She helped Peter buckle up as he ran to the car and climbed inside.
How was your day at school today, Peter? She said as they were heading home, « Have you had any fun?
Mom, I believe it went well « said Peter. « I’m starving to death! Can we first go to McDonald’s?
After stopping, Courtney inquired, « Are you hungry? » « You didn’t eat today at school, did you?
Or does that make chicken nuggets acceptable? Peter, not once again! Should I ask Mrs. Dickens about your meal this afternoon?
« No, mama! Avoid doing it! Actually, I’m famished. I was going to eat at the canteen, but I had to give Aiden my food because he was starving.
By the way, he’s a classmate of mine. Please keep quiet about the fact that I assisted him.
What? she said as she glared and yanked the car to a stop. Peter, however, each student in the school provides his own lunch.
Why did you hand him your own? As he said, Aidn won’t actually eat with the rest of us, Mother.
He claims his mommy can’t afford to buy him lunch. Every day when dinner is over, I run into him.
He sneaks into the park and eats the remains.
When I first saw him there one day, he told me anything.
He begged me not to inform anybody because he anticipated ridicule from everyone.
Because we attended an exercise session today and were all rather hungry, everyone finished their dinner.
Knowing that Aiden wouldn’t eat any of it, I offered him my share of the food.
I asked my friends to provide a helping hand as well. They thus allowed him to eat from them as well.
She was happy that her child had helped a classmate in need, but she wondered why Aiden’s mother had been feeding her son leftovers from class.
When she got home that day, she called Peter’s teacher to ask about Aiden.
Thank you, Mrs. Dickens. I hope everything is good for you. In reality, I just had a question for you about Aiden.
He seems to be a classmate of his. He told me Aiden is having some financial problems.
Anything you can think of that I can do to help him? Oh, Mrs. Johnson, very thoughtful of you.
Aiden is one of the smartest children I know and is very skilled.
The family front isn’t working so well for him right now.
His mum is having trouble with her husband.
Oh my God, this is nothing new! Mrs. Dickens, I apologize for the inquiry.
I really shouldn’t be interfering with their family matters, but what exactly is the problem? Peter informed me,
Mrs. Johnson, they are no longer married. Aiden’s mother is a sole parent. However, the wife’s sickness and a child support battle have completely destroyed the arrangement.
“I see…” Courtney informed her what Aiden was eating at school out of sympathy for his predicament.
She wanted to do something to help him. After then, she had an idea.
She shouted with joy. « Could you perhaps do me a little favor? »
“Sure.” « Is it possible to arrange meetings with all of Their classmates’ parents? I want to discuss sth with them.
I only had a thought to aid him. Mrs. Dickens paused for a while.
« Well, I think we’d need the principal’s permission… That’s alright; I can just explain that I had to set up a meeting. When do you want it finished?
I think the following day would be excellent. Parents must be informed, all of them.
« I’ll handle it… » I’ll thus meet you the day after tomorrow.
Thank you very much, Mrs. Dickens; could you add one more item? “Yes?”
« The parents need to think that you are the one calling to ask for a meeting. That strategy would be more effective.
“Ok.” Mrs. Dickens, thanks, she retorted. then hung up.
When they all assembled the following day, She informed them of Aiden’s predicament but did not reveal his identity so as to prevent the child from being unfairly attacked.
The parents were attentively listening, but as Dickens began the speech’s conclusion, a flood of emotions—mostly wrath—began to emerge.
“So? What exactly are you requesting that we carry out? One woman coughed. Parents who are unable to feed their children should not send them to school.
I see, ma’am « Added Mrs. Dickens. « All I ask is that we help him and show him a little bit of respect.
The leftovers from the lunchroom were eaten by the disadvantaged youngster. One of his classmates heard about it.
« Who happened to see him? And if he is so concerned about his friend, why doesn’t he ask his parents to pay for his meals? one guy said angrily.
« I’m sorry, sir, but I’m not going to tell you who it is. I’m sorry. Mrs. Dickens was ready to say more when Courtney stood up. If you chose not.
In my son’s opinion, he did this! And it’s terrible that grownups like you can’t see how bad it is!
Aiden’s mother, who was also there at the meeting, hid her feelings as she sat in the corner when she noticed that everyone in the room was talking about her son.
« Go on, help him, » the man whispered. « Sure, sir, I’ll do that, but I need to give you the whole truth first.
A little child’s family is having financial difficulties, and he is unable to buy food!
Do you realize how horrible it is? a child that is not eating when they should be!
Consider a situation where your child needed food but was unable to buy it.
If you were a horrible parent and destroyed your child’s life, you would be responsible for your actions.
« I am aware that sometimes life leaves us with no other option. We have no power over them.
But try to understand this: a fourth grader waits for his classmates to leave the lunchroom after finishing their meals in order to feed himself.
He conceals them and eats them in order to avoid being taunted by the other children.
What have you been doing since then? As I speak, you are insulting him and his family! I tell you what.
Your children outperform you all by a wide margin! He regularly receives assistance from them in exchange for food.
The younger generation may be considerably more mature than the elder, as this just serves to demonstrate.
Continuing the sanctimonious debates or assisting him in a manner that doesn’t compromise his or his parents’ dignity are the only two possibilities available to us in order to resolve this dilemma.
The only thing I ask is that everyone of you make a little donation to aid him.
Two $100 dollars were then placed on Mrs. Dickens’ desk after Courtney unzipped her wallet and took them out.
There was silence throughout the whole room.
But there was a roar of applause, and parents started putting money down one by one on the table.
The money they were able to earn will cover Aiden’s food costs for the remainder of the school year, so it doesn’t matter that a few parents left the room without giving.
As Courtney was getting ready to get into her car after school, Aiden’s mother came over and thanked her for helping.
Even though she felt sad for the circumstance and was aware of what was going on, she said that she lacked the means to help her child.
Courtney assured her that everything was OK. Two days later, when Peter returned home from school, he had BIG NEWS!
» Mommy! » he said as he ran to her. Aiden has joined us for dinner. He no longer has to eat the leftover.
He was told by his mother that you helped him. You are such a great mother!
Courtney grinned at him. That’s fantastic, my love. Aiden seems content right now, which pleases me.
