Evelyn and the Georgetown G-rules

            by Emily Gee

 

The community or Georgetown was very unique and had many rules and regulations that, to an outsider could seem just ridiculous.  It was founded upon the general idea that the town would honor its founders, George and Georgina Gelatin by only having names beginning with G as in George, (not golf).  This tradition started small but grew into a way of life.  The residents not only honored their founders by their names but also by using the soft G sound as many times as possible.  Schoolteachers gave vocabulary tests on words only beginning with the G sound to ensure the children were properly educated with G-words and phrases.   These traditions were called the G-rules and were never to be juggled around or jostled with.

 

Georgette George lived with her parents and pet jumping bean in Georgetown. Everyday Georgette George would wake up at approximately 7:30 am, get dressed in her jean jumper, jacket and gemmed slip on shoes and walk out the door to catch the bus headed towards Georgetown Elementary. 

 

 

 On the bus she always met up with her two best friends George and Gina.  Together the three of them would share breakfast on the bus.  Georgette brought orange juice, Gina brought ginger bread, and George brought jelly or jam to accompany the bread.   Generally when the three arrived at Georgetown Elementary they were greeted by their teacher Ms. Geraldine.  Ms. Geraldine would bring all the kids into her classroom to begin the geography lesson.  But, before beginning she would take role.  Georgette always knew she was number five on the list.  It had always been the same, “Gemma, Genevieve, Geoff, George” and then “Georgette”.  Following her was Georgianne, Gerald, Gerard, and Gina.  With a town as small as Georgetown the nine of them made up the whole class and they knew each other like the backs of their jackets.  It had been just the nine of them forever, and they expected it to stay that way.

 

 

Today was the first day of third grade for Georgette George and her friends at Georgetown Elementary.  Just as usual Georgette, George, and Gina had their juice and jam on the bus and were greeted by Ms. Geraldine upon arrival.  As they entered the classroom they were all chatting about what people did during June and July.  Georgianne had spent most of her time at the gym doing gymnastics.  Geoff had traveled to the neighboring community of Jamestown to join his friend Jack and Gemma had learned to jump rope and make Jell-O.

Later that day before jousting in the gym something happened.  Ms. Geraldine came into the gym with a new student by her side.  She looked puzzled and generally confused.  George, Gina, and Georgette all joined together to see what was happening.  “Hi!” said Georgette jumping with joy for a new classmate.  “I’m Georgette, what’s your name?”

“ Hi! I’m Evelyn.  Evelyn Evingston—

“Evelyn?!” they all said together with ginormous eyes.

“Gee,” said Georgette.  “That’s um…different…” They all whispered to each other wondering where this girl was from and how she could possibly have a name not beginning with the “G-sound”.

“I’m extra excited to be here with everyone!  I entered Georgetown early yesterday evening.  I’m from Evergreen.”  Said Evelyn. They couldn’t believe what they had just heard.  Georgette was no longer jumping with joy about the new classmate.

“Oh, I get it!” said George.  “You’re just joking with us.”

“Yes,” said Georgette, “just joshing us.”

“Excuse me…everyone I’m not entirely sure what you’re saying.”  She was extremely embarrassed and confused.  “I’m not um…j-joking…I really am Evelyn Evingston from Evergreen!”  Ms. Geraldine looked worried. No one like this had ever joined the Georgetown community.

 

 

“Gina, George, Georgette!  Go back to the gym and rejoin the others in jousting.  I need to talk with Ms. Evingston alone.”  The three left.

“Evelyn,” said Ms. Geraldine “Are you sure you belong in Georgetown?  Are you aware of the G-rules?”  Evelyn looked confused.

“G-rules? Can you explain them? Everyone is confusing me!”

“Just follow me Ms. Evingston, we need to join the principle in his office.”  Ms. Geraldine led Evelyn to the gentleman’s office and jingled the bell at the front.  “Gerald?”  Ms. Geraldine said. “There seems to be a problem, may we join you?”

“Just come right in.  Oh! The new student gee what a joy to meet you, what’s your name?”

“Evelyn Evingston, from Evergreen.  I’m very excited to be here sir.”  Gerald, the principle dropped his jaw, he just couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  This had to be some kind of a joke.  It was unheard of in Georgetown to have a name not starting with G.  The girl’s name had to be changed!

“Just a minute Ms. Evingston.  You can’t just jog over to Georgetown from Evergreen and join our community with a name like Evelyn Evingston.  Jiminy Crickets!  You just can’t!  Where’s the G sound?  You must change your name.”

“Change my name?  Everyone in Evergreen loves my name!  Explain to me exactly why I can’t enter Georgetown Elementary with a name like Evelyn Evingston.”

“It’s my job to make sure the students here fit the G-Rules.  It’s just the way things have always been.  So what name would you like?”  Gerald the principle pulled out a giant book of names allowed in Georgetown.

“Excuse me sir, I’m not going to change my name” said Evelyn.  Gerald thought hard; he knew the girl was stubborn. Evelyn examined the principle.   There had to be a way to make people see that G wasn’t so different from E.  Suddenly she had an idea.  She grabbed a pen and paper and wrote her name down.  Then she wrote down his name.

“Look,” she said turning to the principle.  “E-V-I-N-G-S-T-O-N, Evingston.  There’s a G in it!  There’s a G in my name.  And look at something else.  G-E-R-A-L-D, Gerald. There’s an E in your name, just like mine.  I’m not that different!  And I’m not changing my name.”

 

 

“Well, alright then.” Said Gerald a little jittery.  “Don’t change your name.  I’m just warning you that you’ll be the joke of the town.  Generally, the joke of Georgetown with a name like that.”

Evelyn marched right back to school and showed all the students what she’d shown the principle.  And Evelyn Evinsgton wasn’t the joke of Georgetown.  The reaction was quite the opposite actually.  As the weeks went by her classmates grew to like her name.  Georgette, George, and Gina all wanted names that were different like Evelyn’s.  They had fun learning new words from Evelyn that started with E instead of G.  Soon all of Georgetown wanted to meet the girl from Evergreen and anyone else no matter what letter their name started with.