What I Think About Him

2 | Elsbeth in the land of the innocents

"Keep silent before Jehovah, and wait on him. Do not be upset because of the one who prospers in his way, because of the man who does evil."

Psalm 37:7

━━ Unlike the rest of us ﹐ Elsbeth was always clear about her path. Catriona had the knowledge and skills to teach, but she lacked what her sister had been born with.

Elsbeth had the gift of making children listen to her.

"Did you like what we learned today? What did we learn?"

The children shouted various "animals", "numbers" and "names" with those high-pitched little voices that captivate the ear of whoever listens to them. Some of them got up and started a revolution of jungle beasts leaping to attack from their unyielding chair rocks, and just as many transformed into intrepid birds that soared over desks.

"Well, in fact, each one of you gave the correct answer", Elsbeth picked up the cloth bags with alphabet cards, so they could start putting together her name, "Remember that we shouldn't be afraid to ask for help. Saying 'I don't know' is fine too, but saying "I can't" is unacceptable, so take that phrase out of your repertoire."

"What is repetoe?

"Let's go!"

"I'm hungry!"

"But, ticha, I don know", Stefan Killier entangled his lips in a duckbill and pulled down Elsbeth's petticoat, almost exposing her underwear.

"Stefan! What strength!", Elsbeth returned the waistband of her skirt to its corresponding place.

"Mushasha", Allie Victorio poked Elsbeth's knee with her pencil and pushed Stefan with her shoulder, "Mushasha, shall we go?"

"Yes, Allie. Almost. Please sit."

"I don know, I don know, I don know!", Stefan tried to get Elsbeth's attention.

"Stef, sit down. We're leaving", Elsbeth patted his head and the boy sat up, frustrated with himself and at odds with his weak points.

"Mushasha."

"Let's sit!"

Elsbeth guided the girl to her place and the rest sat behind her, except for Thomas Brown, who paced the room touching the stimuli that caught her scattered attention. Parents patiently waited for their little ones on the other side of the door, while listening to their children's laughter fill the air. Some of the youngsters had their hands covered in delicious chocolate ice cream that was waiting for their little brothers and they enjoyed the brief conversation with other boys their age.

Elsbeth said goodbye to each of her students with a smile and sweet words, hoping to see them the next day with more encouragement than the day before. When she had ruffled Thomas Brown's mischievous ringleader, her countenance smoothed and her sadness jolted him. She turned her face slightly and met Stefan's melancholy eyes, nailed like a stake to the only tree in the yard.

"What tee is that?"

Summer had arrived a short time ago in Pledisburgo and the sun had done its thing on the pale and freckled skin of its inhabitants, tinting with its restless brush the cheeks of the toddlers. The trees were still there, lush and appetizing with their glistening fruits falling on the wet grass, but Stefan couldn't see them.

The Killier boy couldn't take his eyes off the smelly wood of that monstrous tree with a feudal appearance that stood in the middle of the backyard.

"It's a cedar"

"He is bik"

"It is big", Elsbeth caressed her hair and its grease tickled her fingers, "You're the only one who seems to appreciate the beauty of its branches".