No Sabo

"I can tell that you're sad.  I know when you're mad, too."  Jabez mentioned randomly.
"I'm not mad, or sad."  I lied.
He nodded knowingly.

"Who smell like hot dog water?"  a student questioned rhetorically after entering the fifth grade classroom.  I hoped it wasn't me.

"He's a no sabo."  Jorge mentioned randomly, after asking about the Puerto Rican kid who is't in ESOL.  This was after the Puerto Rican kid got beaten within an inch of his life on the bus.  He's in first grade and the girl that got him is a ninety pound fourth grader.  She attacked Jorge's brother, too.  

I walked the walkers up the hill.  

"There's a guy, a weird guy at the top."  I heard on the walkie talkie.  

"I'm on it."  Coach responded. 

I kept walking with my trail of children behind me.  I saw the principal taking up the flank.  She hadn't changed our of her heels.  I knew it was serious.  

Byron started running, just like always.

I got in his face.

"There is a dangerous man up there and this just might be the day that you should stay next to me."  I told him.

By the time we got there, the police were there and the guy was by the side of the car. 

A mom came up to me that usually meets her child at the top of the hill.

"That kid came up to me.  He was dragging a shovel.  He jumped in front of the bus and started beating on it.  He was messing with a dog in someone's yard.  He came up to me and asked why I didn't want to talk to him.....I told him I'm a full grown woman and that he needed to get back in his yard....but he kept coming behind me, dragging that shovel...."

"I'm really sorry."  I responded, while the police put the handcuffs on him and cleared the path for the rest of the children to walk home.