‘A BIG RED KISS’

Sarah taught a year two class of needy children.  Many of them were deprived emotionally and mentally, and were very often on the receiving end of physical abuse.  Their behavior usually reflected this sad state of affairs. 

Jonah was a typical example.  He had his own particular strategy of dealing with his needs.  When he wanted something or didn’t have things of his own, like pencils, books, rubbers, lunch etc., he took them - one way or another.  Usually giving someone a good thump did the trick. Sitting quietly to listen for instructions was asking him to do the impossible, because ‘Listening,’- actually asking his brain to engage was as far away for him as a village in India.  Yet he loved being in charge.  He wanted to be the monitor for everything.

Each Monday morning when tasks were shared out, Jonah would shout out, “Mrs J, I’ll be the boss of giving out the books, I’ll be the lunch monitor, and the messenger." This little ‘control freak’ would drive his peers mad. Someone was usually thumped during these times and Sarah knew she had to come up with a way of dealing with his overwhelming need to feel important.

One morning during listening time, the time when Jonah usually rolled about on the floor; legs in the air and bumping into all and sundry, Sarah suddenly grabbed hold of him and said, “I know what you want - a hug,” and she hugged him tight. 

"No, no," he shouted, pushing and kicking, "let me go!” 

Each time Jonah went off with the fairies or the devil, Sarah would hug him, and although while he kicked and screamed, she was aware that he secretly enjoyed it. She decided to take this strategy to the next stage. 

When everyone was seated on the mat, Sarah sat down with her handbag making sure she was strategically close to Johan who always ensured he sat in the front row.  She took out her mirror and her lipstick and proceeded with great care, to paint her lips bright red.

"What are you doing Miss," Jonah asked?   She ignored him at first and then put down the mirror and moved her face full on to him.

"I’m just getting ready to give you hug and a big red kiss," she answered.

He leaned back and a looked at her bright red lips and a look of horror crossed his face. Quick as flash, he moved away to the back of the class, while all the others were hysterical with laughter. 

“Yuk!” he shouted. "I don’t need that sissy lipstick on me. I can hear real good." 

Jonah became noticeably absent from the front row.  His shouting for the big boss stakes, or rolling about on the floor behavior, improved, but jostling with Andrew to be in charge of the computers each day did not.

Sarah decided it was time she made a deal with him.  She kept him behind one lunch-time.  As usual he had no lunch.   She shared her sandwiches with him and gave him a pottle of yoghourt.

“You’re listening is getting really good Jonah, and you’re not such a frigidity bum any more.” He liked this and giggled.  “But, I don’t like the hassle you give Andrew at the computers each day."

“That’s because he thinks he knows everything because he’s brainy,” he said sticking his chin out at her.

“Did he tell you that?’ Sarah asked.

“Nah, I just know.” 

“Would you like to be brainy?” she asked.

He suddenly put his head down on the desk and began to cry.

“Tell you what,” Sarah said ignoring his tears, “You can be the boss of the computers for a whole week. To start with you will only be allowed to put them on in the morning and off again in the afternoon.  If you can do that without punching anyone or shouting, then I will ask Andrew to teach you how to set them up for the day.”

He looked up at her with his little crumpled face. Sarah smiled at him and said - ”Deal?” she held up her palm hoping he would clap hers to seal the promise. But he didn’t. He got up instead and gave her a hug.  Sarah put her arms around him and whispered in his ear, “And when you know all about the computers then you can teach me, because I don’t know much about them either, but don’t tell Andrew, It will be our secret.”

Jonah became a little computer whiz.  He learned fast and the two boys eventually became good friends.  He took his responsibility very seriously.  He was first in every morning to turn them on and last out at night to make sure they were all covered up. Sarah arranged for a couple of the senior students to give the twp boys some extra tuition during computer times.

The next stumbling block was for Sarah to convince him that the other children also needed a turn to be the computer boss.  

From then on, each time Sarah wanted the computers set up for something special and did not have a clue how to do it, as was usual with her generation, Jonah came to her rescue.

He also agreed that she could give him a hug – sometimes - without the lipstick and as long as she did not squash him.