It all started in august of 1993, I remember my mother coming into my room, and I was playing with playmobile as usual. Mum walked in and told me I got accepted into De La Salle. So Began the 11 years of childhood which were to shape me into the person I am today. Good times and bad, it is a period in my life I will remember until they day I die.
I remember walking in through the gates, me my mother, Matthew and his mom Sue. The first thing we did was run around the marble columns playing tag. We then walked through the gates for the first time, into the assembly area and across past the grounds and fountain, to the registration area. I last extremely lucky, getting in last and was forced to start in Year two. I can’t remember much of that time; my teacher was Mrs. Attard, a devout catholic who made us kiss eachother every morning. At five it didn’t seem that bad. I spent two weeks in her class, then I remember one day being in line, Mrs. Scicluna spoke to Mrs. Attard and took me by the hand telling me I’d not be in her class, in Year one.
My year one class was situated in the present day Form 1 corridor. It had huge “at the time” windows and was filled with charts, drawings and toys which were on a shelf next to the door. I remember the first person who came up to me and said hello was Jacob Micallef, my cousin was in that class, Luke, so where Miguel, Nathan, Matthew, Nicky, Reuben and a few others who would later become good friends. I also remember the first time I spoke to Nathan, he invited me onto his table and made me feel welcome, and I remember Matthew being there too. Nathan was to become one of my Best and most trusted friends, the friendship between me and Matthew was to be less rosy.
Year one was fun. Being six I don’t remember much but I do remember coming last in the sports day shoe race because I couldn’t do my lasses and fifth in the hat race, I was wearing a stylish lime green hat, hard to miss. I wasn’t a sportive person at the time; I remember crying after two pushups, I was six! Mr. Mallija picked me up and calmed me down, I’ll never forget that. I remember the cool flying saucer toys which were rationed out in break time; I loved those toys and always tried to get my hands on them. I remember the then student teacher Mrs. Camilleri playing Guitar to us sitting in a cowboy position, which was fun. In year one I was an obedient, rather talkative, innocent boy. The apple in Mrs. Scicluna’s class apparently, I was blonde and looked like Nathan’s Brother, something which was later to get me into some trouble! Nathan was talkative and sometimes misbehaved, my cousin was very naughty, nothing ever changed. It seemed to pass at a relaxed pace, autumn drifted into winter, we took our class photo in the reception hall, a picture which still hangs above my bed. We wore only PE kits then, no stripy uniforms, and white T shirts because we didn’t have house colors yet!
The year passed, a group of friends was formed, and Jonathan, Nathan, Nicky, Matthew and I along with others I can’t remember formed the base of a group which would evolve, split and last through many years. Nathan and Jonathan were always the prominent leaders, I would be equal on occasions but was too timid and submissive to be a leader. We used to play catch, and other games, laughed joked and were generally trouble free, looking back, it was probably one of the best times of my life that I didn’t manage to **** up.
One other Character I remember was the resident naughty boy of the class, Alexander Marquette. Damn he used to shout, try and run away and give Mrs. Scicluna a hard time, but she managed. I also remember being taken to school and walking in with Granny and Mum to assembly, we’d sing and pray every morning, while Mrs. Scicluna chased Alex around.
As June ended, the year was up, for three months life seemed to go at a steady unchanging routine then came year two and a new class. I was back in Mrs. Attard’s class! But this time I was less intimidated and knew many of my classmates. I remember Brother Edward coming and visiting once in a while, the man who I can thank for getting me into De La Salle. I became quite interested in religion at the time, it was a game, and I remember Mrs. Attard trying to convince me I couldn’t turn bread into Jesus until I became a priest, funny how she used the word until. I think she would be disappointed in my progress. I would go to mass in breaks sometimes; I also developed the love of drawing, something which I would keep as a form of self expression to this very day. I also remember getting into trouble for talking with Nathan, we were sent into opposite corners and couldn’t help sniggering and peeking at the other, I don’t know why I remember this, but then again to most people all this is trivial. Breaks were fun, ten o’clock to ten fifteen and Twelve to one, which later became twelve fifteen to one, damn!
The group didn’t change much, it consisted of mostly English speaking kids, I can remember Luke BC at some points, I remember some breaks in the old school arches but my memory is very vague, probably because only problems seem to leave an imprint mark on my mind. Nonetheless the year drifted on and I remained the same blonde innocent boy, again, probably one of the best times of my life. The college was a nice place, we all felt protected, the “DLS honor” that some of us would leave with was still budding, but nevertheless we were made to feel a part of a huge family, De La Salle College was to be our home away from home, and after some feelings of intimidation and nostalgia I can safely say I finally felt a part of the community.
Year three was much the same, so much that it is the vaguest period in my memory; I can’t even remember the name of my teacher, though I can picture her well enough. I remember watching the junior school being pulled down and our class moving to near the matron’s office, I remember the bulldozers and the new school being built. The teachers said we were lucky to be one of the last to be taught there, and that we would be the first to inhabit the new school. My cousin was still in my class, naughty as ever, once I came in with my mother to find him outside on his knees facing the wall! I’d like to see someone do that to him now. I used to ride the bus number two home, I made some friends there and we discussed the fads such as marbles and later on Pogs. I never did get into those fads though. I remember in the end of year three, getting off the bus with my results. I got 80 in English and all my other marks were also high. I probably remember it because it never happened again!
I guess it’s a good thing I decided to write this, more and more escapes my memory and current problems take up more and more space in my head. I guess I could say the pulling down of the old school was symbolic of the first three years at the college where my childhood innocence was untouched, I was oblivious to the real world and damn was it fun.
Lives of the Civitates!
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Originally Posted by Honor&Glory
. Course, he has been more involved than me. I've got the pleasure to talk to many members of the TWC government for more than a year now, some more than that, and I'm thankful. I also hope to visit some TWC members in a few years when I can travel to Europe.
But at least I have TWC here, the only thing stopping me from certain doom (or a social life).
, one day.........one day 
