A Story Every Hour: Part IV: The Art Room

“It’s Karaoke Friday, Miss!”

I would ignore him by turning away and shaking my head.

“Please, Mrs B? Its so much fun!”

“No, Ryan. You know I don’t allow music in the room!”

“Please, Miss, please?”

“Quiet, Ryan and sit down right now!”

He would mumble something under his breath and put his head down in despair. Next thing you knew, he was fast asleep.

This dialogue would occur just about every day.

This 6th class was as talkative as Fifth but on the collegiate level except, of course, for Ryan. They had to sit at tables because it was an art room. As with all my classes, I was reading through with them, “Their Eyes Were Watching God”. Many times I had to read it by myself because it was written in Southern dialect and nobody could say it properly. Or understand it either. Every few paragraphs, I would stop and try to explain what was going on in the book.

This group, however, tried to read it by themselves a few times. Which sometimes worked and sometimes didn’t. Often, they would end up talking and joking instead of reading. I then had to split them up but they ended up sitting back together again. And when I was reading it, I insisted they be quiet. This was a challenge for them. They wanted to chat with each other. Although it got old to read it to them every day, we did make it through most of the chapters of the book. This was the case in every one of my classes.

Sitting at one of the tables were three boys that joked and kidded a lot which could be annoying at times. One of them was Ryan. I labeled them the Three Stooges. They fit the description perfectly. All three were in the ROTC. When I threatened to go to their superior officer two of them pointed to Aaron, the leader of the three. When I would be upset with him – usually for not doing his work – he would point to Daisy – a young lady sitting at a different table who aspired to being an officer one day. She would yell at him to straighten up and that would end the problem right there.

I always felt like saluting her when I saw her. She was a real gung-ho military man all the way. I think she would have thrived in a foxhole and could gladly carry an 80 pound pack if they let her. However, her favorite pastime in class was applying make-up, rolling her eyes and sighing with disgust at everything I said.

The last table was a cheery bunch that did everything together as a group. Dustin was their feckless leader. The last day he brought out a board game out of nowhere named: “Halos” and they all played it after their assignment was over and they had some spare time. They had to guess what was written on their foreheads. These were expressions such as meth lab, body lotion or pooh bear and you had to ask “yes” and “no” questions to guess who or what you were. Most of them got the answers (I told you they were smart) but a few were clueless. Anyway, it was great fun and we enjoyed it.

 After all, what else would you want to do in an art room on your last day?