AlltheGood
海倫·姆羅斯拉/HelenMrosla
HewasinthethirdgradeclassItaughtatSaintMary』sSchoolinMorris,Minnesota.All34ofmystudentswerecleartome,butMarkEklundwasoneinamillion.Veryneatinappearance,hehadthathappy-to-be-aliveattitudethatmadeevenhisoccasionalmischievousnessdelightful.
Markalsotalkedincessantly.Itriedtoremindhimagainandagainthattalkingwithoutpermissionwasnotacceptable.Whatimpressedmesomuch,though,wasthesincereresponseeverytimeIhadtocorrecthimformisbehaving.「Thankyouforcorrectingme,Sister!」Ididn』tknowwhattomakeofitatfirst,butbeforelongIbecameaccustomedtohearingitmanytimesaday.
OnemorningmypatiencewasgrowingthinwhenMarktalkedoncetoooften.Imadeanovice-teacher』smistake.IlookedatMarkandsaid,「Ifyousayonemoreword,Iamgoingtotapeyourmouthshut!」
Itwasn』ttensecondslaterwhenChuckblurtedout,「Markistalkingagain.」Ihadn』taskedanyofthestudentstohelpmewatchMark,butsinceIhadstatedthepunishmentinfrontoftheclass,Ihadtoactonit.
Irememberthesceneasifithadoccurredthismorning.Iwalkedtomydesk,verydeliberatelyopenedthedrawerandtookoutarollofmaskingtape.Withoutsayingaword,IproceededtoMark』sdesk,toreofftwopiecesoftapeandmadeabigXwiththemoverhismouth.Ithenreturnedtothefrontoftheroom.
AsIglancedatMarktoseehowhewasdoing,hewinkedatme.Thatdidit!Istartedlaughing.TheentireclasscheeredasIwalkedbacktoMark』sdesk,removedthetapeandshruggedmyshoulders.Hisfirstwordswere,「Thankyouforcorrectingme,Sister.」
AttheendoftheyearIwasaskedtoteachjuniorhighmath.Theyearsflewby,andbeforeIknewitMarkwasinmyclassroomagain.Hewasmorehandsomethaneverandjustaspolite.Sincehehadtolistencarefullytomyinstructioninthe「newmath」,hedidnottalkasmuchinninthgrade.
OneFridaythingsjustdidn』tfeelright.Wehadworkedhardonanewconceptallweek,andIsensedthatthestudentsweregrowingfrustratedwiththemselves—andedgywithoneanother.Ihadtostopthiscrankinessbeforeitgotoutofhand.SoIaskedthemtolistthenamesoftheotherstudentsintheroomontwosheetsofpaper,leavingaspacebetweeneachname.ThenItoldthemtothinkofthenicestthingtheycouldsayabouteachoftheirclassmatesandwriteitdown.
Ittooktheremainderoftheclassperiodtofinishtheassignment,butasthestudentslefttheroom,eachonehandedmetheirpaper.Chucksmiled.Marksaid,「Thankyouforteachingme,Sister.Haveagoodweekend.」
ThatSaturday,Iwrotedownthenameofeachstudentonaseparatesheetofpaper,andIlistedwhateveryoneelsehadsaidaboutthatindividual.OnMondayIgaveeachstudenthisorherlist.Someofthemran,twopages.Beforelong,theentireclasswassmiling.「Really?」Iheardwhispers.「Ineverknewthatmeantanythingtoanyone!」「Ididn』tknowotherslikedmesomuch!」
Nooneevermentionedthosepapersinclassagain.Ineverknewiftheydiscussedthemafterclassorwiththeirparents,butitdidn』tmatter.Theexercisehadaccomplisheditspurpose.Thestudentswerehappywiththemselvesandoneanotheragain.
Thatgroupofstudentsmovedon.Severalyearslater,afterIhadreturnedfromavacation,myparentsmetmeattheairport.Asweweredrivinghome,Motheraskedtheusualquestionsaboutthetrip:Howtheweatherwas,myexperiencesingeneral.Therewasaslightlullintheconversation.MothergaveDadasidewaysglanceandsimplysaid,「Dad?」Myfatherclearedhisthroat.「TheEklundscalledlastnight,」hebegan.
「Really?」Isaid,「Ihaven』theardfromthemforseveralyears.IwonderhowMarkis.」
Dadrespondedquietly.「MarkwaskilledinVietnam,」hesaid,「Thefuneralistomorrow,andhisparentswouldlikeitifyoucouldattend.」TothisdayIcanstillpointtotheexactspotonI-494whereDadtoldmeaboutMark.
Ihadneverseenaservicemaninamilitarycoffinbefore.Marklookedsohandsome,somature.AllIcouldthinkatthatmomentwas,Mark,Iwouldgiveallthemaskingtapeintheworldifonlyyoucouldtalktome.
ThechurchwaspackedwithMark』sfriends.Chuck』ssistersang「TheBattleHymnoftheRepublic.」Whydidithavetorainonthedayofthefuneral?Itwasdifficultenoughatthegraveside.Thepastorsaidtheusualprayersandthebuglerplayedtaps.OnebyonethosewholovedMarktookalastwalkbythecoffinandsprinkleditwithholywater.