In the Heat of the Moment

The day was thick with heat and late in the afternoon on that summer day at Farewell Elementary School. My classroom sat at the farthest backside of the grounds, isolated and far away from campus security and the regular traffic of students and teachers. The only entrance to our room was opened to a ramp that led out of our door. We were all longing for the movement of air, any breeze that might cool our damp skin and sleepy minds. We had no airconditioning and the temperature registered somewhere in the hundreds, a few degrees up or down didn't matter at this point. We were all miserable with our clothes sticking to our skin and beads of sweat covered our necks and faces. It was unusually quiet that day, the heat draining all regular levels of energy. No one heard the feet that traveled slowy and silently up the ramp, all eyes were averted, including my own as I read aloud from the book of the month. The stranger stopped at the top of the ramp peering into the classroom, with big black eyes as dark as coal. I'll never forget the first piercing scream from the child that sat closest to the door. More screams followed as each child turned their heads to look in the doors direction. The urge to run was halted by the loud drop of my book and shouted command for everyone to stop and remain in their seats. My mind raced into action knowing that it was my responsability for the safety of the class. How could this be happening and why wasn't I given a prior sound of warning coming from the old metal ramp? I took a deep breath and raised my hands to quiet the children's questioning eyes. The phone was nowhere near me, in fact, closer to the stranger than myself. I stared into those fathomless eyes, while slowly putting myself in between my class and the stranger standing in the doorway. The energy rose to a feverish pitch as each child strained to stay seated. "God help me" I thought, knowing each one wanted to run, because I felt the strain of my own feet that had to move slowly. I was completely caught off guard that day...and the heat only seared the memory into my brain. I opened my mouth, again quieting the children, before I could address the stranger, who just stood there dirty, haggard and motionless. By instinct, I slowly raised my hands and got down on my knees as an act of surrender. the stranger took one step forward and I heard the sound of 24 children quickly inhale their breath. Pandamonium broke free as the urge to run overrode my command to stay seated. I quickly stood up and hurled myself onto the stranger hoping to divert the attention away from them and onto myself. Predictability and discipline vanished that day in my classroom and what happened next has changed my life forever.....I scooped the stranger high off the ground just in time, before 48 sweaty hands fought to pet the puppy. She had no collar and belonged to no one near, no one that is, until me. I took her home, gave her a bath and named her Cleopatra, a tribute to our current history lesson. That was 13 years ago, and that stranger is now a well loved friend and family member. ( I hope I had you going :)