#wheniwasnine

[leilasaba]

I've had an exciting day emotionally. When we got to the park our dinner lady fat Mrs. Blood as usual told us to come to her and she asked us if we wanted to go for a walk or play. Everyone shouted PLAY. Elena and Sarah got told off for shoving in the line. Giovanni was near Pina for a few minutes then he moved and nudged me by accident as he went to his friends. Later on me and Elena vandalised the toilets a bit. Then I asked Susie to go and rub it out.

[leilasaba]

Jan 1990. Freezing.

I hope Giovanni fancies me even though I know he never will because I'm thick at Italian school and he probably thinks I'm thick too. What I would really like for my birthday is some new guitar strings and a head bag because everyone at school says my bag is fogy. When I told my dad about the getting told off points I thought he would be angry but instead he laughed.

[leilasaba]

I'm not going to put any bad secrets in here because that nosey little cow will look in it because the lock's broken. Elena rang me up and asked if I wanted to go round to her house on Thursday. When mama came to nonna's I asked her and she said yes. I was so happy. But there's bad news as well, my sister's got to come. I hope she doesn't. I've got eight pounds sixty-seven pee.

[leilasaba]

Jan 1989. Weather: norm.

I've had a good day. I went swimming. It was brilliant, I'm confident in the deep end now and I hope after the holidays I will be in Lyn's group. My sister reckons I fancy Simone and when I grow up I'll marry him but Simone's my friend and if I fancy him it'll be horrible. I didn't brush my teeth tonight.

[leilasaba]

My dad came this morning and told us he was taking us on a little holiday for two days. My mum said that we’re going to Southfields park for a few hours and we go swimming every Sunday and many other places. I reckon I’m going to have an en exciting holiday except the little jobs I’m given like fold the linen, dry the dishes, look after baby brother etc. But, they’re not as bad as do the washing up.

[leilasaba]

July 1989. Weather: normal.

As I woke up this morning my sister and brother were just leaving the room, so I got out of bed quickly and followed them downstairs. When we got downstairs our cousin was lying on the mattress that she slept on which was on the ground. My cousin’s brother, he was sleeping on the cushions that were from the sofa. He’d joined cushions together and slept on them. We went swimming and we stayed in the pool for three hours. My mum lost the key to the back door and she kept trying to blame it on other people. Well I must admit it wasn’t entirely my mum’s fault.

[leilasaba]

Dear Diary, no, Dear Me

I’ve been writing to myself since I was pretty little, before I even owned a pen. I somehow kept these books over the years and I just love reading what nine year old me was thinking. The bulk of what I wrote is rather repetitive, especially through the teen years, however there are some sweet candid stories that unfold, like slightly disjointed vignettes.

For now I’m sharing the early years, since they are the sweetest.

[leilasaba]

I woke up this morning round eight o'clock. My sister and my brother had gone downstairs. I stayed in bed for a little while then I got out of bed and went downstairs. The minute I got to the bottom of the stairs the door knocked. It was my dad. He said that he had a surprize for us. At about six, half past six, my mum came with my cousin and I told her about the surprize. She said the surprize was a kit-kat and a packet of crisps. I thought my dad said he was going to prepare the surprize, I didn’t know people prepared kit-kats and salt & vinegar crisps.