2001-11-19 - 9:20 a.m.

another subbing story:

As the third-graders marches toward the cafeteria, Mrs. Ross pulls me aside.

�You see that boy, Demetrius?�

The black boy practically hangs from the staircase as he walks , yelling to his classmates who descend the staircase below him. She sighs as she thinks what to say about him.

�He is an orphan. He�s a wonderful boy,� she says, then stops herself. �I mean, I think he�s a sweetheart.

�Only, if he starts acting up, just ignore him. If you don�t, it will mean only disaster.�

We march down the stairs and down the hall to the cafeteria. The children file in. I turn to say goodbye to Mrs. Ross, the student teacher who will be entrusting me with the children for the rest of the day. She pulls me aside again, a crumpled napkin in her hand.

�Demetrius lost his tooth yesterday,� she says. �It will mean the world to him if he finds out the tooth fairy came.�

She pulls a five dollar bill from her wallet and hands it to me with the napkin.

�Here is the tooth, and here�s some money,� she says. �Pull him aside and give him the money. Tell him the tooth fairy came during lunch and you didn�t want to bother him during lunch. Make up some story. He will be so happy.�

I nod, taking the napkin and money. This seems odd, but she is in a rush, and what do I know? She is the teacher, I am the substitute, and my job is to follow the teacher�s instructions.

Back in the classroom as the children settle into their seats, I tell Demetrius I have an important message for him. He comes to my desk.

�Do I need glasses?� he asks me.

�No. Did you lose a tooth recently?�

�Yeah.�

�I thought so. The tooth fairy came in during lunch and told me to give this to you.�

I offer the money, but he pauses. He doesn�t know me; doesn�t know what to make of this gift.

�The tooth fairy?� He fidgets. �Are you the tooth fairy?�

He must be too old to believe in the tooth fairy, but I hold my ground.

�No,� I say. �He came by here. He told me to give this to you.�

�I don�t know�� he says, staring off. �Doesn�t the tooth fairy usually only give a dollar?�

�Well, you must have been extra good this year,� I say.

�Okaay, but�.� He trails off and takes the money.

Later, when we�re reading aloud about wooly mammoths, he plays with his five dollar bill, straightening it outand curling it back up again. He�s been behaving pretty well today.

I wonder if I�ve unwittingly paid him off. I also wonder what I�m supposed to do with this napkin-wrapped tooth in my pocket.

previous - next