Vanishing Point

"Mrs. Villegas, what we're saying here is that, considering this long list of in fractions at school, and the fact that Leo is not progressing in school as quickly as his peers, we are recommending him to move on to the moiling sector."

Sandra's heart dropped as she looked over at her son and studied him.  Leo's wasn't sharp, she always knew deep down that he didn't catch on as quickly as the other students.  She would tell herself that he was more thoughtful than his cousins, but she knew that it took him longer to think about things than them.  He was like her.  Sometimes things were happening around her and it would take her a minute to catch on, but she always felt like that was an asset.  It was at type of focus that others didn't have, an ability to slowly process what was happening and to make decisions based on that contemplation.  

Her son stared back at her with his deep, watery, brown eyes.  His hair was meticulously styled; just this morning he had spent at least thirty minutes making sure that his faux-hawk was cemented in it's perfectly groomed place-so much attention to detail.  His lightly freckled face was odd on his naturally tanned skin and his mouth was a little slack.  She knew that he was not completely comprehending the sentence that the educators and administrators at his school had given him.  It was the same decision that had been made about her over twenty years ago, back when she was also twelve..

"Of course, you know it's only a year of moiling for him," continued the head magistrate of the school district, "he will have an opportunity to re-enter school if he applies after a year's work and training.  You never, know, it may be just what he needs."

"Can't you just give him one more year?" Sandra pleaded.  Moiling was just another word for toiling and that was the life that Leo had been cursed to at this moment.  There was no 're-entering' school; the chances of that were minuscule.  Once a person was shipped off to a farm or factory, or whatever manual labor job the government needed filling, it was practically impossible for anyone to return to school.

The magistrate shook his head with a pitiful look on his face.  "I'm sorry Mrs. Villegas, this decision has been made.  Leo's teachers and counselor's have done everything they can to bring Leo up to par.  The resources that are needed to educate students beyond the age of twelve are too great for us to take chances on a student that is not improving."

Sandra resigned herself.  The school had done some for her boy.  He knew how to read and a few other life skills, but she could not stave off the hot fire that was burning in her heart.  It reminded her that, just across town, there were schools in more affluent neighborhoods that would be exiting a lot less students than this pathetic excuse for a building that she had sent her child to for the last eight years.  

Since she had not said anything, the magistrate cleared his throat and said, "If you have any other questions now is the time to ask them.  Otherwise, I will call in my next meeting."

Sandra looked around the room at the educators and the magistrate that were feigning sympathy.  She got up and took Leo's hand.  He still had a look of dull confusion.  She'd explain it to him later.

Leo got up from the table also and they both turned to the door that lead out of the room.  Sandra turned the golden colored knob and opened the large wooden door out into a gray hallway, leaving behind the small conference room and large table behind her.  On the other side of the hall, in plastic blue chairs that were usually used for students, was the next mother and child sitting to hear the same news that had just been delivered to her.  Sandra recognized the mother as Isabella and the young man's name was David, at least David had his father on the other side of him.  Isabella even worked at the same factory as Sandra.  They nodded at each other as Sandra and Leo  turned down the hall to make their way to the front of the school and head home.

As Sandra pushed open the front door to the school and exited out into the hot day, she felt that all the hope she had had for Leo was gone now.  That she had been given false hope.  There was no way for her family to get out of this cycle of being sentenced to moiling.