sh

Sometimes little things make you feel big things.

On Friday one of my former students, Sh from this story, caught my attention. The after school program where many of our students go had just been called for dismissal and Sh was hysterically crying. I heard her teacher say something like, "Sh, your mom paid for you to go. So go." She clearly was not going to go on her own so I went over to talk to her. She was beside herself, tears everywhere, shaking and sobbing with emotion. Never in my two years knowing her had I seen her like that.

I offered to walk her to the top of the steps to meet the teacher. When we finally got outside, she physically pulled as I tried to take her hand and lead her down the sidewalk. The after school teacher said something like, "Sh, let's go and when we get there I will give you cake." She clearly was not going to go. At all.

I tried her mom on my cell. No answer -- I must have an old number by now. As a hail mary, I tried Pam, her grandmother. About a year ago she came after school to help me staple books for the kiddos. As she was leaving she hugged me and said that I was different, that she could tell I really cared. Pam immediately understood my concern and sent someone to pick Sh up.

In the mess of this ordeal, Sh told me that she didn't want to go because someone was bothering her. She told the after school teacher that she didn't want to go because she had a headache. She told Pam, little body shaking into the phone, that she just didn't want to go. Obviously, something is seriously wrong and she didn't feel like she could trust any of the adults around her to tell them exactly what it is.