Speech Terror

Relentlessly terror struck Fredrick while standing in front of the audience. They all stared, and his mind reached a state of blankness. Face flushing, heart beating, and tremors coming fast, Fred started to feel the suffering of anxiety. Having to give a presentation in class, he tried every which way to escape it. Excuses, sickness’s, anything; but they all failed. Everyone else had to do their speech but they were comfortable. Fred couldn’t do it.

          His peers sat dumbfounded as the class stood silent. The teacher clicking his pen so he could write looked intently at Fred, with the patience of a mailman. “Fred? Are you okay?” Fred shook as he looked at the note cards he held. “Fred?” the teacher said again. Fred looked around the room and saw some of his classmates looking away while others smirked. Turning his attention to Mr. Gladebo, he asked for a second start after getting a drink. Fred waltzed out the door returning his face back to the normal color. Mr. Gladebo looked at the class with his eyebrows raised and said, “Just try to make him feel comfortable. This comes hard to some of us.” Some shook their heads yes while others sighed in wanting to go next and get it over with.

          Fredrick returned fresh and renewed. Standing in front of the class, he peered at his note cards, than the class, and glanced once more at his cards. Still feeling the onset of anxiety, he decided the show must go on.

          When Fred got halfway through his speech, he felt a sudden rush of comfort blank over him. He got in the groove and finished. He felt good and rejoiced. Fred felt the need to give even more speeches.

          Mr. Gladebo looked at Fred and nodded his head up and down. “Very good job. See it wasn’t that bad. Now who’s next?”