DREAMS IN SCRIBBLES

ESSAY WHICH WON ANAYA SILVER MEDAL IN ‘ THE QUEEN’S COMMONWEALTH ESSAY COMPETITION 2025’

 I had no idea what was to happen when I was sorting through the dusty stacks of books at the library. I was looking for a book that helped me solve my complicated problems in my puzzling life. Something about balancing too much homework, studies, extracurricular activities, friends and enemies. A light emitting from a dark corner suddenlycaught my eye. I ventured toward it and saw it was a door!

Curious, I opened it and felt a jolt. An invisible force was pulling me inside. I shrieked but the scream echoed only in my head. I shut my eyes tightly in terror.

When I opened them, I was in a strange place.  A… schoolhouse? Heads were bent over wooden desks. Nobody seemed to have noticed me. The girls were all donning tight frocks; their hair was braided into 2 plaits. I remembered a project I had done on the 18^th century. This scene was common in the 1890s. Could it be…? I saw the date on the blackboard: 20^th July 1890. Yes. I had travelled back in time. I spotted a boy pull a red-haired girl’s plait and whisper “Carrots.” She jumped up, blazing. She smashed her slate on his head. The teacher made her stand at the front with the words: ‘Ann has a bad temper. Ann must learn to control it.’ I caught a glimpse of her face. It was the girl on the cover. Anne. I felt I was at the start of a meaningful journey.

‘’Hello!’’ I said brightly to Anne as soon as the bell rang. ‘’ What’s your name? Mine’s Anaya.’’

‘’I’m Anne,’’ she replied, looking puzzled at this strange girl with a T-shirt and shorts.

‘’I’m lost. Could you help?’’

Anne told me all about her monotonous life while taking me to her foster parents’ house. They were called Marilla and Matthew. Apparently, I was in Canada. In the book ‘Anne of Green Gables’.     

 Anne announced she was not going back to school the second she was home. ‘’You mustn’t be so insulted by things,” I advised.

She merely nodded. “Everyone says my temper matches my hair,” she said, fingering a plait.

After living at Anne’s for nearly a week, I became almost used to this life, though I still wondered when I would be able to get home. I witnessed an unusual incident when, next Sunday, Anne returned thrilled about a picnic. She was consented to go but then Marilla’s brooch went missing. Anne was accused. “I didn’t take it!” she insisted.

“Oh yes, you did. Own up or you won’t be allowed to the picnic.’’

“Fine. I took it. It looked so beautiful that I simply couldn’t help it. I pinned it on and then I peered in the water at the lake but the brooch decided it had had enough of me. It fell into the lake, to its grave.’’

“You can forget about that picnic.’’

With a sob, Anne ran upstairs. I followed her.

“You made that up, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” Anne hiccoughed. “But I didn’t know what it would lead to!”

“Life is like a game of chess. Think ahead or you lose the game.”

I told Marilla the truth.

Anne was lifted from her picnic ban. That night, she came to me, weary and thankful. “Anaya, I took your advice. I’ve apologised to Gilbert and I’m going back to school. Thank you.”

My heart lifted. It felt like my work here was done.

“Anaya, are you dozing?’’  my father’s voice shook me awake. I was back in the library. In 2025.

“Are you gonna borrow this book?” he asked, pointing at the copy of Anne of Green Gables still clutched in my hand.

“I sure am,” I said, smiling.

 I’d realized you couldn’t miss what you didn’t know. It suddenly struck me that everything had 2 sides: dark and light. And sometimes even these 2 sides got mixed up to make a real jam! I had certainly learnt quite a lot in the barely 1 week in the book and 1 hour in real life I had stayed there! A journey short, no doubt, but quite rich.  

This adventure made me realize everyone had problems, and you just needed to face them. As I had given advice to Anne, I felt as if I was guiding myself to the thorny path of my own problems. I left the library that day with a heavy heart full of happiness and goodwill.

Anaya Sheth