Free Soldier from Heaven (9781629021911) by Christine Thomann Page B

whose head was hanging low, and then I reached over, grabbed his hand and kissed it.
    “Thanks for coming in, Mrs. Schultz. As you know, Jacob got into a fist fight today with another student. I’ll let him tell you the details.”
    “Mom, the kid just came up to me at lunch for no reason and asked how my dad died. I didn’t even know him. I told him to shut up, and he asked what my problem was. I told him to shut up again and told him it wasn’t his business, but he didn’t walk away. Then he called me a nut, so I got up and pushed him. He pushed me back, so I punched him.” with that Jacob started to cry.
    I embraced him to calm him down.
    “Mrs. Schultz, physical fighting is an immediate suspension. It’s clear that your son started the altercation.”
    “Mrs. Kan, our family has been through a very traumatic event this summer. Now I’m not excusing what Jacob did. He certainly shouldn’t have reacted with a fight. But you have to understand where he’s coming from as a child. He was coping very well with his father’s death towards the end of summer, but it was clear yesterday morning that he wasn’t quite ready to face school. It’s like a new part of his life to deal with without his father. Yesterday, he was feeling so sad and freakish. He left school with a father and is returning without one. Our whole family dynamic has changed drastically. When the boy wouldn’t walk away, I can understand that my son didn’t know how else to respond. He was already feeling different, and then the boy called him a nut. There’s so much you don’t understand about what he’s going through.”
    “I see that. But we cannot tolerate this type of reaction. Has he seen anyone to help him with his emotions?”
    “No, but I don’t think that’s a bad idea.”
    “Mom, I don’t need to see anyone,” he snapped.
    “Jacob, you are dealing with a lot, and clearly you aren’t able to handle these situations yet. It’s okay to talk to someone.”
    “I promise I’ll keep talking to you, Mom. I won’t do that anymore, I promise.”
    “Look, Mrs. Kan. I respect your policy on fighting and suspension, and I agree with it. But I’m sure not all situations are like this. Jacob is not a trouble maker, and this isn’t like him. You can see that he’s sorry about it and knows it wasn’t appropriate. The way to get him over this hump isn’t to take him out of school. He needs to keep facing the hard stuff and get through it. How about he apologizes to the boy in your office and explains himself. Maybe you can help the other boy understand. I promise we will deal with this as a family. Jacob has a lot of support, and if it isn’t enough I’ll find someone we can all talk to as a family. Please, Mrs. Kan, you can’t begin to imagine what he’s going through.”
    “Okay, Mrs. Schultz. Jacob has always been a great student, and I can certainly understand this difficult time. We have a guidance counselor here, and he does make time for group sessions and individual counseling. If you or Jacob ever want to speak with him, just let us know. I’ll give Jacob a lunch detention tomorrow with the boy. We’ll talk about it together, and I’ll bring in Mr. Back, the counselor, to guide the conversation. Does that sound fair to you, Jacob?”
    “I guess.”
    “Good. Why don’t you take Jacob home early today so he can calm down some, and you can talk to him more about this? I truly am sorry for your family’s loss. I hope you know that I’m thankful for your husband’s service and sacrifice.”
    “Thank you. Let’s go, Jacob.”

    The weather was simply gorgeous with a gentle cool breeze blowing from the ice blue sky. The clouds were puffier and whiter than I had ever seen. The air smelled refreshing, like morning dew. Fall was certainly approaching with its crisp clean air and leaves blowing on the trees making a glorious sound. It was a wonderful day to be out jogging with Linda. It’s something we had done often