Wednesday, February 01, 2012

She May Be A Woman Of The World

In she walked. All 15 years, going on 50. Short, plump, mouthy, speaking Spanish when English would have been easier for her and desperately needing a safe haven. Donny was excited to see her and could not help starting a teenage flirting ritual. This was not lost on her. With poorly developed "adult wiles" she flirted right back. If only you could have seen the drama play itself out, until I became the bad guy by asking them to move apart.

Chantell had no idea the extent of my knowledge about her recent past. Donny only knew that he had again discovered the love (lust) of his life. To bad I am a large presence between him and his immediate future.

I am just a lowly SPED teacher, but not without some connections. Chantell had ran away about a year ago. Running to greater downtown New Jersey and her boozing mother. She actually made it by bus to New York Port Authority. A "kindly" man offered her assistance. Before she realized the dire straights she was in, she found herself in Mississippi working in the oldest profession. Modern slavery in America was alive and not so well. By the time she was rescued by the F.B.I., her father had gone broke trying to find her, had lost his job, and her mother did not leave New Jersey.

Chantell still had to face at least two courtrooms to testify. As the court dates neared her acting out behaviors increased. She frequently spent long school days hiding in my classroom. Each time she whined, cried, and searched for sympathy. Her number one complaint was how "everyone" thinks she is a whore. Each time I attempted to counsel her about why her peers may have such thoughts.

"Chan, if you spend your time with them telling how you use to prostitute and how much you loved it, well, they may get the wrong idea."

"They don't have to talk bad about me. I don't need their shit!"

This behavior continued until the end of the school year. It was a toss-up which of us had the longest three months? In all honesty, her three months made mine pale in comparison.

New school year, same portable classroom, mostly the same students, and in came Chantell. Somehow, she survived the summer break, did not run off to New Jersey again, still spoke the worse Spanish I have ever heard, her father had a new job, they had a new apartment, and she is a junior.

Most importantly, she found religion. It is clear she was making all effort to live a completely different life then last year. She rarely mentions how much she wants to be with her mother. Also, she now sees her father differently.

Most importantly she smiled on the first day of school!

28 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:03 PM CST

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  2. Anonymous5:15 PM CST

    I know you know who this is. If you tell me you don't want to be bothered, I will respect that. But please, please, please get in touch before you dismiss this. I won't tell the sisters or anyone else I found you. As far as I know there are only two sisters left anyway. I don't keep in contact with anyone either. But you know you were like my big brother. I knew, but I didn't really know. I know the truth now. I knew I had a special connection to you. This is not a Nigerian scam. Sorry, once I re-read this, I had to say that. Please contact me,Gale

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  3. Anonymous2:02 PM CST

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  4. Anonymous2:06 PM CST

    That is true!

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  5. Anonymous4:35 PM CST

    "I knew, but I didn't really know. I know the truth now"

    Hello,
    I know the answer to this, but I will ask anyway. What did you find out and how did you find out?





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  6. Anonymous5:43 PM CST

    Hi, How do I know it's you? This could be anybody pretending to be you. So I don't want to give out too much info til I know who I am actually talking to. I will say that I found out almost 20 years ago after my Mom died. But it didn't come as a surprise, I think I suspected all my life. If you tell me your brothers first name(hint it starts with a b or c nickname or real name) I will tell you everything. I don't want to intrude, just want to touch base and see how you and your family are. It's not like I am going to pop in for Christmas dinner and a gift exchange or anything. Just wanted to talk to you a little. As for how I found out, it wasn't easy. It took a long time but I am tenacious and when I set out to do something, I keep on trying. By the way did you block me from your blog? That was mean.

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  7. Anonymous6:38 PM CST

    OK, Either it's you or I'm talking to Uri Gellar. He did do more than bend spoons,right? He was a psychic too, I think. Anyway, Aunt Mary told me. So I do know who your birth Mom is. You do too, right? Buddy is dead. I didn't know myself. I moved to Texas, Georgia, Florida. Alabama. New Jersey then back to Pa. I was looking around to see how many of my exes had bit the dust when I stumbled on his obit. I wouldn't tell you so bluntly but I know you two didn't see eye to eye. Do you not want to be bothered? If you don't that's fine. I just always thought about you. I don't think the family did you or me right. So I don't blame you for getting lost. Anyway what other questions do you have? If you want to talk more privately, you can email me.

