Finally, the day was over and I was taken home.

The next day for nap time there was a "nap sack", for both Billy and myself. The kindergarten teacher had gone out of her way to make sure she could find two more. It was as good as I thought it would be. With my shoes tucked in the little square pocket, I settled into the "nap sack" and closed my eyes.

There were no more misunderstandings after that first day, and less than a month later, both of our families were living on the base and we were attending another school. The new school did not have the magical "nap sacks", but I never forgot them.

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