242/365 Faculty Meetings are the Best!

"About the Avdos," Jane, the second grade teacher says during a pause in the faculty meeting the next week. "I have Luca in my classroom and he speaks no English, but I don't think he knows his letters or numbers, either."

I glance at Cynthia, who clears her throat. "Aisha and Drina are illiterate as well."

Sr. Fern looks alarmed and, eyes wide, signals to Terri, who shakes her head. "Yeah, we figured they probably couldn't read. Their mother can't write her own name."

"What about the father?" Jane asks.

"I think so," Terri shrugs. "I just, I wouldn't worry about it. They won't be here long."

"What does that mean?" Sr. Agneta asks, sitting up from her half-snooze on the couch.

"They're Gypsy," Terri explains. "They're just going to take what they can and then they'll be on the wind," she brushes her hand away from her in a wave. I stare at her. Jane and Cynthia stare at her. Sr. Fern stares at her.

"Look, they've been in the country, what, 18 months? And that time, they lived in New York and Drina was the only one who went to school and that was only for two months because she said that the kids were mean to her," Terri fills us in on more back story.

"Eighteen months and no English?" Jane wonders.

"It's not like the Vietnamese," Terri laughs mirthlessly. "Plus, maybe they're just playing us."

"Well, she certainly knows no English when she comes to visit me," Agneta mentions. "And she's so desperately poor. I'm thinking of doing a clothing drive for those kids."

"Yeah," I pipe up. "Why aren't they in uniform, anyway? They've been here almost a month."

"Drina said she has no clothes to wear," Agneta contradicts her previous claim of no English. No one else seems to catch this. "Such a poor sweet girl. I wish they were all like that. I think there's another one who's stealing from my room," she adds.

"Who?" Sr. Fern asks her. We're getting far afield but I'm curious what story Agneta has concocted in her head.

"I think it's That Frank," she says like it's his full name. "Every time he and Minh and Drina come up to my room, when they leave, there are things missing. Just little things, you know, change from my desk or pencils. It's not like Frank needs me anyway, he's from Liberia. They speak English there."

"I'll keep Frank during English class," Cynthia reassures her.

"Yeah, but the stealing won't stop," Terri mumbles under her breath so I can hear. "Look," she says louder, "bring her some blue pants and white shirts, maybe, but don't waste too much time on her. They'll be gone soon, trust me."