Hopscotch

That is where it all started for Jeremiah, square one... the first of ten squares drawn with rainbow chalk. His school friends called him Jeremy, and when Mrs. Yesler’s class of nineteen made their daily procession toward the playground, Jeremy was always first out the door.

“Single file, my sweet daffodils. Stay together. The sunshine likes a little bit of order.” 

Monday, April 21, 2008

The schoolchildren walked like ducklings, straight and narrow through the hallway. Between air conditioning and spring air, a burly steel door contained their anticipation. Mrs. Yesler pushed open the door, and all order broke. The sunshine didn’t seem to notice because the sun was hidden behind a ghastly grey of clouds.

Jeremy pranced on the manicured lawn and Angel chased after him as playful as a doe and her fawn. The remainder of the children split into their usual groups, nascent cliques. The games had begun.

A tiny slab of concrete as grey as the sky sparkled at Jeremy. Angel offered him a handful of rainbow chalk.

“Hey Jeremy-jumper, why don't you come play with us.” Three boys waved him over. Jeremy was hesitant at first. He had never been invited over there. The novelty proved irresistible. “Okay,” he sprinted as fast as he could. "I'm coming." The boys giggled at his awkward gait. 

“We are playing monster hunter and you are the monster.”  

“What is monster hunter?” 

“We are the monster hunters, and we close all of our eyes at the same time and count to thirty. You are the monster, so you go and hide somewhere and then we look for you.”  

“Like hide-and-seek?”

“Yeah but you have to scare us and if you don’t scare one of us then we all get to be the monsters next time.” 

Jeremy smiled, “Sounds like fun.”

“Let’s play.”

“1…2…3,” they counted in unison. 

“No peaking,” Jeremy said. 

His first stop was the hopscotch court. “What are you doing," Angel asked him in the middle of a jump. 

“I’m playing monster hunter with Willy and Patrick and Jordan. Quick. Give me the chalk."

She tossed him a piece of chalk. He smeared it all over his face and let out a vicious snarl.

“I have to go. I only have thirty seconds to get out of here.” 

“But who is going to...” 

He sprinted across the grass, towards the school. Mrs. Yesler fixed her eyes on the swings. Six children rocked to and fro; each leg tuck whet a fresh gush of adrenaline and increased their momentum. Ever since the teacher's meeting about Maggie Ursing's accident, Mrs. Yesler had been extra vigilant around the swing set. 

“29…30…here come the mighty monster hunters,” they said in unison.

Jeremy walked through the school with a little less untempered excitement and a lot more method. He scanned around. Every corner and door and crevice had potential. 

“Where are you going,” a custodian asked. 

“I’m playing monster hunter.”

“You can’t be in here by yourself, young man. Tell me, what is your name and who is your teacher?” 

"I'm a monster and my name is Jeremiah Davidson," he sprinted away. “Hey come back.” The custodian walked after him but Jeremy raced down the hallway like a rabbit. He ran on his tip toes, quiet as can be, until... it was unexpected, a burbling waterfall veiled by the bustle of a bird-clamored forest, a den of sorts, an igneous cave shrouded in moss and viny overgrowth and strangely far away from any other rocky landform. It was Jeremy's ideal hiding spot, a door without a classroom, and he just happened to stumble upon it. The curious door opened into a small closet space filled with old knickknacks and holiday decorations. He closed it behind him and hopped around on one foot, then two, then one.  “Boo, arghhhhh,” his excitement had returned. “Bahhhhhahhhh,” he growled “I’m the scariest monster.”

The minutes passed like snails.

Mrs. Yesler's whistle was heard by all but one. “Roll call!”  

The children gathered in front of her. “You know my rules. When you hear your animal and only yours, give me your best imitation.” Jeremy's absence was as obvious as an order of mac and cheese without the cheese. No need for a head count.

“Where’s Jeremiah?”

“He is playing monster hunter,” Angel said. 

“Yeah we can't not not find him.” Willy added. 

“And you didn’t think to tell me?”

“We were too busy looking for him.” The boys said in unison. They set their story straight. 

Mrs. Yesler wanted to scream, though she kept her cool because her job required a certain tidy conduct and hardy fortitude, and most of all, she didn't want her fear to spread to the children.

“Okay, everybody into the classroom. Now. Let’s go. Single file. Willy, Patrick, Jordan, you boys lead.” 

