Unexpected Assistance

It was now an accepted routine. Nadia would spend lunchtimes walking
round by herself or sitting in a corner alone. You left her alone and
everybody was happy. If you spoke to her she would barely be civil and
leave long, uncomfortable silences that would soon force you away. She
was odd - that's all. Different from everybody else. Why should you
bother to find out who she was, what she was like. You would never be
friends with her - she was just too different from you. You knew that
without finding about her. Leave her alone and the peace remained. So
everybody did just that. Everybody, until Mr. Tomlinson came.

Mr. Tomlinson was a substitute teacher, brought in because their
English teacher was off ill. He seemed to have an instant rapport with
Nadia's class - it was as if he knew, already, who would work; who
wouldn't; who tried but couldn't succeed and who, if they tried, would
do well. He took time to get to know the personality of each,
individual student and cared deeply about his job - he seemed to be the
perfect teacher, in fact, (except to thse people who he made work for
the first time in five years).

Nadia liked him as much as the rest of her class but thought of him
little since, as he did not make her life difficult, she need not worry
about him. It was other teachers she thought about more, those who
insisted on piling work, activities and responsibilities on her no
matter how much she protested.

The worst of these teachers was her form teacher - who should have been
supporting and helping her. Instead her teacher was forcing her to take
on extra things, using emotional blackmail when she initially refused.
This along with the pressure she felt from the work and the high
expectations she knew people had of her forced her into a reclusive
state - shying from everyone and everything, fearing all, trusting no
one. but no one knew - no one understood her and so she suffered in
silence.

She had spent the last year alone and was fully expecting another one
with yet more pain. What she was not expecting, however, was that
somebody had noticed and had understood and was searching for the best
way to approach her.

She was walking around one lunch time (away from the main school
building), trying to 'get a grip' and control her emotions. She had
been crying bitterly but knew that she must conceal it before she went
back into the 'civilisation' of the main school. Mr. Tomlinson
appeared, as if from nowhere.

"Are you alright, Nadia?"
"Yes, I'm fine thanks."
"You can talk to me about it, you know," he went on, blatantly
disregarding her previous answer.
"There's nothing wrong," she protested.

He looked her in the eyes and refused to break contact. She felt as
though his eyes were boring into her very soul. She looked away?or at
least she meant to, but instead she found she was still looking at him,
with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Tell me. You can trust me. You need to open up to someone."

Despite all she had previously learnt about keeping a distance from
people to save herself from the hurt of their inevitable betrayal, she
found that she trusted him implicitly. It was as if he had some magical
power over her defences.

She decided to give in and told him all about how she hated the
pressure of school, how she felt alone and most of all - how she was
bitterly afraid.

He listened to all, saying nothing, letting her finish. She waited,
expecting him either to be embarrassed and extract himself from the
situation as soon as possible, or to tell her she was being silly. He
did neither, he just looked and thought and finally said, "Step
back."

He went on to assure her that what she was feeling was understandable
given her situation and he advised her to think about herself and
consult her own wishes before anyone else's. They spoke for the rest of
lunch - her gradually opening up and sharing all her fears, him
listening and supporting.

While they were heading back to the main building he said, "I think you
should tell your form teacher this." It was like a knife to her heart.
She could not tell her form teacher - it was partly her fault
anyway.

"You must tell her - I will have to tell her a little of what you have
said?" he saw her expression, "?eventually. She must know, she is the
one who will support you through all of this. I will not always be
here, Nadia."

Many times after this he would approach her or she would approach him
and they would talk. He gave her the confidence she needed to believe
in herself and in the end, even faced her form teacher, (well, a bit
anyway). Her life was turned around. Before she had been wretched,
miserable and scared - she still was on occasion but now there were
periods of happiness interspersed amongst them.

Then her old English teacher came back and Mr. Tomlinson seemed to
vanish. She half-expected him to at least come and say goodbye but he
did not. He disappeared without trace. She didn't think she had the
courage to go on without him, but she found she did. She succeeded and
finished the year with no regrets.

The night after her last day at school she opened the door to her room
and found Mr. Tomlinson sitting on her bed.

"Don't worry. I just wanted to say that I'm proud of you. You've
achieved so much. Others need my help now, but do not fear - should you
need me, I'm just a prayer away." And with that he turned and left her
room. He did not stop for the door but kept on walking, fading as he
went.

Nadia realised, angels aren't people who go around in white frocks,
they look just like you and me and they help ordinary people like you
and me when the need is great enough.

Believe in them.