May Day

"Let's go, soy sauce."  a girl called to Kaw as they walked from their testing room.   My hand inadvertently went to my mask-covered mouth.
"Is she talking to you?" I asked, laughing a little.  Kaw smiled too and shuffled away.  

"Whatever, merkin."  one of my Housing Authority students responded to something he perceived as an insult.  

The trailer started vibrating at the same time it does everyday.  Fuzzy bass from the loud rap music filled the air as the guy across the street did his front yard work out while his giant, off-leash dog looked on.  My kids started moving their shoulders and shifting their heads to the beat while they did their work.  

"That girl called you soy sauce...."  I mentioned, inquired of Kaw.

"Yeah."

"I laughed, I don't know why.  I was uncomfortable.  Did it bother you that she called you that?"  I asked.

"Yes."  he answered definitively.

"She kept tripping me so hard I almost cried."

"What is her name, Kaw??  I will take care of this!"  

"It's Heather or something.  I don't know her last name.  Or whose class she is in.  And, I don't want to be a snitch."

My second graders ran to the trailer, like they always do.  Me, I take my time, chatting and walking with the kids that don't feel like running.  It's our nature walk.  When I got to the trailer ramp, three kids stood under one umbrella in the glaring sun.

"We need shade."  the announced, smiling.  

"I'm not a snitch."  Kaw whispered furiously to Angel, while I was trying to start small group testing. 

"But you should care!!  Care more than if you are a snitch or not!"  Angel responded.

"Look, I don't want to get beat up.  I don't want to get hit."  Kaw responded.

Angel stood up and walked over to my desk and started whispering to me, as if I was unaware of everything that was happening.

"Kids are vaping.  Bway Pa did it, I saw the smoke-stuff come out of her mouth.  They were on the playground and they did it in the cafeteria.  I saw Amari passing around the vape stuff and he had a lighter, too.  He said if anyone told he would beat them up."

"Thank you for letting me know, Angel.  You did the right thing.  I will take care of this."

"Is there anyway you could wait to tell until 2:30 today, like, after the buses get home?"  he responded.

I smiled.

"I'll take care of this."

I started their test and immediately texted admin.  I didn't want to email, it could get lost.  Those kids needed to be searched, immediately.  I didn't care if Bway Pa went down.  She needed to quit this shit.  Her friends were afraid for her and afraid for themselves.  If she was going to let them get their asses beat, we were done here.  

Paw Ku handed me an envelope.  It was the same envelope that I gave her with a thank you note enclosed for the pretty carnation and weed-flower head band that she gave me for Teacher Appreciation Week. 

"That was for you, Paw Ku!"  I exclaimed.

She kept waving it until I looked more closely.  She had written on the envelope "from" in front of her name and "to" and added mine.

I took it to the trailer and read it.  

Dear Ms. Wagner we can always be in touch by letter Instagram and mail I'll miss you plus I don't want to leave without you love Paw Ku

"Did you tell?"  Angel whispered to me, a week later.

"Yes."  I responded.

"I told right after you told me.  They don't care."  I answered.

He looked shocked.  I never received a response to my text and got a very frosty reception from admin for days.

No wonder these kids don't trust me anymore.