During the walk over, Mrs. Yesler stayed an elephant's length behind the group. She dialed the Principal's landline. “I have a student who went missing during recess… he could be anywhere.” Her voice teetered between anger and sadness.

An announcement greeted them through the door:

“Jeremiah Davidson, Mrs. Yesler is looking for you. Please head to the Principal’s office. Now. All students and teachers stay in place until further notice.” 

The message was lackluster. It was meant to sound stern.

“We are going to room 102. Mr. Galippo will be your teacher for just a little while. Be kind and polite to him, please, my sweet daffodils.”  

Jeremy peaked into the empty hallway. He dashed as fast as he could towards the dim spring light as grey as the hopscotch court.

"Jeremiah Davidson, Mrs. Yesler is looking for you. Please head to the Principal’s office. Now. All students and teachers stay in place until further notice.”

The hallway seemed smaller than usual, and its walls were blander than ever. Mrs. Yesler entered the Principal's office. Both the custodian and Principal Greer looked at her without much thought.

“Thanks again for letting me know, Gary. I ought to speak to Mrs. Yesler now. Come back in an hour or so, if you have the time. And please close the door behind you,” the Principal said.  

“I tried to catch him, but he was just too fast for my old limping legs," the custodian said on his way out. 

“Not a problem. Not a problem. You did the right thing.” 

The silence was thick as fog. 

“You lost one of our students.” 

“I...I...I don’t know how.” 

“Never in our school’s history has there been an incident like this. What the hell were you doing out there. Were you in a daze? Are you on something Mrs. Yesler?” The assumptions tore into her. Her eyes swelled.

“I don’t know. I don’t know. He always plays hopscotch. Always. He hates the swings, and he is just too timid to…Angel and him are inseparable. I don’t know. He just…” 

“Well, I expect you to give Gary a big thank you because he bought ya an extra five minutes and five minutes could be the difference between a lesson learned and a tragedy.” The Principal stood up from her desk. She let the landline ring without end.

“I want to fill you in on what is going on. The police are here and out looking. I also asked Mr. Bernard and Ms. Julie, who were on their lunch breaks, to take a look around the school. I believe that Jeremiah’s fate is in good hands.”

A wash of relief.

“Ultimately, Mrs. Yesler, what you have brought about is unacceptable, absolutely unacceptable. I ought to be extreme because you have singlehandedly damaged our district's reputation. Negligence in its most hideous form."

She gasped. “I know, I just don’t know how...” 

“Seven years old. Seven years old. And you say he could be anywhere?” 

“I don’t know. I just…”

“I expect you to call his mother right now. I'll be listening, okay?” 

She did as was required. 

“Hi, Ms. Davidson? This is Mrs. Yesler. I am here with Principal Greer.”

“Yes, this is Ms. Davidson.”

“I have some bad news. Jeremy, he...he went on an adventure during recess. He really loves history, do you know that? He must have let that beautiful curiosity of his take him just out of my sight.”

“What do you mean?” 

“We can’t find him. A search team has been arranged and everybody is looking for him.” 

“Everybody? Are you serious? And you let this happen?"

“I am so sorry. I am so so sorry.” Mrs. Yesler let out a thunderous groan. 

“Ms. Davidson. This is Principal Greer. I want you to know that the police are involved. We have the best team looking for him. Only twenty minutes have passed since a staff member identified Jeremiah as missing so it is reasonable to believe that he has not wandered very far."

“But what if…”

The principal intervened, “There are plenty of what ifs. Now is not the time to entertain them. I’d like for you to come to the school, okay? Expect a call from the police chief as well. Your voice is the most important voice right now and there is no better time to let it be heard so, with that said, do you have any other questions?” 

Ms. Davidson hung up her phone.  Mrs. Yesler was inconsolable. A heavy rain thumped onto the roof. Thunder fainted a knock at the door.

“We found this little rascal on the playground.” One of the officers patted Jeremy on his wet head. Rainwater trickled down their faces.

“He was just siting on a stretch of concrete near the monkey bars. He gave us quite the scare. When we walked up to him, he was still as a statue. We thought that he might’ve been in shock, but then he said something.” 

“Isn’t that right, Jeremiah? What did you say to us?” The other officer asked with a smile.

“Booooooooohhhh,”  Jeremy growled. “I’m the best monster there ever was.”