Page 2 of Iggy

“What about Tyler? She hit him bad, I mean a lot yesterday. He couldn’t get off the floor. She made us drag him into the hallway.”

“I know,” said Marks nodding at the boys. “It was the end of the day and you all should have been dismissed. She waited until she thought no one would notice the boy. But someone did. The janitor carried him to the infirmary.”

“Is he okay?” asked Iggy. Marks swallowed, his eyes filling with tears at the thought of that poor child.

“I won’t lie to you, Iggy. I won’t lie to any of you. He may never be the same again but he will have a place here forever.”

None of the boys truly understood what that meant. All they knew was that the next day they had another teacher. An old woman in her sixties who smelled like baked cookies and moth balls. She always smiled and she only touched the boys to give them hugs or high-fives.

She changed Iggy’s life forever.

Three years later, when Iggy entered the middle-school division, he spotted a face he recognized. Tyler. He ran toward the boy wanting to hug him, happy to see him again. He was standing next to Principal Marks.

“Tyler!” he yelled. Marks gently held up a hand.

“Iggy, take it slowly,” he smiled. “This is Tyler’s first day back at school in three years. He’s a little disoriented.”

Tyler wasn’t just disoriented, he was different. He didn’t recognize Iggy or any of the other boys. He could barely speak and his steps were always faltering, failing him as he attempted to walk.

It didn’t matter to the boys. They were with him, helping him to classes, helping him with words he could no longer say, and just being there for him.

Tyler eventually left the school, transferring to a school that was better suited for him. He would get twenty-four-hour care and be with other children that had delayed learning. It would be years before Iggy understood that it wasn’t delayed learning. It was because of physical abuse, primarily to the head.

Mrs. Crittendon was charged with child abuse, battery of a child, and other things Iggy didn’t want to mention. She was imprisoned, dying there at the age of fifty-five.

But for Iggy, it didn’t seem justice enough for what poor Tyler had to endure. He vowed to ensure that he would always protect those that could not protect themselves.

When he met a girl in his senior of high school, he was completely awestruck by her beauty and talent. She was in the theater program of her high school and in the community theater. Even though they’d never officially dated, he followed her everywhere just to be near her.

She announced to him one day that she was going to college to study drama and film. Iggy was all in. He was a good-looking young man. Tall, strong, great face, and athletic. But he soon learned that wasn’t enough for his unrequited love interest.

Within three months she was avoiding him, hanging out with a professor instead. Iggy learned enough in his life to know you don’t pursue someone or something that has little interest in you.

What he did discover was that his face and body got him enough jobs to pay for his college tuition. Still majoring in drama, he minored in psychology, getting his degree in just three years. When that three years was up, he knew what he wanted to do.

“Thanks for seeing me Principal Marks,” he said shaking the man’s hand and taking a seat at the coffee shop.

“Iggy, you’re twenty-one years old. I think you can just call me John,” he grinned. “I’m thrilled to see you. Congratulation on your graduation. What now?”

“Well, that’s why I asked to see you. I’ve joined the Marines.”

“The Marines?” he frowned. “Why?” Iggy laughed, shaking his head.

“I want to be challenged. I want to do more. But mostly, I want to protect kids like Tyler who can’t protect themselves.” John nodded at the young man.

“He was a good boy,” he said swallowing. Iggy nodded again with a sad expression.

“I heard he died last year.”

“Brain aneurysm. Not something anyone would have seen unless looking for it. I’m not sure it’s such a bad thing, Iggy. It wasn’t much of a life for him. He couldn’t communicate, couldn’t do things for himself, still wearing adult diapers.” Iggy looked away, fighting back the tears.

“No one should have to live like that. Especially someone with no family,” he said calmly.

“You boys all came to us for different reasons. You were left with no note, no clues as to who your parents were, nothing. But I always thought of you as my son, Iggy. I thought of all you boys as mine.”

“That’s what made you a great teacher, Mr. – John.” He smiled at the man as he chuckled, hearing his first name roll of the other man’s lips.

“When do you leave for basic training?” he asked.