Recount

The Surprise That Surprised Us

It was the last Thursday of March, my mother's fortieth birthday, and my sister Mariam and I had been planning the perfect surprise for three weeks. Our idea was simple: while Mum was at work, we would decorate the living room, collect a chocolate cake from the bakery on our street and be waiting with Dad when she opened the front door at six o'clock. What could possibly go wrong? As it turned out, almost everything.

First, there were the balloons. At four o'clock, Mariam and I sat on the living-room floor with a bag of fifty balloons and a pump that had looked perfectly fine in the shop. After the third balloon, the pump split in two. Determined not to give up, we blew up the rest ourselves until our cheeks ached and the room spun gently around us. By five, we had thirty-two lopsided balloons and two very red faces, but the room finally looked like a celebration.

Next came the cake. I ran to the bakery, only to discover that our order had been written down for Friday, not Thursday. The baker looked at his notebook, then at me, and shrugged apologetically. “Come back tomorrow,” he said kindly. My heart sank. There was no cake, no time and, worst of all, no Plan B. I bought the only thing left on the shelf, a tray of twelve slightly squashed cupcakes, and hurried home, already imagining my mother's disappointed face.

Then, at a quarter to six, we heard the key turn in the lock. Mum was early! Mariam dived behind the sofa, Dad switched off the lights in a panic, and I was still standing in the middle of the room holding the cupcakes when the door swung open. For a moment, nobody moved. Suddenly, a balloon that had been resting against the warm lamp burst with a deafening bang. Mum screamed. Dad shouted “Surprise!” far too late, and Mariam leapt up so quickly that she knocked the tray straight out of my hands.

Looking back, it was the least perfect party our family has ever had, yet it remains our favourite memory. Once the shock wore off, my mother laughed until she cried, and the four of us sat on the floor among the balloons, eating the cupcakes that had survived. That evening taught me an important lesson: the best moments are rarely the ones we plan perfectly; they are the ones we share with the people we love. Next year, however, I will definitely check the date on the cake order.

Year 8 Runs for the Hospital

On Saturday 18 October, more than one hundred and twenty Year 8 students, teachers and parents gathered on the school field for our first Charity Fun Run. The event was organised by the Student Council to raise money for a children's hospital in Cairo, and despite a cool early-morning breeze, the atmosphere was warm from the very first minute.

The day began at 8:30 a.m. with a ten-minute warm-up led by our PE teacher, Mr Samir, who had the whole crowd stretching, jumping and laughing within seconds. At 9:00 a.m. sharp, the Head of Year 8 blew the whistle, and the runners set off on the three-kilometre course, which wound twice around the school grounds and past the newly planted olive trees. Meanwhile, volunteers from Year 10 stood at every corner, handing out water and cheering on anyone who began to slow down.

There were many memorable moments. The fastest runner, Karim Adel from 8B, crossed the finish line in just under thirteen minutes. However, the loudest applause of the morning was saved for the final pair of runners: Ms Hoda, our music teacher, and her seven-year-old son, who completed the course hand in hand. Class 8C, meanwhile, won the prize for the best costumes after running the entire route dressed as doctors and nurses, complete with paper stethoscopes.

After the race, everyone gathered in the shade for the medal ceremony. Every runner received a medal designed by the Year 8 Art Club, and the Student Council president, Laila Mostafa, thanked families for their generosity. “We wanted to prove that young people can make a real difference,” she said. “Today, we did exactly that.” Families then enjoyed home-made snacks sold by the parents' committee, which raised extra money for the cause.

In total, the event raised 46,500 Egyptian pounds, which will be used to buy books, games and art materials for the hospital's children's ward. Teachers have described the morning as one of the most successful events in the school's history, and plans are already under way to make the Fun Run an annual tradition. If this year is anything to go by, next October's race will be even bigger.