Hello! I’m a pencil. I was born in Japan. I was made in a big factory in Japan. I came to Sri Lanka by ship. They gave me to a shop. I was put into a beautiful box. I met a lot of friends like Mango, Cool, Chooty, Cial, Atlas etc. They were also in beautiful colours like blue, black, red, purple, pink, green, orange, silver etc.
One day, Janani came to the shop and bought me. She showed me to her family members and friends. She keeps me safely in a box. She always uses me to write. Her friends also use me to write. One day I fell from her book and broke my head. She picked me up and threw me into a dustbin. I felt very sad. Some girls took me from the bin and threw me back in again. I’m still in the dustbin. No one notices me. No one cares about me. I’m all alone. There are so many like me who are in the same situation.
My friends and I talk about these wicked human beings. They love us only when we are new, beautiful, tall and colourful. But when we grow short they throw us into the dustbin. I’m very scared of my friends and my plight to be inside this stinky dustbin. This is a message to all my foreign friends. Please pray that you get into safe hands when you migrate to Sri Lanka because at this moment I’m wondering where my friends and I will end up.
Nilukshika Pathmanadan,
Grade 5,
Hill Country International School,
Kandy.