Going Anyway

People Come And Go

Tuesday, May 9

I had no idea today was Teacher Appreciation Day. I thought it was Teacher Appreciation Week last week because they had that party.

Apparently, some of my kids knew because a few of them brought me cards and candy. One student bought me a cup that said, "World's Best Boss" like the one Michael Scott had in The Office. I talk about The Office more than I should in class.

So, that made my day.

But tonight was also Ava's school concert.

After the concert, they had cookies for us to eat, and I was surprised to see Ava talking to TJ, the boy she gave the elephant to last weekend at Sunday school. For those of you who didn't read my first entry or forgot, last Sunday, I had my Sunday school kids play a game, and Ava's team won, but she gave her prize to a boy, TJ, who was being bullied.

TJ is a shy and smelly kid who is in Ava's grade. He goes to our Sunday school class every once in awhile, so I was kind of surprised to see her talking to him tonight. I've met his mom before, so since my kid was talking to her kid, I decided to talk to her.

"How are you, Judy?" I asked.

"Good, how are you?"

"Okay." I looked at her. "Busy."

"Oh, yeah, y'all are moving, aren't ya?"

Judy is an overweight woman who has poorly dyed blonde hair. I could smell smoke on her. Her eyes were heavy. I don't know her story, but I can tell she's had a rough life. I'm pretty good at hiding my past on the outside, and I only talk about it when it's absolutely imperative or when someone tries to make an excuse because of their home life. And, in this blog, I guess.

"Yes."

Moving is like the only thing people talk to me about these days. Moving is also the last thing I wanna talk about.

"Where are you moving again? Idaho?"

"No, Iowa."

"Where's that?"

"Right next to Illinois—the Midwest."

"Oh, did they offer you a job?"

"Yeah, my aunt is the principal at a middle school up there, so she offered me a job. The schools are really good up there, so it'll be good for Ava."

"Well, that's good, but I know TJ will miss Ava. It was really nice when Ava gave him that toy when that boy made his team lose."

I haven't mastered receiving compliments for my kid yet either. "Awww..." I'm so awkward.

"And, he's going to miss sitting by her at lunch."

Wait, I thought, Ava is sitting by TJ at lunch? Why hasn't she told me this?

"I didn't know they were sitting by each other," I said honestly. "How long has that been going on?" This sounded bad. "I mean, that's awesome, I just didn't know."

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe a week or so."

I licked my lips. "Well, cool. TJ is a good kid." He is.

On the way home, I bluntly asked Ava, "So, I hear you're sitting by TJ at lunch."

"Yup."

"That's cool."

"Yup."

"Does he have any other friends?"

"Yup."

"Who?"

"I made my friends like him. He doesn't have lice, by the way. He has dandruff."

I low-key warned her about TJ having lice. I already struggle raising a girl with long hair. I am not dealing with lice.

"How did you make your friends like him?"

"I told them if they want sit with me, they have to sit by him, too."

"What did they say to that?"

"They were mad for about a day, and then we made up because I got to our table first, and they didn't know where else to sit."

"When did this happen?"

"Last week--the day after the funeral."

"Did the incident on Sunday set you off?"

"Yeah, that was frickin' stupid."

"Well, good for you for going out of your way to sit with him."

"Thanks." She paused. "He talks a lot, and sometimes it gets annoying though."

"Well, he hasn't been heard for so long, so you need listen to him. He might have something interesting to say."

"What happens when we leave though? What if my friends don't sit by him next year?"

"You can't worry about what's going on down here when we're up there, Ava, but I feel the same way about leaving my school. Is everyone going to be okay without me?"

She sighed. "Will they? I mean, we have people who rely on us, Steven."

"People come and go, and somehow everything ends up working out."

"Promise?"

"Promise."