They answered, one after the other, never taking their gaze from me, as if they were afraid to look anywhere else. Noah was eight. Roman was seven, and their little sister, Willa, was six. They were lighter-skinned than their mother but had inherited her high cheekbones and large brown eyes. “I’m going to introduce you to the others.”
A fat tear caught in Willa’s bottom lashes, and her lips quivered.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” I said. “You’re going to make friends and learn so much.”
Willa nodded and sucked in her bottom lip.
“Did you know we have two recesses?” I asked.
“Is that where we get to play with the others?” Noah asked.
“And get fresh air and exercise. In between that time, we have lessons. Now come with me.” I straightened and offered my hand to Willa. “We’re going to tell everyone your names.” Together, we walked to the front of the classroom.
“Children, we have three new students joining us today.” I looked around at the faces of these young people I’d grown so fond of. Please, God, don’t let them disappoint me today. If I caught a hint of cruelty, I would put a stop to it immediately. However, as my gaze flickered about the room, the children seemed oblivious. No one flinched or gave me any indication that they saw anything but another child.
I introduced them by name. “Who can tell them what our class rules are?
Josephine raised her hand. “Be curious. Be kind. Protect one another,” she said.
“Excellent. Thank you, Josephine. Also, when you wish to ask a question or speak, you must raise your hand. Understood?”
The Cole siblings nodded. I pointed to two empty desks next to the twins. “Those are for you, Noah and Roman.” I escorted Willa to a desk between Cymbeline and Nora Cassidy. “Cymbeline, I’d like you to be Willa’s buddy for the day. If she has any questions, you will answer them, all right?”
Cymbeline gave me a radiant smile, all sunshine and innocence. At the moment, anyway.
Next I asked if anyone had any questions for our new students.
Flynn raised his hand. “Do you like games? Or snowball fights or racing?”
Noah and Roman nodded.
“That’s great, because I do too,” Flynn said.
Willa raised her hand and waited until I called on her. “I don’t like snowball fights.”
“Did you all hear that? At recess, Willa would like to exercise her right to abstain from snowball fights.”
Shannon raised her hand. “What does abstain mean?”
“Who would like to look it up?” I asked.
Elsa’s hand shot up. She always volunteered to find the word in the dictionary when we had a new one to learn. She’d to
ld me that just looking at all those words on the page made her happy. “Yes, Elsa, you may look it up.”
Elsa bounded from her desk to open the dictionary I kept on my desk. We waited as she flipped pages.
“Here it is. Abstain is a verb,” Elsa said. “To hold oneself back voluntarily, especially from something regarded as improper or unhealthy.”
Flynn raised his hand. “Does Willa think snowball fights are unhealthy?”
I gave him a stern stare. “Are you using the rules?”
“I’m curious,” he said.
“But was that kind?” I asked.
“Is being funny the same as being kind?” he asked.