When I was in the third grade I used to go to this after-school daycare center everyday and wait for the old man to pick me up after work.
There was this kid there with cerebral palsy named Derek. He was a mess. A really severe case. He was dumb as he could be and he would sit there with a grin, from ear to ear, everyday.
Now I was big into legos at the time and I would spend the two hours before dad picked me up playing with these legos. Derek loved to sit there and watch me. Once in a while he would ask me ‘Brian, why don’t you put this one here?’, and he would muster all his coordination just to pick up the lego and try to put it in place. It didn’t matter where he tried to put it. Even if it was totally illogical for the structure I would help him, and then I would praise him for the advice he gave me. To Derek, this was all fascinating, and I liked Derek because he was a gentle soul in a strange world where he didn’t fit. I would ask him ‘should we put the wings here, or on this side?’ It would take him a minute to understand the question, then his feeble little hand would point to the spot where the wing should go.
We put together some ugly looking castles and spaceships, you better believe it.
Then came the daycare center bully. This kid was new and he immediately took to making fun of Derek. Derek didn’t know what the hell this was so he just sat there with that stupid grin on his face, as usual.
Well this one time (the first and last time) this kid took Derek’s glasses. I was in the bathroom when this happened, and when I came out, Derek was clutching the table and kneeling down, crying. He was almost completely blind without his glasses. All the kids were laughing and when I spotted Derek from across the room, this pathetic creature holding on to the table leg, scared to death and crying his heart out, I saw he didn’t have his glasses on. I surveyed the room and saw the bully. He was wearing Derek’s glasses and walking around like he was retarded. Everybody was laughing it up. All this time the teacher was in the office doing something and left the kids unsupervised.
When I saw Derek, and then the bully, something went ‘click’ in my head. Kill bully, save Derek. Engage.
I didn’t even ask the kid to give back the glasses. I just slapped the shit out of him (almost breaking the glasses, in fact). Before this kid even knew what was going on I was on his ass like grease lightning. Strangely, I don’t remember the fight. Must be one of those blocked memories. But I was suspended from the daycare center for what I did.
Irresponsible adults failing to supervise unruly children. I try to restore order, I try to do the right thing, and I am punished for it. When the old man came to pick me up, and found out, I was punished again.
I don’t know what happened to Derek. I think his mother took him out of that daycare, and I never saw him again.
I have a picture of Derek as clear as day in my head. I remember he used to wear Rustler jeans and velcro shoes. Kangaroos, I think there were called… the ones with the little zipper pockets in the sides.