Another Day, Another Dollar

It has been nearly ten days since I last wrote. I have begun reading Sense and Sensibility, which I am really enjoying, and have been very busy working as a teacher's assistant for my mom four mornings a week. It has been fun, messy, and surreal. I have had paint in my hair, on my legs and my arms, and on my face. Although it is not always easy to be pulled at in many different directions and to be so messy, it has been fulfilling to seek the kids understand different concepts and make their own beautiful creations.

Today, I had my surreal moment. It consisted of the time when I was standing in the foyer, trying to bring a little boy to the office to call his parents, and he bolted out the door into the parking lot and I chased after him and had to restrain him. That hypnagogic state continued as the director and I attempted to usher the boy back inside and he took off, yet again, down the driveway. When the director and another mother had reached him he started to pick up large rocks and throw them toward the ladies. As I watched all this I attempted to call the parents, but was unable to reach them. Leaving a message, I hurried down the drive toward the threesome and just as I reached them, he rushed off again down the second part of the driveway and toward the street.

The director and I make a mutual instant decision to call the police at this point and I take off, sprinting after him, watching him turn the corner and jog up the road on the shoulder. Inevitably, I ended up running about a mile from the school in sprinting intervals after this boy, whom I never really got more than 15 feet away from before he would rear up, toss a boulder, stick, or tree bough in my direction, and take off again. Just about when I was begging God to trip the boy or tire him out, a woman sees us running and tries to help by pulling her car across the road, effectively blocking the boy for about a split second. He panicked and ran across the road. I was already halfway into the raod with my arms flailing trying to deter and slow down the traffic that flies through that area. He made it to the other side safely and then our guardian angel appeared. A woman who's husband is a police officer, heard the report go out on his scanner and lived nearby, so came outside to see if she could help somehow, since she knew he was heading that way. She called out his name and spoke and signed to him to stop and stand and sit. She told him that he was in danger because of the cars on the road. He stopped and he stood, but he was in no mood to sit. He looked like a cornered animal and just when I was afraid he was going to bolt again, the police truck pulled up and mom pulled up shortly after the boy was detained.

The story does not end there. Once the boy was returned to his mother safely and I had made my way nearly back toward the school with the police officer, we heard shouts and screams and turned to see the boy running through the brush and back onto the driveway and toward the school. Apparently, he had decided that he wanted to go back to camp. His mom said "no," so when she stopped the car to speak with the director, he let himself out and ran back across the road and toward the school. Mr. Police Officer and I were both standing there stunned for a moment. Eventually he was caught and sent home and I returned to the classroom, hot and tired and sweaty after running such a sprint that I had not trained for!

What a day. Thankfully nobody was very hurt. The entire time I was chasing him, I just kept praying that either I would get a burst of strength and could just grab him or that he would trip and the cops would hurry up. I would have laid on top of him, ignoring any threat of lawsuit. I just did not want him getting him by a car and I did not want him nor I in any more danger.

Sore and tired and some pretty good lessons learned by me, but no worse for wear. Another day, another dollar.