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  8. Anonymous6:45 PM CST

    I am not being bothered, just cautious. Do you have a sister or brother?

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  9. How did you find this blog and attach it to whom you were looking for?

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  10. Anonymous6:53 PM CST

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  11. Anonymous7:01 PM CST

    It wasn't easy. I am quite the cyber stalker, huh? If I would have had a computer available 20 years ago, I would have found you a lot sooner. To tell you the truth, I am too cheap to pay one of those crazy people finder sites that probably don't work anyway. So I knew you had moved to Nashville years ago but that's all I knew. I googled and googled until I came across your blog. I still wasn't sure it was you. But I then got to your blogs about you growing up and I was positive then. Then I discovered you worked at the high school. So I emailed you at your work email because I didn't know if you even checked this blog anymore. I didn't say much in the email because I was trying to be a little discreet, which is not really easy for me. Sorry to be so cryptic earlier, I just wanted to be cautious as well.

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  13. Anonymous7:20 PM CST

    Also, I found your name on the ham radio license site. It gave the city where you are now. There are a lot of people by your name but I knew it was you. I know you always liked radios, music, electronics, stuff like that. So I knew it had to be you.

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  14. Anonymous7:24 PM CST

    Hummmmmm........

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  15. Anonymous7:28 PM CST

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  16. Anonymous7:30 PM CST

    Hey what was that yet! As in I didn't block anybody yet. I just noticed that. Is that a threat? Ha! Ha! Just kidding.

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  17. Anonymous7:45 PM CST

    Hey, If I don't post anymore, I will tomorrow. I am using my iPad and I think the batteries are getting low. One of my dogs chewed the cord so I have to be very careful when I charge it, I sit it off by itself. You probably need time to digest this anyway. And by the way, you write great! I am writing a book myself, I think you should too.

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  18. Anonymous3:03 AM CST

    iPads are great. Yes, I am thinking through this so I shut mine down to charge for the evening. It is now three in the morning. Regardless, what they do, dogs are the best!

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  19. Anonymous6:00 PM CST

    Are you around this evening?

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  20. Anonymous6:10 PM CST

    Hi, I just checked to see if you were there and here you are.
    I saw on the news this morning that some schools in your state, among others, were extending school time. Do you know if it affects you yet?
    I was thinking today, I hope I don't sound too muck like a weirdo. But do you still put all your money facing in the same direction?
    Everyone laughs at me because ever since you told me that when I was little, I keep my money that way. In the 70's I worked at Mickey Dees and I kept all the money in my register that way. When I came back from a break I would have a stroke if they didn't keep my drawer straight. I was/still am a real goof.

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  21. Anonymous6:13 PM CST

    Whoops - much like a weirdo. I guess I'd better wear my bi vocals. Ha! Ha!

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    Replies
    1. Yes, I do. Probably OCD my whole life.

      Delete
  22. Anonymous6:24 PM CST

    Do you have a Greyhound pooch?

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  23. Anonymous6:34 PM CST

    Well I guess I have it too. Yes we have a Greyhound, a German Shepherd and a little Boston. We love our dogs. We have always had a dog except for this past year. We had to have our Pug put to sleep. We had her 8 years since she was born actually. We had her Momma. She got an infection and they couldn't fix her without an operation which would have cost thousands of dollars. Plus they couldn't say for sure she would pull through anyway. We had already spent over $1000.00 trying to save her. The vet thought it was best to put her to sleep. My husband took it the worst because she was really his dog. She went to the store with him, slept with him, she was with him all the time. We weren't going to get another dog right away. But we got the Boston for him, the Shepherd for my youngest son and the
    Greyhound for me. But she loves everyone. We have quite a pack.
    Do you have any pets?

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  24. Anonymous6:45 PM CST

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  25. Anonymous6:57 PM CST

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