The child huddles closer to me. "Ms Karen, I... I think I'm going to cry." She says it in a hushed whisper.
I gently stroke her back. "Then cry, Julia. You can lean on my shoulder."
She does as I say. Soon, moistness seeps through the thin material. Yet that is nothing compared to the love that emanates from Julia.
~~~
It's meeting time. My fellow teachers sit around an oval table, with the principal at the head, flanked by the two deputy principals. I sit at the corner.
The principal Mrs Dan clears her throat. "It has come to my attention that a few of the children in this school have lost their parents in the shooting this morning." Her voice is void of any emotion, yet not cold. Interesting. "It is strange that the killer targeted their parents instead of the children themselves. Ms Gina, what do you know of the media coverage?"
Gina looks down briefly, fidgeting, then stares straight at Mrs Dan. "There is nothing in the news. I rang up the police, but they said that no information was to be released."
"That's terrible!" bursts out Helen. "The least they can do is to give the children some peace of mind!"
"Thank you, Ms Helen," Mrs Dan interrupts. "Now, Ms Karen, as our head counsellor, what are your recommendations?"
"I think we should hold a grief sharing session," I say. Without thinking, sympathy oozes out of my mouth as I continue yammering on on what else we can do to help the children. We have to clear up the matters of guardianship. Some of the children were fortunate that only one parent was killed. Others are orphans.
Somehow I know that at the end of the meeting, everyone loves me, even if they know what I'm saying isn't true and isn't going to happen. But it doesn't matter. Everyone loves me. That's what it matters, even if I deny it.
