Roberto Hernandez, The Janitor

Middle school is tricky for everyone whether you’re a tween fitting in, a teacher maintaining the attention of tweens, or a staff member keeping the tweens in tacked. It’s a tough job but somebody’s got to do it. One thing that everyone seems to look over is the janitor at the school. Roberto Hernandez has been a janitor for years dealing with ungrateful tweens just throwing food to each other or dropping on the floor, and don’t have the common decency to pick up after themselves. Roberto is the nicest man you’ll ever meet, he doesn’t ask for anything, he loves his job, but sometimes he feels unappreciated. He knows kids will be kids he doesn’t expect much from them, but it wouldn’t hurt if he heard a thank you from one of the thousand.

Every day 5 days a week and on Saturday and Sunday for extra pay this man greets the students and the staff. The teachers and staff members like him he’s cool and sweet but the student’s attitude when it comes to trash, different story. On Monday, same routine, go to work early before the classes start, he’s greeting with teachers showing up early prepping also other staff members. This is the time the members can prep for the day, enjoy the quiet before the students arrive. Roberto goes in his Janitor Room to relax for a second, he loves the silence, he gets his apply and protein bar – his breakfast. Now, it’s 7:30 a.m. the kids are getting dropped off from their parents.

8:00 a.m. more students showing up, classes start at exactly 8:30. Once again, as always kids make a mess just by showing up to school. How? Well, wrappers on the floor for a snack their mom or dad gave them, pencils probably fell on their backpacks, pens, paper, etc. For some reason, this is an ongoing thing. Roberto’s job is to clean up. Since the kids have 6 six classes, every time the bell rings, and they head to their other classes in between same thing. Why? Who knows?

Lunch time is the worst because everyone is out and about all the kids are running around, eating, or buying lunch in a long line. All the kids are sitting in tables mingling with one another, or fighting, or messing with one another, or playing sports, or “dating” activities. Roberto on one hand enjoys watching the tweens being tweens, on the other hand it’s difficult to ignore the bullying going on. Sometimes to tell the tweens to knock it off is not enough. He’ll be nice to the kids who are having difficult time adjusting. One student name Adam, 6^th grader, who likes to read comic books and hates sports. Him not great at sports is torture for him during P.E. every time he messes up, the boys tease him and make fun, or even wrestle him as though he’s a hacky sack.

He gets bullied nonstop by these big shot 8^th grade boys just because he’s not coordinated as they are. They’re reaching puberty age of young manhood, but Adam is barely there. One day, he wrote a note to get out of P.E. and forged his mother’s signature. He goes to the Janitor’s Room while Roberto is on duty. How had he got access to the key? Before, he passed by Roberto in the hallway as he’s dumping the trash can and greeted him while quickly grabbed his key when he wasn’t looking.

Roberto is on his break, searches for his key, and can’t find it. He passed by the gym, all the boys playing basketball except one. Adam. Roberto put two and two together. He knocked on the Janitor’s Room, Adam answers eating his sandwich. Roberto doesn’t rat him out instead he talks to him. Adam is feeling out of place, he doesn’t know where he belongs. Roberto encourages him to hang in there it’s just a phase. He encourages him to go to a teacher or his parents to solve his bullying issue. Adam refuses because the school will call him a snitch. The bell rings. Adam leaves.

One day, in the boys’ bathroom. Adam comes in to wash his hands. The boys who tease him walk in and torture him some more. Adam confronts them tells them leave him alone. But, of course, they laugh at him. One boy lifts Adam upside down and the others assist then dump him in the trashcan. The trashcan knocks over along with Adam. The boys laugh hysterically and high five one another then leave Adam in his worst. Adam cries. He’s humiliated. Roberto comes in for his duty and finds Adam and the trashcan knock over wondering what happened. Adam lies and says he tripped and fell.

Roberto does not believe his story however doesn’t respond. He just cleans the mess and hands a wipe for Adam. He writes a note for Adam to excuse him for being late for his next class. Roberto knows the truth but doesn’t know how to prove Adam’s bullying. However, it’s not his place to butt in yet he can’t help caring. His own children are younger 9 and 10 and they will enroll the same school. He wonders what if his kids deal with the same bullying, he will have a fit like any parent would.

He goes over to one of Adam’s teachers to talk about what happened at the bathroom. He lies and says he saw the boys toss Adam in the trashcan to protect Adam as a snitch. Then soon the boys are being questioned as well as Adam. When he found out Roberto said he saw the incident he realized he’s risking his job for his safety and tells the truth the boys are indeed bullying him. He tells the principal how much they bully him, how he felt unsafe, and how he didn’t know where to go to. The bullies are suspended. To a great surprise, the classmates are happy because they too get picked on by those boys. Some of the kids applaud Adam for speaking out. He even makes a friend Nigel who also loves comic books.

One day after school, Adam goes over to Roberto to say thank you for his help. For the first time, Roberto got a thank you. He response you’re welcome. Adam’s parents are going to be late picking him up, so he helps Roberto pick up some of the trash. His new friend also helps. This is a nice gesture for the two boys. Roberto is so pleased they are assisting, and they don’t need to but because they want to. After a while the other kids start taking responsibility picking up after themselves. A little kindness rubbed off on them. Thanks to Roberto, who’s now retired. He’s being honored at the school by a formal student who’s a grown man in his 40s and his kids are students there. Grown up Adam is handing the award to 70-year-old Roberto then they hug. The entire auditorium gives an applause.