Random Thoughts From Childhood Series-Running
July 12, 2009
Mat's Memories From Childhood
RUNNING
More school issues: I had a bad habit in class of eating my pencil like a piece of corn on the cob. I really never knew I was doing this until a kid in the class would make fun of me by calling me “Beaver”. I only had this habit while in school. I was razzed for not being able to keep still in my chair. I would rock in my chair and not even know that I was doing this until the other kids would start laughing and pointing at me. It’s obvious that I did not help my cause by bringing this type of attention to myself! Finally, when the report cards were sent home, I was called to the kitchen area in cottage one to discuss my grades. I was told that I had straight “E’s” and that they were very proud of me and started patting me on the back and saying “Way to go!” A brief moment went by and the screaming began. After carefully reading the fine print the house parent realized that “E” did not stand for EXCELLENT, but stood for failing! I hate school……
I started to skip school on a regular basis. As you face the front of the school, there is an open grass area with a pathway that leads to the center with a set of steps that lead you up into the main school building. On each side there is a long wall with thick hedges planted on each side of steps running the length of the building. For almost a week, each day I would get off the bus and skip school by hiding behind these hedge rows. I would enter from the side of the hedge and crawl my way to the center of the row. I would lie against the wall and peer through the branches to see what was going on each day. The days were very long, especially when the temperature was sitting at 35 degrees plus I went without anything to eat. I would use the leaves and cover my feet and legs to get extra warmth. I was finally caught on Friday and simply did not care what would happen to me. I was determined not to return to school……
I woke up early the next morning and put on my cloths and my fastest pair of sneakers. Yeah, that would be my red high top converse “chucks.” I was starting to get nervous about running away and went and talked to a boy down the hall that was the serial runaway. I slipped into his room and shook him lightly to wake him up. He looked up at me and asked “What do you want?” I explained that I was going to run this morning and asked for him to give me tips. He sat up in bed and said “I will do better than that, I’ll go with you.” That was great news! I thanked him and headed to the kitchen to eat my breakfast. All my problems would soon just disappear! After a moment, my partner in crime takes a seat next me and inhales his breakfast. He tells me that we will wait until the other kids head to the bus stop at the front of the office and we would slip out the back door and head for the gate at the back of Ivy House. We finished breakfast and headed to our rooms to get jackets and anything else we might want to take. I decided to take nothing with me, but the cloths on my back. The other kids start to leave for the bus stop and we hang back. I start to get butterflies in my stomach and have a flood of fear come over me. I tell my partner and he says “Stay calm, I’ll get you out of here.” I state that is not what I mean! I’m over come with guilt because we are getting ready to runaway and it suddenly does not feel right to go through with the plan. He assures me everything will be fine. I settle down and prepare myself for the run.
We head out the back door of cottage one and run to get to the back gate. My heart is pounding and my head is racing! We hit the back gate; He goes through first and as I exit the gate, I look back and see a house parent bursting out the door of cottage three! He yells “STOP.” I think “Oh *hit.” We both hang a right out the gate and run along the busy street. I kept peeking back to see were the adult was and he was closing fast. My partner is running much faster than me and suddenly cuts across the busy street. I hear screeching tires and horns blaring. Oh god, I’ve lost sight of him after he crosses the street. My head is racing and I’m scared to death if I get caught, so I run like I’ve never run before. I approach the corner up ahead and see a group of people waiting to catch a bus. I glance back and suddenly someone grabs my arm and says “What is your rush?” Some guy waiting for the bus was the one who grabbed me and held tight as I wrenched to get away. The adult chasing me catches up and grabs my arm and thanks the gentleman for stopping me. My heart was racing and my body is flooded with emotions. Man, I’m going to get the biggest butt kicking of all time, I think to myself. We wait for a moment for the man to catch his breath and as he does this, I notice the expression of fear on his face. Not anger, but fear! What would he be afraid of?
I can tell on are walk back that look of fear turned to a look of relief. He asks me “Why did you try to runaway?” For the first time I actually responded to a question given by an adult and say “I was trying to get away from school.” There is a little more chit chat, but I walk in silence fully expecting a beat down. He takes me to the office and places me in a room to wait. As he leaves, he reaches behind a desk in the room and pulls out a lollipop and hands it to me. I say thank you and try to figure out if this is an act of kindness or is a cruel trap for the next person to come in and take it from me! As I sit and wait, I contemplate the big mistake that I just tried and realized this is one mistake I will never make again. I sit silently sucking my lollipop and thinking of all the terrible things that are probably going to happen to me for being stupid……….
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