It was just after snack time, and I was washing out some paint cups when I noticed the room had gone oddly quiet. Too quiet for a group of 4- and 5-year-olds who usually treated volume like a sport.<\/p>\n
I turned the corner into the play area and stopped in my tracks.<\/p>\n
Four of them\u2014Niko, Janelle, Izzy, and Samir\u2014were sitting cross-legged in a perfect little circle. Hands held. Eyes shut. Heads bowed.<\/p>\n
They were whispering something I couldn\u2019t quite catch at first. I thought maybe it was a song or one of those rhyming games they loved. But when I leaned in, I realized they were\u2026 praying.<\/p>\n
Like, really praying. Asking for things. Saying \u201cAmen.\u201d Janelle even crossed herself at the end like she\u2019d seen in church.<\/p>\n
Thing is, we don\u2019t do any kind of religious activity in our classroom. It\u2019s a public kindergarten. No nativity plays, no Bible stories, nothing. And I\u2019d never seen any of these four talk about faith or even mimic that kind of behavior before.<\/p>\n
I crouched down and gently asked, \u201cHey, what are you guys doing?\u201d<\/p>\n
Izzy opened one eye and whispered, \u201cWe\u2019re asking the sky to help us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHelp you with what?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
Niko just said, \u201cIt\u2019s for her mom,\u201d and pointed at Janelle.<\/p>\n
I looked at Janelle, who suddenly wouldn\u2019t meet my eyes.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t push it right then. I just said okay, and let them finish. But my chest felt tight the rest of the day.<\/p>\n
Later, during pick-up, Janelle\u2019s usual ride didn\u2019t show up. We waited. And waited.<\/p>\n
By 4:30, the office was calling emergency contacts. No one was picking up.<\/p>\n
The quiet hush of late afternoon settled over the classroom as the other children left with parents or caregivers, each one skipping off into the hallway with a bright \u201cBye-bye!\u201d or \u201cSee you tomorrow!\u201d It was unsettling to see Janelle sitting on the story-time rug, looking worried and small.<\/p>\n
I knelt down next to her. \u201cAre you okay, sweetheart?\u201d I asked softly, trying not to sound too alarmed. She shrugged.<\/p>\n
\u201cMommy said she\u2019d be here\u2026\u201d she mumbled, twisting a lock of her curly hair around her finger.<\/p>\n
I tried to reassure her. \u201cWe\u2019ll figure this out, okay? We\u2019ll get in touch with your family somehow.\u201d<\/p>\n
We tried her grandma\u2019s number, and an aunt\u2019s number too, which were both listed in the emergency contacts. No luck. I started to feel that same tightness in my chest I\u2019d felt earlier. Something was going on, and I had no idea what.<\/p>\n
My phone rang around 4:45. It was an unknown number. Normally, I wouldn\u2019t pick up calls like that, but I was desperate. I swiped the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cHello?\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
A tentative voice replied, \u201cHi, this is Nadine. I\u2019m Janelle\u2019s neighbor. I just got a call from her mom. She asked me to come pick Janelle up. Is she still with you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Relief washed over me. \u201cOh, thank goodness. Yes, she\u2019s here,\u201d I said, smiling at Janelle, who tried to catch the mood on my face. \u201cIs her mom okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nadine paused. \u201cShe was taken to the hospital, but she\u2019s stable. Something about dizzy spells and dehydration. She didn\u2019t want to scare Janelle but asked if I could watch her tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt my heart do a little flip. That explained a lot. \u201cAlright. Thank you for letting me know. Could you come by and pick Janelle up? I\u2019ll wait with her at the school.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course,\u201d Nadine said. \u201cI\u2019m on my way.\u201d<\/p>\n
I hung up and looked at Janelle, who gave me this uncertain half-smile. She must have noticed the change in my demeanor because she asked, \u201cIs Mommy okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
I crouched down to her eye level. \u201cShe\u2019s not feeling well, honey, so she went to see a doctor to get help. Ms. Nadine is coming to pick you up, and we\u2019ll make sure you get home safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Janelle\u2019s face lit up with a bit of relief. And then, as if remembering what had happened earlier, she whispered, \u201cThat\u2019s why we prayed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nadine arrived a little after five. She was a kind-eyed woman, maybe in her mid-30s, with a purse slung over her shoulder and a worried expression. She immediately knelt down and gave Janelle a warm hug, promising everything would be alright.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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