Free The Things I Want Most by Richard Miniter Page B

of him in bits and pieces. Then, the next morning, she stormed up to his classroom, determined to clean somebody’s clock.
    What she found was a thoughtful, well-groomed, professional, calm, reasonable male teacher who patiently explained that Mike’s behavior was so extreme that for his own protection he had to be “restrained.”
    â€œMrs. Miniter,” the teacher said, “I’ve been working with emotionally disturbed children for many years, and Mike is perhaps the most disturbed child I’ve seen. He assaulted the assistant, threw his materials around, and was flailing wildly. I’ve learned that we have to firmly establish appropriate rules of behavior straightaway and prevent him from injuring himself or somebody else. We had no choice but to restrain him.”
    That defused Sue’s anger. Our home discipline grew out of certain basic rules, violation of which evoked an immediate response. So what he was saying made sense to her. How could classroom work take place if there was no classroom atmosphere?
    â€œBut he’s been with us for over two weeks, and he’s never assaulted anybody.”
    The teacher looked down at his desk and drummed his fingers on the table. “Does he talk nonstop at home, the same way he does at school?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œMrs. Miniter, the longer he’s like that at home, the more disturbed he really is. He’s struggling to hold it together, and the longer he struggles, the higher the pressure builds. So you can think of this beginning period with him as a honeymoon. Believe me, it will be over all too soon. Meanwhile, of course, he’s not holding it together in school, and we have to do what we have to do.”
    â€œHoneymoon? What I’ve been going through with him is a honeymoon?”
    â€œMrs. Miniter, to be perfectly honest, you don’t know what you’re dealing with. You’ve had six normal, healthy children. Mike is not normal, not healthy. He can’t function in any sort of social setting where he is not the sole center of attention. In fact, I’m really surprised that the system would place him in a home like yours. You and your husband are completely untrained. He can hurt himself; he can hurt you. If that happens, The Harbour Program has a lot to answer for.”
    â€œWhat can we do?”
    â€œHave you had any instruction in how to properly restrain children?”
    â€œNo,” Sue answered doubtfully.
    â€œWell, I’m organizing some classes after school hours. Normally, they would be open only to professionals, but I’ll see what I can do to get you admitted.”
    Later on at home, Sue and I discussed her interview with Mike’s teacher.
    â€œSue, I don’t care what you say, this is macabre. You’re overreacting. If the longer you just talk and don’t assault people at home is proof of how sick you are, then the most disturbed person in the world must be Mother Teresa. I don’t believe he can’t function in a social setting. I think he just doesn’t want to. I do know that if you or I tied up this boy, we’d be arrested andcharged with child abuse. Why can’t three grown adults handle four children without roping them?”
    â€œRich, you’re making it sound all wrong, and I’m not overreacting. This man knows these children, and we should at least understand how to deal with him physically if something happens. God knows what I’ve been doing isn’t working—he’s not settling down. Maybe he is sick.”
    I was incredulous. “You’re actually worried? Frightened?”
    Sue looked at me and smiled. “No, I’m not frightened, but I didn’t tell you everything. For instance, after they restrained him, all he would do was scream, ‘Let me fucking go,’ at the top of his lungs, and he did that for over an hour.”
    â€œI don’t care. I still don’t agree with