Middle of Everywhere - Mary Bray Pipher [58]
The class worked on spelling. Today Grace taught them words for winter clothes—"mittens," "boots," "caps," and "coats." Many of the kids had never lived in a cold place before and were unprepared for winter. Mai asked, "Please, Miss Grace, what is snow?"
Grace wrote the words "wind chill," "sleet," "ice," and "blizzard" on the board. Every time Ly got a word right she yelled out yes. Two months ago, Ly had been quieter, but now she was one of the most enthusiastic students.
Abdul would not do his spelling today. When I offered to help him, he turned away from me. "Abdul," I said, "I would like to be your friend." He smiled, but not at me. Progress with Abdul was like that of the frog climbing up a wall, two inches up and then one back down.
Grace led the class in a song about good grooming. To the tune of "London Bridge" the class belted out, "Here we go to wash our hands, wash our hands." To the "Hokey Pokey" song, they sang the words, "Germs are really mean. But they can't be seen. They will make you sick. Then you're gonna feel ick. Use some soap and water, Scrub your hands to get them clean, Clean's what it's all about." Khoa howled, yipped, and barked creatively instead of singing. Grace ignored him. Ignazio's stomach growled and Abdul and Pavel laughed.
Mai had her shirt on backward. I could see some scratch marks on her arm. I asked about her Big Sister, Amy. She said, "Amy has tests at her school." I said, "Don't worry, Mai, she will come back."
Ly signaled me to sit by her and watch her draw. I thought how hard it was to give these kids all the attention they needed. Indeed, as I watched today, the kids seemed wilder and all wound up. Deena and Fatima were fighting over colored markers. Trinh was zipping and unzipping her jacket. Only Walat seemed on task.
When Grace read The Crocodile's Toothache by Shel Silver-stein, Ignazio forgot his rumbling stomach and clapped when the crocodile swallowed the dentist. Deena and Ly laughed out loud. Even smart-mouthed Khoa and dreamy Abdul listened. For a few good moments we were all together.
Then it was time to work on silent e vs. long e. Mai sighed and jabbed her pencil into her desk. Ignazio scratched his belly. Abdul didn't even pick up his pencil. Pavel crossed out a sentence and began another, his nose almost touching his pencil as he strained to write. I made a note to suggest to Grace that he get his eyes checked.
As he scribbled with his stubby pencil, Khoa hummed the "Star-Spangled Banner." I took him a new pencil and realized that, like Grace, I was hooked on this kid. He was mouthy and coarse, but he held our hands on the way to assembly.
I was also felling for Ly with her bright smile and happy talk. I respected Deena's work with her family although she was way too young to be so burdened. Mai's palpable loneliness touched the place in my heart that remembered loneliness. They were all getting to me. I wanted to capture Abdul's attention. I wanted to elicit a look of interest from Trinh, something I vowed I would accomplish before the year was out.
November 17, 1999
When I got to class, Fatima reported that Nibbles had died the day before. Two days ago the class had noticed he had a little blood on his nose and that he wasn't moving around too much. Then yesterday when they came to school he was dead.
Deena had immediately developed a headache and had to go to the nurse for a Tylenol. Mai had pulled her own hair. Ignazio and Abdul had punched each other. Fortunately Grace had channeled their grief into a service for Nibbles. She'd allowed Pavel to run home for a special rock to bury with Nibbles and she'd put Khoa in charge of the funeral.