He was the son I never wanted.
I started working with "The boy" when he was in the 5th grade. When you work with a student you never know if it is going to be a month, a semester or a school year. All together we spent 12 years together.
The first few months were pretty rough because he did not know much sign language. I remember in December of that first year we were going bowling and for whatever reason he got on the bus and just cried. I signed all the way to the bowling alley that we were going to have fun. It would be great. He did not understand me and he did not trust me. But it was great and we did have fun. He started to trust me. But was always embarrassed to sign or be signed to in front of anyone.
We spent all those years talking about everything. Mainly, girls. We talked about girls for hours! He was obsessed with prom and weddings. If he saw the wedding announcements in the paper he insisted the bride was his...never mind the happy groom. She must have been biding her time for him.
I gave him the sex talk and had to bite my tongue when it was all said and done and the first question he asked was if "Man Yike" and I ever did that. I told him he had to wait until he was married.
Shortly after my Mom passed we had a discussion about heaven. Would he be tall in heaven? Would he need his wheelchair? I had to hold my heart on those questions. I could not hold the tears.
Once he hit high school he had job training and his favorite had to have been at St. Mary's. All those college girls! And always the question to them, " How old are you?", he did not care what their names were.
On one field trip we headed to St. Joseph, Michigan and he got to ride the Carousel. For the rest of my days I will remember the pure joy on his face as we went around and around. So many minutes with him were spent realizing happiness.
So many hours, in the lunch room, in the classroom, cooking macaroni and cheese, having him look at me and reading my face, dodge ball and kickball in
gym, racing up the stairs to beat him on the elevator, and just being his interpreter.
Last year I told him I was his school mom and he quickly signed "YES!".
Today he graduated from his last school. It will be the last time I will be his teacher or school mom.
I asked him if he would miss me...very discreetly I saw his hand sign...
"yes".
