Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The Rescue

It was supposed to be a perfect day.  I had looked forward to it for weeks.  Finally, it was my turn for show and tell and I had brought my most prized possession.  The whole class had loved it.  "It was the best show and tell ever!" my friends all told me. They were trilled!  It was even better than I imagined it would be. 

But now.  Now was the moment I had been dreading. 

They were coming.  I just knew it.  They would be coming for me.  Just like every other day.  Except this day I would not be able to outrun them.  Not for two whole blocks.  I just couldn't.  Not while carrying this big box.  What was I going to do?  What could I do? 

My stomach twisted and turned inside me.  My palms were sweating.  I put my fore head down on my desk and let my long hair splay out around me like a big brown mop hiding my face.  A burning flush started to creep up my neck to my face and I couldn't help it.  I couldn't stop it.  The tears started to fall. 

I quietly wrapped my arms around my head so no one could see me crying.  Oh why didn't I just bring my teddy bear for show and tell?  I'd have a chance with my teddy bear but this was going to be impossible.  

Suddenly there was a hand on my back.  I froze. 

I heard her gray wool skirt move as she knelt down beside me.   

"What's wrong, Kathy?  Why are you crying?" she asked.

I sniffed my nose as subtly as I could and kept my head down on my desk with my arms still shielding me. 

"I'm okay." I answered mortified.  How could I let my favorite teacher in the whole wide world see my crying? 

"Is there something wrong?" she asked again.

"Well.  I just... I don't know what to do."  I broke down.

"Tell me." she said gently.

"Well, every day on the way home from school Trent and Bobby chase me.  Sometimes I can outrun them.  But sometimes they catch me.  And when they catch me they make me hold their hands all the way home.  A lot of times I am faster than them, cuz I'm pretty fast, but I can't run faster than them today because I've got to carry my guinea pig!  And if they catch me and make me hold their hands I'm gonna drop her!  I just know it!  And I can't run with Piggy because then she will bounce all around and I don't want to hurt her!  And I know they are gonna chase me today because they told me so! I don't want to drop her!  I don't know what to do!"  I cried desperately.

"Well I tell you what we are going to do, Kathy.  I'm going to have Bobby and Trent help me clean the blackboards after school for ten or fifteen minutes and that should give you plenty of time to get home.  How does that sound?"  she said with a smile in her voice.

Slowly I lifted my head, feeling relief gush out of me. 

"That sounds good." I said, finally able to break a smile. 

Just then the bell rang.  I jumped up, wiped the tears from my eyes with the back of my sleeve, and got my red, hand-me-down windbreaker jacket on as quickly as I could.  I swiftly checked my shoes to make sure I tied them good and tight.  I certainly didn't want anything tripping me up today.  I ran over to the window sill grabbed my beloved Piggy in her box and headed to the door.  As I got to the doorway I glanced back at my teacher and gave her my best smile.  She winked at me and waved me out the door.  Just as I was leaving I heard her say, "Trent and Bobby?  Would you help me?"  

The sun was warm on my back as I cautiously walked down the sidewalk holding the large cardboard box that my mom had given me to carry Piggy.  Every few steps I would cautiously look behind me just to make sure no one was following me.  But I was safe.  They would not follow me today. 

"Wasn't that the best day ever, Piggy?"  I asked as I looked down into the box.  "I just knew it would be."

This week's RemembeRED assignment was to write a memoir about kindergarten and I thought I'd give it a try. It is my first time joining in, so be gentle. 
It was a toss up between writing this story or writing about the time this same favorite teacher of mine dressed up as a witch for April Fool's Day and told us she was our new teacher (a la the book Mrs. Nelson Is Missing).  She was an AWESOME teacher. Let's hear it for awesome and memorable teachers, y'all!  Woot woot! 

23 comments:

Mom24 said...

I think you did a great job! Join in again.

What a terrific teacher. :)

Annette said...

Awwww, what a great story and precious teacher! Glad you joined in....I am new too.

Rebel Chick said...

Oh, how this brought tears to my eyes! Great post.

dawn klinge said...

You are such a gifted writer. I felt like I was right there, and I was so happy for you when I read about the kind deed your teacher did.

Karen Deborah said...

You are an amazing story teller. I LOVED this! I also loved your teacher. Teachers like that are beyond words they are beyond price, they love.

Anonymous said...

Well played. That is one graceful teacher.

CM said...

What a captivating story, you kept me wanting to know what was going to happen. So did the teacher ever talk to those boys about chasing you? I sure hope so!

Anonymous said...

Brilliantly done!
I loved every second!

Unknown said...

Phew! Thank goodness for that teacher!

I could really feel the ebb and flow of your emotions in this post. Excitement, fear, sadness, contentedness- you had it all!

I loved this part: "They were coming. I just knew it. They would be coming for me. Just like every other day. " because it really built the tension of the story.

Tonya said...

These are the kinds of teachers that always made me want to be a teacher!

Kat said...

CM- Yes, she must have given the boys a gentle talking to because they very rarely chased me after that. If I would have known how cute they turned out to be when they were in high school I may not have minded it all so much. ;)

Hilary said...

Nicely told, Kat. That teacher was a gem. And no doubt those boys liked you in the only way they knew how to express it. So sweet, that teary, frightened little girl. I'm sure you have great tales to hand down to your kidlets.

Kat said...

Hilary- My boys actually know this story because I was telling them how my older brother had just happen to see these same boys chasing me home one day. He caught up with them and threw them in a snow bank and gave them face washings. I was so proud to have an older brother that day. It was my example to my boys as to how they are to protect their little sister. ;)

Kristen said...

ummmm, AMAZING!!! Please write for this again!! You know what? This reminded me of reading "from the cheap seats" and I think she is amazing too!!

So glad that you did this, and I LOVE it. Love the story, and the teacher.

Hoping Trent and Bobby regret being so mean!

Brittany said...

This was SO good! :) Way to go Kat! And what a wonderful teacher! :)

Matty said...

You really kept us in suspense at the beginning. That's a great way of building interest and leading us deeper into your story.

What a gem your teacher was to bail you out. I have to laugh at the fact that your show-n-tell was a piggy. We have two of them here, and we call them our piggies too. How sweet of you to be so concerned about him.

Nice memory and a good story for your own children.

historygirlie said...

excellent story! excellent teacher! great job!

Suldog said...

Fun story. And what a grand teacher you had! Folks like her should be showered with gold coin.

Rima said...

Loved this, Kat. I could really picture it all happening, just like you wrote. You should do the RememberRED assignments more often! In fact, you've inspired me to try, too.

Burgh Baby said...

Everything about this was perfection. Everything.

Unknown said...

I could just SEE cute little you carrying your sweet pet in a cardboard box all happy after your teacher helped you out. I love this story and you did a WONDERFUL job of writing it Kat. I hope you keep writing for us to read! Loved it! xoxo

Cyndy Bush said...

What a great story! I love that you remembered it for all these years.
I want to hear the "Mrs Nelson is Missing" story too! =)

lime said...

aw, bless that sweet teacher of yours. what a great solution to the problem.

Words To Live By

Be grateful for each new day.
A new day that you have never lived before.
Twenty-four new, fresh, unexplored hours to use usefully and profitably.
We can squander, neglect, or use them.
Life will be richer or poorer by the way we use today.
Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could;
some blunders and absurdities crept in;
forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day.
You shall begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be
encumbered with your old nonsense.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson