Chido Murambiwa, Grade 11
UWC Waterford Kamhlaba
The library holds the most special place in my heart on campus. I always knew there was a library but I never really went to it. It was last year when there were civil unrest protests when I would go to the library to read or think or just be there. There was a certain weekend that made it shift from being a comfortable place to being the comfortable place. It was drizzling that day, but it was freezing as usual. I was so tired from studying and we weren’t allowed to leave campus, each day the conditions of the country were worsening. Stereotypically the network in the country was closed down to prevent any social media posts. It was tiring and dangerous. The library was near my old hostel so walking wasn’t the problem, but it was that I was terrified because we had been spoon-fed all the details of the riots.
Even so, I got up and dragged myself to the library. The library is extremely old and although it seemed unappealing to enter it, it had a comforting and warm atmosphere. I passed the librarian’s desk and headed upstairs. That day I paid attention to the paintings and realized that they were done by students, they reflected how I was feeling at that moment. I chose the middle desk and pulled out what would be one of my favourite books. I felt so warm and relaxed that my stress felt like it was literally melting out of me. The books surrounding me and the eerie silence made me feel welcomed.
There’s a wall that is a semi-window wall, it was facing the sky and was partially covered by tree branches. The air in the library was lukewarm and even though it was gloomy, it was so bright inside. The fact that I could see the sky and branches made me feel like I was outside but warm. It smelt like the day after it rains. I was alone even though I could hear people outside. When I was reading, I would laugh and it would echo softly despite the library being packed with shelves and desks. The book I was reading that particular day revolved around relationships and how our experiences affect our interaction with the people in our lives. It was a core memory because I realized that I had gained so many relationships in the library or had bonded with someone over a book we’d read.
My friend, Angela and I had talked about and grew so close in the library, even though she was a day student and I was a border and we had limited spaces, we could meet here and talk. I had learnt to crotchet in the library. I had grown to love to read different types of literature from all over the world in the library. I hadn’t realized how impactful the library had been to me or how each time I visited it I left with a piece of it. It is still a sanctuary that helps me come back to myself and check on myself. The library is so special to me because at different points in my learning career at school I grew somehow and it was because of the library.
Image Courtesy: https://pin.it/4tfgOTm
Even so, I got up and dragged myself to the library. The library is extremely old and although it seemed unappealing to enter it, it had a comforting and warm atmosphere. I passed the librarian’s desk and headed upstairs. That day I paid attention to the paintings and realized that they were done by students, they reflected how I was feeling at that moment. I chose the middle desk and pulled out what would be one of my favourite books. I felt so warm and relaxed that my stress felt like it was literally melting out of me. The books surrounding me and the eerie silence made me feel welcomed.
There’s a wall that is a semi-window wall, it was facing the sky and was partially covered by tree branches. The air in the library was lukewarm and even though it was gloomy, it was so bright inside. The fact that I could see the sky and branches made me feel like I was outside but warm. It smelt like the day after it rains. I was alone even though I could hear people outside. When I was reading, I would laugh and it would echo softly despite the library being packed with shelves and desks. The book I was reading that particular day revolved around relationships and how our experiences affect our interaction with the people in our lives. It was a core memory because I realized that I had gained so many relationships in the library or had bonded with someone over a book we’d read.
My friend, Angela and I had talked about and grew so close in the library, even though she was a day student and I was a border and we had limited spaces, we could meet here and talk. I had learnt to crotchet in the library. I had grown to love to read different types of literature from all over the world in the library. I hadn’t realized how impactful the library had been to me or how each time I visited it I left with a piece of it. It is still a sanctuary that helps me come back to myself and check on myself. The library is so special to me because at different points in my learning career at school I grew somehow and it was because of the library.
Image Courtesy: https://pin.it/4tfgOTm
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