Read Online Charlinder's Walk by Alyson Miers - Free Book Online
Authors: Alyson Miers
Tags: Coming of Age
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the Plague, everyone in the school would get it, only it didn't just make them sniffly, it killed them."
The same child spoke again. "How come people got the Plague?"
"For the same reason they get any other disease; when a new germ develops, people get infected until they develop an immunity to it, but that's a lesson for science class. Come on, let's do math lessons."
Another little boy stood up, smiling brightly. "My Uncle Taylor says a higher power named God made people get sick with the Plague because they were being bad!" he announced happily.
“That is a very interesting perspective from your Uncle Taylor, and I’m sure he can tell you all about it after school. Now it’s time for math lessons, so let’s get into groups,” ushered Charlinder. His older students, already whispering to each other for a few minutes, stood up and began heading toward their corners of the room. The little ones also stood up, but they weren't sure whether to go to their math areas or mill around the Plague session.
Another boy of the same age stood up and addressed Michael. "It was not a higher power," he sneered. "Everyone got the Plague because they didn't wash their hands or eat enough vegetables!"
Charlinder thought whoever had supplied the boy with that explanation was working on just as shaky a ground as the Faithful with their fire-and-brimstone fearmongering, but no matter, he simply wanted the class to change the subject.
"They did not!" objected the first one. "It was from God! Uncle Taylor told me so!"
"Your Uncle Taylor is stupid!"
"He is not!"
"He's a squirrel-brain and you are too!" proclaimed the second child. Taylor’s nephew responded by lunging at him.
The other little ones squealed in excitement as the two boys rolled around on the floor, growling and pummeling each other. “That’s enough, both of you!" barked Charlinder, but the children completely ignored him. The older ones rushed forward to watch the fight, and some even shouted, "Get him, runt!" though Charlinder couldn't tell which one they were cheering. He waded through the sea of small bouncing bodies and pulled the second boy off from on top of the first one, who scrambled up and tried to claw at his opponent up in Charlinder's arms.
Charlinder looked for Elizabeth, his best and most helpful student. She was standing at the back of the room, watching the pandemonium but clearly waiting for it to end. Charlinder made eye contact with her. "Get him, will you?" he requested, gesturing towards the furious little boy attacking his waistline. Elizabeth ran up and grabbed the child around the waist, holding him sideways and carrying him to the other side of the room. The rest of the children were still out of control. Charlinder looked for something small and hard that he could bang against the wooden bookshelves to make a loud sound. There was nothing. In one furious motion, he doubled over at the waist to put his face at the children's eye level and roared, "SIT DOWN!"
Every body in the room dropped to the floor, including Elizabeth, still with the now-compliant six-year-old in her arms. The other one, whom Charlinder still held, also went limp. Every mouth was still, every face watched Charlinder with big, round eyes.
"Groups D and E, please start passing around the blank paper and writing ink on the shelf. The rest of you, get into your math groups and I don't want to hear a peep until I've told you what to do."
He couldn't wait for the school day to end. He tried to give them a good session of math lessons, but all he could do was switch between groups and keep telling the children when they were getting the answers wrong. His concentration was shot. When it was finally time for everyone to leave for lunch, Charlinder didn't even stay to tidy the place up. He had to get out.
He usually took his meals with his uncle, but this time, he waited in a different line, where he hoped those close to him
The same child spoke again. "How come people got the Plague?"
"For the same reason they get any other disease; when a new germ develops, people get infected until they develop an immunity to it, but that's a lesson for science class. Come on, let's do math lessons."
Another little boy stood up, smiling brightly. "My Uncle Taylor says a higher power named God made people get sick with the Plague because they were being bad!" he announced happily.
“That is a very interesting perspective from your Uncle Taylor, and I’m sure he can tell you all about it after school. Now it’s time for math lessons, so let’s get into groups,” ushered Charlinder. His older students, already whispering to each other for a few minutes, stood up and began heading toward their corners of the room. The little ones also stood up, but they weren't sure whether to go to their math areas or mill around the Plague session.
Another boy of the same age stood up and addressed Michael. "It was not a higher power," he sneered. "Everyone got the Plague because they didn't wash their hands or eat enough vegetables!"
Charlinder thought whoever had supplied the boy with that explanation was working on just as shaky a ground as the Faithful with their fire-and-brimstone fearmongering, but no matter, he simply wanted the class to change the subject.
"They did not!" objected the first one. "It was from God! Uncle Taylor told me so!"
"Your Uncle Taylor is stupid!"
"He is not!"
"He's a squirrel-brain and you are too!" proclaimed the second child. Taylor’s nephew responded by lunging at him.
The other little ones squealed in excitement as the two boys rolled around on the floor, growling and pummeling each other. “That’s enough, both of you!" barked Charlinder, but the children completely ignored him. The older ones rushed forward to watch the fight, and some even shouted, "Get him, runt!" though Charlinder couldn't tell which one they were cheering. He waded through the sea of small bouncing bodies and pulled the second boy off from on top of the first one, who scrambled up and tried to claw at his opponent up in Charlinder's arms.
Charlinder looked for Elizabeth, his best and most helpful student. She was standing at the back of the room, watching the pandemonium but clearly waiting for it to end. Charlinder made eye contact with her. "Get him, will you?" he requested, gesturing towards the furious little boy attacking his waistline. Elizabeth ran up and grabbed the child around the waist, holding him sideways and carrying him to the other side of the room. The rest of the children were still out of control. Charlinder looked for something small and hard that he could bang against the wooden bookshelves to make a loud sound. There was nothing. In one furious motion, he doubled over at the waist to put his face at the children's eye level and roared, "SIT DOWN!"
Every body in the room dropped to the floor, including Elizabeth, still with the now-compliant six-year-old in her arms. The other one, whom Charlinder still held, also went limp. Every mouth was still, every face watched Charlinder with big, round eyes.
"Groups D and E, please start passing around the blank paper and writing ink on the shelf. The rest of you, get into your math groups and I don't want to hear a peep until I've told you what to do."
He couldn't wait for the school day to end. He tried to give them a good session of math lessons, but all he could do was switch between groups and keep telling the children when they were getting the answers wrong. His concentration was shot. When it was finally time for everyone to leave for lunch, Charlinder didn't even stay to tidy the place up. He had to get out.
He usually took his meals with his uncle, but this time, he waited in a different line, where he hoped those close to him
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