End of School Year

What have I learned so far?

That even if the teachers did not have time to iron your costume but did have time to iron the costume of your partner for the song-and-dance you are about to do for the year end ceremonies of your kindergarden graduation, you have to make your entrance onto the stage, sing your part while trying to hold back hysterical laughter about the situation and exit dancing, sort of. It was more like a rock'n'roll movement consisting of walking sideways without taking the feet off the ground, while singing "hey people, make way for Miss Arpie Dadoyan" back and forth with my classmate and cousin who had the same last name but said her own first name.

We got our diplomas from Mr. Simon Vratzian, the fourth and last prime minister of the short lived independent Republic of Armenia (1918-1921). Before I knew this, I had concluded that since he spoke Eastern Armenian, spoken by the people of Soviet Armenia, he is a communist, and I had a hard time balancing the very nationalistic teachings of my school with this fact.

Just like when I used to think that the oldest priest in our church was Jesus...

After the ceremony was over, dad approached me smiling, congratulated me and told me that I had just had another sister, that mom was in the hospital and that she was fine and will be home soon." So mom was not there and what is this about a new sister? I was intrigued. Then it was the turn of my dad's uncle to be presented to me as just having arrived that day by boat from America and he congratulated me too. Aunts and uncles, cousins and acquaintances, everybody was happy. It remains one of the happiest moments in my life.