Watch Your Mouth Homie

“Use it in a sentence.”

“Valentine’s day is in February. F-E-B-U-A-R-Y. February.”

That is incorrect.

And just like that, I was eliminated.

“I’m so stupid.” I thought to myself.

I was in the spelling bee for second graders in Vernon Parish.

In Louisiana, we have parishes instead of counties.

I had won the spelling bee for my class.

I won it for all second graders in my school.

I won it for all second graders in my district.

And I was competing for my parish title.

If I won at the parish level, I would compete to be the best spelling second grader in Louisiana.

But February.

F-E-B-R-U-A-R-Y.

I spelled it wrong.

I knew how to spell it, but that moment was so big that I muffed it up.

When I got home I cried. (Of course I had to wait till I got home. I couldn’t let the other kids see me cry.)

My Mama and Grandmother were still at work so I remember sulking and being embarrassed to tell them.

My Grandmother got home first.