Tuesday morning arrived, and Kitten whispered a solemn affirmation to stay positive and keep hoping that the school would get her a teacher who could help with her learning disability. She vowed she would do everything she could to protect Tammy from the experts. Personal affirmations always calmed and restored her spirit, if only briefly. They were all-powerful, but only for a moment. They impressed upon her mind the changes she wanted to take place, and they helped her hold firm to them. They helped her work through her own indecision and unbelief. She went through her morning routine independently and rode the bus to school.
As the bus pulled into the parking lot, she saw the team of experts awaiting her and the other students. Leaning against the veranda railing outside the therapy room, they laughed over their coffee and tried to hide their cigarettes from the students. She saw that they were relaxed and looking forward to their day. To them the day’s evaluations were routine. Even though their decisions would affect the students’ lives, they did not care. If they cared, they would acknowledge the students leaving the buses, but they focused only on themselves.
Today was Tammy’s clinic and eval, and Tammy had not been on the bus. Kitten knew that Mrs. Beaumont would bring her to school in their family station wagon and stay with her throughout the ordeal. Afterwards, they would go home together so Tammy could rest on the couch.
Karen remembered seeing Tammy’s mom primping her last year, in the girl’s lavatory before school. Mrs. Beaumont took pride in helping Tammy look just so. Karen thought she fussed over her friend as excessively as Mama did over her.
Tammy had playfully teased her mother by saying, “Oh Mama, how much fussing are you going to do on me!”
Tammy’s mother had responded, “Until the experts know what I know.”
Original text ©2022 by Karen Lynn-Chlup. All rights reserved.
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