Free For Lovers Only by Alex Hairston

underprivileged kids. A lot of top-achieving students come from low-income communities.”
    â€œI know, because we’re proof of that.”
    â€œTrue. But in too many cases there are needy kids with the least amount of resources available and it’s my responsibility to help them.”
    â€œYou’re so right. We need more men like you.” Erin paused for a second and with a look of adoration she said, “Wow, you’re handsome, intelligent and you stand for something real ... I like that.”
    Joel smiled. “Thanks, I appreciate you saying that. But more than anything, I stand for kids that remind me of myself back when I was in school. I had bad experiences with teachers when I was growing up. I only had a few teachers who were passionate about teaching. Most of them used the same cookie-cutter lesson plans from year to year or they taught directly from the same outdated textbooks. They were never willing to adapt to the changing needs of their students. I always wanted to show kids that learning could be fun and exciting. I’m flexible and know how to use different approaches to learning. I try to personalize learning and make it interactive. History has always been my favorite subject, especially anything dealing with the Civil War. You can ask me anything about the Civil War, from Fort Sumter to the Appomattox Court House, and I guarantee you I’ll know the answer.”
    â€œI believe you, and I can tell that you’re one of the passionate ones, like me. I agree with you one hundred percent. Plus, I think students really admire male teachers, especially black men because brothas are a rare sight in schools.”
    â€œThat’s true.”
    â€œSo basically, your desire to help the underprivileged and your experiences with bad teachers made you want to become a teacher.”
    â€œYeah, that’s exactly what motivates me. I used to hear my teachers tell students, ‘I got mine and you got yours to get.’ I hate that saying because it shows arrogance on the teacher’s part and belittles the kids.”
    Erin agreed. “I had teachers say that crap my whole life, but that probably motivated me to strive a little harder to be better than them.”
    Joel said, “I see your point, but a lot of kids get discouraged and end up quitting because they feel that teachers like that are against them.”
    â€œYeah, that happened to a bunch of kids we grew up with and they ended up stuck in our old neighborhood.”
    â€œI know exactly what you mean.” Joel paused for a second and then redirected the conversation. “It’s hard to believe that we grew up in the same neighborhood and went to the same elementary school. The fact that we never met before is crazy.”
    â€œI know.”
    Talking about the old neighborhood gave Joel a new energy. He said, “We have to know some of the same people. Do you remember a guy named Arthur Washington?”
    â€œI dunno.”
    â€œYou had to have seen him before. He looked like a little strong-ass midget. They called him Baby Hercules or Big Pee Wee.”
    Erin laughed so hard she almost choked. “Oh yeah. You’re talking about the little bodybuilder with the big head and short thick stubby legs who hardly ever wore a shirt and jogged around in those freaky little shorts. Who’s that, your brother or something?”
    â€œHeck no!” Joel doubled over laughing. “Aw man, you’re trying to joke me.”
    â€œI was just trying to catch you off guard and make you laugh, that’s all.”
    Still laughing, Joel said, “That was funny though. I mentioned Big Pee Wee because he stood out more than anybody else and I figured you’d remember him. It’s rare that you see a crazy midget jogging around the hood in Speedos, and once you’ve seen it you never forget it. And if you grew up in Edmondson Village, then you have to remember the block