Eventide - Kent Haruf [45]
I don’t want to.
She stood and took hold of his arm.
I don’t want to.
But I’m asking you to.
She pulled him to his feet and led him toward the hallway door, but as they passed her desk he grabbed at it, dragging one of her books to the floor with a loud flat crash. The other students were all watching.
Class, she said. Keep working. All of you get back to work. She stood until their heads were bent again over their desks and then took him under the arms and pulled as he struggled against her and kicked and caught at the door. She got him into the hall and knelt in front of him, still holding him.
Richie, what’s wrong with you? she said. Stop it now.
He shook his head. He was looking off along the hallway.
I want you to come with me down here.
No.
Yes, please.
She rose and took him by the hand in the direction of the office along the empty tiled hallway past the other classrooms, their doors all shut to the noises and murmurings rising from behind them. Are you sick? she said.
No.
But something’s wrong. I’m worried about you.
I want to go back to the room, he said. He looked up at her. I’ll do my work now.
I’m not concerned about that, she said. Let’s just see the nurse. I think the nurse should look at you.
She took him into a small room next to the school office where a narrow cot was pushed close to the wall opposite a metal cabinet with locked doors. The nurse sat at a desk against the far wall.
I don’t know what’s wrong with him, the teacher said. He won’t tell me. I thought you better have a look.
The nurse stood and came around and asked him to sit on the cot but he would not. The teacher left and went back to her classroom. The nurse bent over him and felt his forehead. You don’t seem hot to the touch, she said. He looked at her out of his big wet eyes. Will you open your mouth for me, please? She put her arm around him and he squirmed away. Why, what is it? Are you afraid of me? I won’t hurt you.
Don’t, he said.
I need to look at you.
He leaned away but she pulled him close and examined his face and looked briefly in his ears and felt along his neck, and then she lifted his shirt to feel if he was hot and then she found the dark bruises on his back and below the belt of his pants.
She peered into his face. Richie, she said. Did somebody do this to you?
He looked frightened and he wouldn’t answer. She turned him around and drew down his pants and underwear. His thin buttocks were crosshatched with dark red welts. In some of the places the welts had bled and clotted.
Oh, my God, she said. You stay right here.
She left and went next door and came back at once with the principal. She lifted the boy’s shirt and showed the welts to the principal. They began to ask the boy questions but he was crying by now and shaking his head and he wouldn’t say a word. Finally they called his sister out of her fifth-grade classroom and asked her what had happened to her brother. Joy Rae said: He fell off the slide at the park. He had a accident.
Would you go out? the nurse said to the principal.
All right, he said. But you let me know. We have to report this. We’re going to find out what’s going on here.
The principal went out and then the nurse said: Will you let me look at you too, Joy Rae?
I don’t have anything wrong with me.
Then you’ll just let me look, won’t you?
You don’t need to look at me.
Just for a moment. Please.
Suddenly the girl began to cry, covering her face with her hands. Don’t, she said. I don’t want you to. Nothing’s wrong with me.
Honey, I won’t hurt you. I promise. I need to look, that’s all. I have to examine you. Won’t you let me, please?
The nurse turned to her little brother. I want you to step into the hall for a minute, so we can be alone. She led him out and told him to wait there near the door.
Then she came back into the room and took the girl gently by the shoulders. This won’t take long, honey, I promise, but I need to look at you. Slowly she turned her around.