I taught school for 26 years, various ages at different times, ending up at the high school level. Then my husband of 35 years suffered a heart attack in August, right before the start of the school year. I hurriedly put in for a year's leave of absence. One part of me thought the distraction would be good for me, but I didn't have the energy to go. The next summer, the school board offered me money to take early retirement and I took it gladly.
One Saturday afternoon in early fall; I was walking out of the grocery store when I spied a thin, dirty young man sitting on a bench. He looked like he was waiting for a cab or something, on closer look, I recognized Derek, a former student from some years back.
"Derek, is that you? I haven't seen you in a long time!"
"Mrs. M, how good to see you."
"I'm surprised you remember me, Derek. How many years has it been, 4 or 5?"
"Well, I just turned 21." We stood there smiling at each other. I started to turn and walk away but paused. "Are you waiting for a ride?"
"No, I just talked to the store manager. I'm trying to get a job but I got involved with the wrong crowd awhile back and had to do some time for petty theft. No one wants to hire a kid just out of jail."
By this time, we were walking toward my car. I opened the trunk and he helped me load the groceries into it. I shut the trunk, and was walking around to the car door when I stopped. "I have roast beef in the crock pot at home, and I'm getting pretty tired of eating alone, would you like to come to my house for supper?"
He looked like he was about to cry, but then the defensive look came over his face. "No, I'm all right." I said, "Derek, I'm not asking anything from you, I'm just going to feed you."
"Well, ok." He tried to make a show of being reluctant to get into my car, but I've been around kids too long to take it seriously. I've always trusted Derek, and he's one kid I wouldn't worry about taking to my home.
We drove in silence for a while. "I hope you got away from the kids who were getting into trouble."
"Yeah, I had a lot of time for thinking the past year. I can see it was their influence that got me into that mess."
"How are your mother and your sister?" He bristled at this question, but when I'd known him, I also knew his mother was a raggedly alcoholic who worked in a bar, and stayed there long hours even when not working. Derek had been the one to take care of his little sister, Susan. They were not abused, but in my opinion, sorely neglected. He raised himself and then helped raise Susan as well. I used to watch him waiting at the corner for her bus, and then walk her home. He took care of her in the evenings, made supper, and tucked her into bed at night. He finally said, "I guess they're all right. I haven't seen Mom in quite awhile, and Susan married her old boyfriend. They moved to Ohio where he had a job waiting for him." I said, "Then she's ok now?"
"Yes, she's doing fine."
We were almost to my house. I said, "Were you ever involved in drugs?"
He said, "Mrs. M, I couldn't. I had to take care of Susan." Yes, I would expect that of him.
Once we got to my house, he helped bring the bags into the house. "Man! You sure but a lot of food! I thought you live alone."
"I do, but I hate shopping, so I buy enough for about a month, so I don't have to go back very often."
"Makes sense to me." While I was putting the groceries away, I said, "You can walk around and check out the house while I'm finishing potatoes and the rest of supper. He looked up quietly and said, "Could I take a bath?" I smiled. "I was hoping you'd do that. Put your dirty clothes on the floor right outside the door and I'll find something you can put on."
I peeled potatoes and put vegetables on to boil, then walked down the hall after I heard the water in the tub quit. I found an old Beatles tee shirt that was a man's large. Large tee shirts are my favorite things to sleep in, if I sleep in anything at all. I picked up the pile of dirty clothes he'd put on the floor, and left the clean tee shirt. I was thinking, I'm sorry I don't keep men's underwear in my house. Well, maybe I won't be Too Sorry. Then was kind of ashamed of myself for thinking those thoughts about a former student. I have never really thought sexually about young men. I've always been interested in older men, such as my husband. But then reminded myself I am no longer teaching in the school district, Derek isn't my student, and he is an adult.