Last week was Thanksgiving break. We were generously given 3 days off of work, which I like to complain about, because we used to get the entire week. I am, however, thankful for those three days and for what they represent. Nonetheless, this strange, strange year continues.
Wednesday morning, I thought on my first day of vacation I would sleep in. Low and behold, my cell rings around 9:45 or perhaps 10:00am. I was asleep. I don't answer the phone when I'm asleep. I figure they'll leave a message. No message. It rang again -- this time I look at the caller ID and see that it's one of the teachers from my school. He rarely calls me and if he does, it's only because something is wrong. I still didn't answer, because I was half-asleep and that's not a terribly professional way to sound at 10am. I expected a voicemail. He didn't leave one.
5 minutes later I get a TXT message... "I am at the scene with Ahmed (name changed). Confirmed homicide. Detectives have Ahmed. I am waiting to get a chance to talk to him." .... I woke up FAST. Ahmed is a student. A good student. An "A" student. One of the "good kids." One of those that everyone loves. Amazing personality, infectious smile, the kind of kid who brightens your day. He's 17.
After a phone call, I found out that his mother was murdered, quite brutally, and Ahmed is being questioned.
Even in this relatively anonymous medium, I cannot go into much detail about this, except to say that I've never experienced such a ... strange feeling about something. I don't know if Ahmed was involved. I know I don't want him to be. I know that it will put into question everything I know about my ability to evaluate people's character. At the same time, I'm finding it difficult to embrace and give this poor boy the support he probably needs as the victim of a murderer. His life is forever changed, as is his sister's, his nephew, his entire family. Not just because of the loss of a loved one, but because of how it happened and what happened afterwards. Trust will never be the same. Even family will never be the same for him.
I've prayed for so many things this year and I'm adding this to my list and for so many reasons.
This underscores an important reality: educating children requires being at some level involved in their lives. You cannot separate the school from their lives... it's a part of their lives, as is everything else. Even horrible, horrible things.
I don't know what scares me more... that he might have done it... and I have to question everything I know about people and personalities... or that he didn't do it and that someone could just randomly do this to another human being.
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