Teacher Needed

TOO STOOPID

 

Lenny is a baby. He's scared of the dark, scared of worms, scared of his mommie and scared of me. And I don't blame him. I call him ugly names and he starts to cry. I tell Fred where Lenny is hiding and the dummy just stays put in the cardboard box. I know he closes his eyes and thinks he can't be seen. When he's found and laughed at and gets bopped time and time again on his head, he whimpers and prays for his big brother, Donald, to come save him. Fat chance. Donald has no desire to be a baby sitter. Actually, Donald is a bully. He teases the little girls, makes them sit on the slate steps with their legs spread open wide. My father caught him doing that once, called Donald's father and warned him he would report his son to the police if he does it again. Big braggart, Donald is ten and does what he wants to do.

 

Joseph is six and gets in trouble. He's only six and has learned a lot of swear words. Once I actually saw the brat kick his mother's shins and then he told her to go to hell. I told my father about Joseph (he already knows about Donald)  and I  was loudly warned  to stay away from him or he would send me to the Greenspring Reform School and I might stay there forever.

 

I am losing my friends. My father has warned me and my mother about everybody I know. He thinks he's smarter than the whole world and knows what is good for me. With the chance Greenspring Reform School is where I might be sent, I stop tattling to my father or my mother. Summer is almost over and I haven't one kid left who will play marbles with me unless I bring my good aggies. I am desperate and take my two favorites to the park marble circle to wait for dumb Phil to show up at noon but he doesn't. Instead his brother, Donald, takes his place. He's carrying a very small bag of marbles. 'Where's Phil?' I ask. 'I don't know. Do you want to shoot or not?' I don't want to play with Donald but know he'll do something bad to me if I say 'no.' 'Sure, and I'll beat you,' I reply. Amazing, amazing,  I do beat him the first game, take four of his shooters. I can see he's angry but I am not afraid, watch him closely. His fingers twitch a little and I win the next game. Ha, this is a cinch, I think. Donald wants to stop to get a drink of water from the fountain. He goes and I wait, think he won't come back. Wrong. He walks towards our circle fast, warns me he is going to beat the shit out of me. I tell him not to use that word again. The very next thing he says to me is, 'Shit, shit.' He laughs, bends and knuckles down, closes one eye and stares at my aggie. Crack. It spins across the circle and stops dead, right at Donald's feet. My clear red aggie goes into his pouch. 'Shoot, little boy,' he tells me.

 

Big feet with black shoes, stand to the side while I decide to use my crystal clear marble to start. They are my father's feet. I shoot,  make my shot do a trick spin. Donald is delighted, claps, lets me know his shot is a sure thing. I watch his style again, peep at the big feet near me, and just as Donald starts to aim, the foot shakes the earth and Donald  misses . His marble is only inches from mine. I know I will win this round but I don't. Donald says 'shit, shit' again and my father erupts, hands me all the remaining marbles in the circle.

 

For a few minutes I am happy. Then my father calls me stupid, too stupid. 'I have told you to keep away from Donald or you will go to the Reform School. You didn't listen, so–

 

Oh, well, son, I'll give you one more chance to get smarter. Fluff it and you will have a new home. Come on, let's get ice cream cones before we go home.'