Take My Hand

The boy eased around the corner into view. Alexis knew he was nine years old from her brief glance at the sketchy notes sent down from the office. He wore rumpled brown shorts and a T-shirt ripped at the shoulder. His knees and elbows, sporting a couple of scabs, appeared as sharp points on his skinny limbs. He looked clean, at least.

“Get in here” came through the father’s gritted teeth. His large, work-worn hand clamped the boy’s thin shoulder as though preventing a dash for freedom.

Now this was a great start…. Coming to a new school was not a happy event for this pair.

The man’s jaw showed evidence of a sketchy shave, and he didn’t look a whole lot neater than his son. Both could do with a good haircut. However, the boy’s face looked scrubbed to a shine, and she caught the fragrance of a familiar soap.

Casual dress didn’t bother her, as long as a student was clean and modest. She preferred wearing simple things herself, and today had chosen a sleeveless, flowered cotton dress that skimmed her body in loose comfort. She liked the fact that the blue print matched her eyes. She’d felt like celebrating spring this morning.

She was thankful this pair had arrived while her other students were in Music. She had about twenty minutes of quiet time before the kids returned. She usually needed the break; teaching special-needs students demanded patience and one hundred percent teacher focus. But at least now she had a few moments to give this new child her undivided attention. And the dad. They both looked a little lost, she thought.

She let out her breath. Time to take charge, she guessed. She moved out from behind the desk. “Hello. I’m Miss Richmond. And you are…?”

Far back in his dark eyes, a spark of startled awareness flickered a moment before he answered. It elicited a quick, surprised reaction in her middle. As though they had met before, somewhere. Sometime. Yet Alexis knew they hadn’t.

Assuming her professional armor, she ignored the feeling.

“J.D., ma’am. J. D. Sullivan.” He handed her a large brown envelope, fat with what she suspected were the child’s school records. “This is my son, Clifford.”

“Hi, Clifford.” Alexis looked directly at the boy. “I’m glad to meet you.”

The child didn’t answer, but defiance gleamed from his dark brown eyes before his gaze darted to the bank of windows.

J.D. frowned. “Answer the lady, boy.”

Cliff remained silent a moment, then, when his dad squeezed his shoulder, he mumbled, “’Lo.” But the boy didn’t return his gaze to hers.

The child’s behavior was in keeping with why he’d been placed in her class. Complicating the problem, the child had just lost his mother, and Missouri was half a continent away from where he’d lived in California. All this was new to the child.

Helping Cliff, with only a few weeks left in the school year, surely presented a challenge.

Alexis sat against the edge of her desk; it brought her face closer to the child’s. She softened her tone. “I know it’s hard, coming into a new classroom so late in the year. But you’ll make friends here, and we’ll find out how to help each other. Okay?”

At the boy’s continued silence, J.D. glanced at her, a hint of desperation there. Since she knew the pitfalls of getting personally caught up in the parents’ plights, Alexis tried to firm her heart against that soulful gaze. But a trace of compassion seeped through.

“Never mind for the moment. Clifford, why don’t you take this desk here—” she tapped the desk closest to hers “—and then go look at our aquarium back there in the corner until the other students are back from Music.”

“I’m not Clifford.” He thrust his chin out. “I’m Cliff.”

“All right. Cliff. We have a turtle in our tank as well as fish. See if he’s out on the island.”

The boy impatiently shook off his dad’s hand and headed toward the back corner.

“That’s it, then.” Relief seemed to ease some of J.D.’s tension as he half turned toward the door. “I’ll pick him up at the end of the day.”

“Hold on, Mr. Sullivan. We have a few things to discuss.”

“Uh…like what?” A tinge of alarm edged his voice as he swung back.

“Like Cliff’s needs. His school record. His meds.”

“It’s all there, isn’t it? In that file from California?” J.D. flashed a tired, half-belligerent glance at the folder in her hand.

“I hope so, but I haven’t had a chance to read it, have I?”

“I can’t tell you anything more than that file can,” he said, as impatient as his son. He glanced at his watch. “We got in to Doc Hanes’s office this morning, so Cliff’s all set now with those pills he’s taking. What else is there?”

“Well, we have to set up an IEP meeting.”

“A what?”

“Individualized Education Plan.”

“Oh. Yeah. Well…do whatever you have to. I have to go now. I’m late getting my shop open.”

Alexis tried to hide her annoyance. Most of the parents she dealt with were eager to do what was best for their child, but she ran into an occasional careless one. Like now.

From the fish tank came a drumming sound. “Cliff, don’t do that!” his father called. Cliff didn’t acknowledge the command to stop.

“Cliff!”

His back to them, the boy moved on to pull a book from a shelf, then flip it repeatedly with a slap-slap noise.

“Sorry.” J.D. shoved his hands into his jeans pockets. A tired sigh escaped him with his apology.

Alexis nodded, then said, “We should do this within a week or two, Mr. Sullivan.”

“It’s spring, Miss Richmond. My busy time. Haven’t much time for extras.”

Alexis thought J.D. was about ready to bolt. She took a step forward and spoke quickly. “An IEP is a required document for any student with a disability, Mr. Sullivan. The law requires a team meeting among parents, teacher, school nurse and principal. It can’t wait.”

“Me? I have to be there?” Caught in surprise, his glance told her he felt totally helpless. His already dark eyes deepened to melting chocolate. Her heart gave a little kick, swimming against an unwelcome tide. Oh, no…

She’d run afoul of these natural charmers before, to her own sorrow. A man like this one used it without half trying, and she’d been a sucker once too often. Why couldn’t she simply demand the man’s help, and then forget it? He was the parent, after all. She was merely the teacher.

A tumble of books hit the cement floor.

J.D. raised his voice. “Cliff!”

“I didn’t do it,” the boy instantly whined. “They just fell.”

“Stop getting into what you shouldn’t,” his father commanded. “How many times do I have to tell you that?”

Alexis calmly walked over to help pick up the books. “You may read this one while you wait, Cliff,” she said, handing one to the boy. “Take your seat now. The other boys and girls will be back any moment.”

Sulking, the child slumped into the seat indicated, but immediately began kicking the leg.

Well-practiced, Alexis ignored the continued noise. Time enough to work with Cliff when his emotions had settled down and he became comfortable in the classroom.