Untitled

Untitled 1

She fell to her knees, hands clasped together and eyes welded shut, words shooting rapidly through her lips as her ardent prayers escaped. The urgency was obvious although no one was close enough to acknowledge it. 2

However had it come to this, she wanted to know.  The gravel dug into her knees, but it mattered not a bit. All she could think of were the beggings and pleadings of a half-crazed woman who was now desperately searching for the words that would bring her children back to her.  Nothing else, no amount of pain, mattered now. 3

The teacher had told her she thought it was okay to release the children to their father.  After all, they called him "Dad."  How was she to know that the custody battle had gone terribly awry and she had gone months and miles to protect her babies from her sadistic ex-husband? 4

His only way of punishing her for falling out of love with him was to take her beloved children away from her.  This he had now done, and her heart was breaking as she knelt in the pea-sized rocks of the school ground.  Her heart breaking and her mind filled with pain, not much more than psychobabble would escape her lips.  A crowd now began to gather as the principal came toward her.   5

"I'm so sorry this has happened, Mrs. White.  She's a substitute, and she didn't know you had signed a paper against allowing your husband to take the children.  Please let me help you up."  Ms. Singletary seemed genuine, but the young woman felt like a lead weight as the principal attempted to pick her up off the ground.  Looking around her, Ms. Singletary's eyes silently pled for someone to help her to remove the poor woman from the gravel and into her office.  This was a scene she didn't need on school grounds. 6

A man, strong and compassionate, came to help her.  He took Mrs. White into his arms as if she were a baby and carried her to the principal's office.  Her arms had snaked their way around his neck as she sobbed, her tears soaking the shoulder of his shirt.  The agonizing cries of the young woman nearly buckled his own knees, and Tim Breaker would never be the same again.  His heart broke for her as he thought of his own children.  He had been lucky that he had received custody because his ex-wife had been an alcoholic.  The court saw that first hand once she had come into the court falling all over herself and slurring her words.  When she fell onto the floor, the judge had no other recourse but to give him the two little girls. 7

As he placed Mrs. White into the overstuffed chair in Ms. Singletary's office, he knelt on one knee to look into her eyes.  As her red and swollen eyes found his, her heart seemed to have exploded as she fell onto his shoulder again.  Knowing not what to do, he just held her silently as she sobbed. 8

"Mr. Breaker, where are your children?"  The principal was concerned that he had possibly forgotten about them as he tried desperately to help Mrs. White. 9

"They're with my sister, Ms. Singletary.  She came with me to pick them up so that we could get ice cream.  I told her to go ahead, and I'd call her when I'm through here."  She looked at him with admiration and respect.  What a wonderfully kind man he was.  He never deserved what he had been through either. 10

Mrs. White finally regained composure, looked around at the office and realized what she had to do.  "I'm sorry, Ms. Singletary.  I suppose I caused quite a scene.  Do you have a phone book handy?"11