AUTHOR'S NOTE...EDITED CHAPTER AS I NOTICED THE FIRST PART WAS MISSING AND IT EXPLAINS HOW SAMMY AND ALEXIA MET!
TW...this chapter includes violent scenes
In my mind, every family faces different challenges. Some can solve the problem alone, and other families don't have the support system or the resources to overcome the issues they are dealing with. Those issues impact the kids and, in turn, become the dragon lurking in the shadows. If a warrior can come and help them destroy the dragon, their future becomes brighter.
I move towns every two years. My paranoia is one of the long-lasting effects of my trauma. I always look over my shoulder and trust no one.
If my father could turn from a perfect husband to a pedophile and murderer, along with other gang-related charges, anyone could. Moving often helped me avoid being found by the dragon who, even from jail, would resurface and scare me from time to time. Weird text messages, anonymous e-mails, raspy breathing voice mail messages.
Officer Olson keeps asking me to move near him so I can finally settle and hopefully have my own family, but he doesn't get it. I can't feel attached to anyone again; I wouldn't survive the loss. So, my peace comes from staying safely alone and helping others.
In the six years I have been a teacher, I have been honored and blessed to make a difference in the lives of five kids. From Miguel, the kid of uneducated immigrants who was bullied in school for being "dumb" when he had two undiagnosed conditions: ADHD and dyslexia. After I took the time to look into his case and activated several support services available, Miguel ended up with good grades, and the school had a plan to support him. More importantly, I helped the parents find support through the community center and were finishing their GED so they could have at least better options for work. I also paid a lawyer to help with their visas.
Another year, in another city, I met Ashanti, a gorgeous girl whose mom had died two years prior. Dad was struggling with aftercare and helping her cope. Again, I got involved and paid for a year of counseling appointments for them as individuals and as dad-daughter. By the time I left that town, Mr. Thompson called me his guardian angel, but Ashanti knew better. She knew I was the dragon-slaying warrior.
In my second year at Ben Franklin Elementary, I have found the scarier dragon to slay: a neglectful single mom who recently brought a dubious boyfriend to live with her and her little girl, Samantha.
Samantha is one of my students; she is sweet and shy. The first clue that something wasn't right was that she often came with stained uniform shirts, uncompleted homework, and did not have money for lunch. I tried to reach out and send her mom a few notes, but she never came to the school. I asked around, but the admin people didn't know much about her. Apparently, she moved to this town just a few years ago while pregnant, and just recently, they saw her with a partner.
From my conversation with the lovely little girl, I learned that her mamma was not abusive and sometimes tried to do everyday things, like take her to the park or buy ice cream. The issue was that the mom was overworked and exhausted. I can deal with that kind of dragon.
Amanda, or Mandy, Samantha's mom, reluctantly accepted my help, and we established a routine for the next few months.
Sammy was now enrolled in an aftercare program that alternated music and sports as activities. At 6:00 p.m., I would take her home, help with homework, let her take a bath, and feed her. By 8:00 p.m., I would drop her home, always leaving food for Mandy. For several months, it worked great, but one night, Mandy mentioned that her boyfriend's lease was up, and he would move in with them to help with the rent.
Things spiraled quickly after he moved in. Sammy, again, became shy and distant at school. She didn't want to leave my house in the evenings, saying she didn't like the constant fighting and screaming at home. Malachai had become a bigger and scarier dragon in Sammy's life, and I wouldn't let him hurt her. She reminded me too much of my dear Ava.
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(Not) Written in the Stars!
रोमांसAlexia Wyatt My life hasn't been easy; in fact, I have secrets that I have hidden for years. People take my attitude as shy or stuck up, but they don't know what is under the surface. I honestly don't care what people think of me. I am content with...
