Author's note: The names of the boys and their families have been changed to protect their privacy.

Part V

        I wrote to the public relations people at Disneyland and explained the mentor relationship I was in and how the boy I worked with could never afford the admission price, but wanted to go very badly. They graciously gave us three passes and I took Jason and his brother Charles for a 14 hour marathon visit to the Magic Kingdom.  They ran into Mickey Mouse four times and as we left, and Mickey shook ours hands goodbye, it was apparent another memorable day had occurred.

        Jason never ceased to amaze me when we saw each other.  It might be something he shared or the way he progressed with the simple books we were reading.  I could see him trying to do good work, yet he still had trouble at school.

        I strongly believe in positive reinforcement and came up with an incentive.  Jason had mentioned he wanted to visit the school where I worked.  I told him he would have to show by his behavior that he was ready for that treat and Sharon would have to agree with our plan.

        Well, it worked.  For the next few months we had good meetings and I did not hear of any problems at school.  I kept my end of the promise and invited him to my work.  Here he would have a chance to interact with other kids his own age and spend time away from the hostile environment of his school.

        He took the news of the upcoming trip quite well.   The idea of missing a school day thrilled him, but of course he would be in school, just not Flournoy.  I mentioned he would be placed in a fifth grade class and would have to follow the teachers instructions.  I worked in the library and
would not be with him until after school.

        He ended up having a real nice time.  The fifth grade class I put him in was on the Performing Arts Magnet side of our school  and he immediately befriended a couple of boys.  It warmed my heart to see the way the other students welcomed him.  They played together at lunch and he helped the teacher in the classroom.  I once again brought my camera so he would have a visual
reminder of the day.

       As the months went on, Jason began to mention he was moving. Sharon's mom lived in Riverside County and the whole family seemed destined to move there.  The only problem was they were not sure of the exact date they would leave and Jason appeared to be on pins and needles in
anticipation. 

       This is also the first time I had to think about not seeing him on a regular basis.  By this time I had become pretty attached to him and looked forward to our weekly meetings.

        And then something disturbing occurred.

        I had taken Jason to my school again and afterwards we stopped at a local bowling alley to play a round.  Here he dropped a bombshell.  He told me that his teacher was hitting students and making them hold dictionaries at arms length as punishment.

        I was an employee of the Los Angeles Unified School District and we are required to report any type of incident where a child is physically abused.  Should I report this?

        I questioned Jason for a long time and had him clarify exactly what happened.  He told me the whole story in such a convincing way I immediately wanted to see this problem corrected.

        I decided the best course of action would be to contact L.A. Cities in Schools and let them investigate.  They had a working relationship with the school and could best handle this delicate matter. The only thing which seemed odd to me about his story was how depressed he seemed telling it and then how quickly he snapped back to his easy going self.

        For the next few weeks I anxiously waited to hear what they had found out about the teacher and the allegations.  It turned out this particular teacher was indeed strict but had never struck a child.  And it was Jason s classmates who confirmed this finding.

        Maybe he was trying to gain my sympathy.  It worked.

        I wanted his life to improve and if he wasn't happy at school, I felt the urge to find out a way he would be.  I may never know why Jason made up this story.

        However, I did learn one lesson that day which I'll never forget. Kids will say the most outrageous things to get a response from you.  I simply have to pause, think about what may be going on in this child's life, and think about why they are saying these things. I realized Jason was apprehensive about moving.  He certainly wasn't being neglected at home, but the commotion about moving may have taken a toll on him.

        When we spent time together, there was a sense of normality.  Our meetings were consistent. I thought it might be nice to introduce Jason  to some of my family who had children close to his age.   My cousins live in Irvine in Orange County, close to the El Toro Military base.  Every year there's a big air show, so I took Jason, his brother and cousin down to see the event and meet the folks.

        My little cousin is a whiz on the computer and although he is a couple of years younger than Jason, they had a ball playing games.  It turned out to be the perfect match.  We went to the air show and the boys liked climbing on the huge planes, and watching the Blue Angels.  I liked the way Jason's older cousin watched over my younger cousins to make sure they didn't get lost.

        After the air show, we went swimming.  I discovered Jason did not swim and was a tad apprehensive of the water.  I jumped in and tried to get him to follow.   He seemed content to hang by the side and splash his brother or any other unsuspecting person.  He had a pleasant smile on his face, and seemed to enjoy the water.

        The school year passed quickly and June soon arrived.  Jason had become a semi-regular visitor to our school and on one occasion we took another unforgettable after school adventure...