gutsy 15

                                                              few minutes to clanging bell

typical boys clustered in back corner

emitting immature boy sounds

girls-- resigned to climbing the grade level ladder

with this particular annoying boy bunch--

sat quietly

 waiting

for the few moments in the hallway

with friends and boy friends

i moved between the rows

softly talking to the girls

i looked at her

shoulders hunched

hardness/toughness

radiated from her

her face wore a weird expression

so 

i walked over to her

asked  about her weekend

was she out in the rain caring for her cows?

i teased her about her disdain for coats--she only wears hoodies

even at below freezing temps

she smiled briefly

at my gentle teasing

then a flicker of a spark ignited her eyes

her mouth opened

and

the dam opened ---trickling at first

"my grandma's in bad shape

she was up in columbus in the hospital

all alone

i talked to her, telling her i would get there if i could drive"

she tearfully told me , "i know honey."

then the dam burst

anger poured from her

"grandma's home now

my uncle lives with her

he won't help her

he smokes constantly

he and his pregnant wife

want her house."

"sunday i took his cigarette, crushed it, and tossed it out

he started yelling at me

i punched him hard in the face

bloodied his nose

he started to talk trash 

and i ripped into him

about how he was killing his own mom

meanwhile my fist was tight ready to level him again

he shut up"

i listened

thinking --this is one gutsy teen

she's 15

he's in his 20's

she's a young girl hoping to keep her grandma around for awhile

he's a selfish, irresponsible 'adult'

who won't permit his mother to use her oxygen

just so he can smoke

15 and she punched him

bloodied him

did it happen?

with some students

i would figure exaggeration

but her i believe

i did talk to her about elderly abuse

asked about her dad's role in all this

sounded to me

like a typical family mired in the 'mud' of poverty farming

working long hours away from the land

in hopes of keeping the land 

too busy staying alive

to stop and add mom to the list

of responsibilities

plus, i don't know the underlying currents

that she either doesn't know or doesn't want to say

maybe her dad and her grandma 'have issues' with each other

maybe grandma has dug in her heels

about her 'baby boy'

living with her

appalachia doesn't usually throw family out

family is all some of them have

good or bad

they stand loyal

i am going to talk to the counselor

and check into a number to give her

to pass on to her dad

who may toss it

i will keep tabs

and try to do whatever the law will allow me to do

bottom line though

i'm proud of this feisty teen-age girl

with the weight of a 30-year-old

compressing her shoulders

part of imperfect prose on thursdays

read on

disclaimer: i'm not the perfect, caring teacher

there are some students who grate on my nerves

and i have to pray hard

to just be cordial

i can yell

and i have a tone that would freeze a summer day

i work on my compassion and my reactions to certain kids

and i pray that for every student i help

there's not one i crush