Rosa saw Mrs. Nakamura for what could be the last time. On one hand, her moving to Japan seemed like a sudden decision. Her nephew started a social media app, YouFace. He owned 60% of it and was incredibly wealthy. He could buy her a house near his in Kyoto. But on the other hand, she has been fighting a long war - and losing.
Being a paraprofessional or teacher's aide was a tough job. She had to help kids who were practically blind create PowerPoint presentations. She had to get autistic ten year old 'terrorists' sit still for fifty minutes of Pre-Algebra.
There were success stories. Of course she was proud of her kids. She used to be incredibly proud of Adelina. Adelina might've ended up in an alternative school in Joliet that was basically a jail. Instead, she was a dynamic, popular, and bright high school senior.
But now Mrs. Nakamura didn't know what to think.
Rosa said, "Follow your heart, Shelly. I've never regretted the decisions I made following my heart."
Shelly Nakamura looked at her quizzically. She had heard that phrase before but it had always been somewhat alien. Decision-making was about crunching numbers and looking at facts and figures. What did a heart have to do with it? But teaching kids was a calling. Either you felt the calling or you didn't. Lately the calling was an awfully quiet hum in her ears.
"I feel helpless as a teacher. You try to prepare them for this world but the world gets colder and crazier. It would be nice to go back to my roots," said Mrs. Nakamura.
"Actually we could use a year of the world getting colder, don't you think?" asked Rosa.
"Rosa, you know what I mean," said Shelly with a smile.
YOU ARE READING
Aurora, Illinois
Mystery / ThrillerIt starts with a shocking crime. Kids at the local high school collapse into grief. The police try to unravel the mystery, but this one may be more than they can handle. Meanwhile, criminals are bringing drugs and sex workers into a town that can't...
