His third grade teacher wrote,“His mother’s death has been hard on him. He tried to do hisbest but his father doesn’t show much interest in him, and his home life will steps aren’t taken.” Teddy’s fourth grade teacher wrote,“Teddy is withdrawn and doesn’t show much interest inschool. He doesn’t have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class.” By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was Opus One ashamed of herself. She felt evenworse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful paper and tiedwith pretty ribbons, except for Teddy’s. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brownpaper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs.Thompson opened it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started tolaugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottlethat was onequarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children’s laughter when sheexclaimed how pretty the bracelet walking was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume onher wrist. Teddy stayed after school that day just long enough to say, “Mrs. Thompson, todayyou smelled just like .” After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On the very day, she quit teaching reading,and writing, and arithmetic. Instead she began to teach children how to be a man.
