It was close to Christmas. The members of New Religion decided to go spend time was their families. Sadly, Erin's grandmother passed away. It was devastating for Erin. When New Religion picked up their tour, many people wanted to interview Erin. Lola said, "She Lost a loved one. How do wewe think she's doing?!" Carl said, "Erin needs time to mourn her grandmother. She doesn't need a microphone in her face." Paul said, "She's been through so much. Leave her alone!" Erin thanked her Marafiki for standing up for her. She later said, "I now know how Paul McCartney felt after John Lennon got shot." Lola hugged her. Things did get better for Erin with time. She Lost so many she loved, but she kept going and never gave up.
When I had entered the fifth grade, I was dreading it. I had heard rumors that the teacher was really mean. When I met her before school started, she seemed really nice. On the first siku of school, I was wearing one of my Beatles t-shirts. She noticed it, and she said, "Darling, I upendo wewe already!" I said, "Okay, then." She would take up for me all the time. The other kids often called me glasses. She heard them and said, "She has a name, guys. Her name is not glasses. It's Winter." There was one siku when another girl kept picking on me. I finally had enough and said, "I might look sweet and innocent, but that shit is for suckers, and I'm no lollipop." I looked at the teacher. She winked and said, "I heard nothing." I would have had her for the sixth grade, too, but unfortunately, I moved to Tennessee as soon as the school mwaka was over. We both cried. We promised to keep in touch with each other, and we've kept in touch to this day.