Victory

Dear Friends,
Although I was quite aware of the fact that my Progress Reports, deemed "incomplete," were not going  to reach their destination last night, to the last second, I thought they just might. Not so much because I believe in miracles, but because of the surreally obscure nature of the matter, altogether.

Although I had taken the time to explain the situation to my students, once the secretary handed out the 'Dear parents, your child is not receiving a Progress Report ..." letter to my students, my glass globe shattered and Truth showed its ugly face. It was like the time I woke up in the middle of the night, thinking I dreamt my father had passed away, only to realize it wasn't a dream.  

I let the students know what was in their Progress Report and urged them to be patient and encourage their parents to pick them up from the office. They seemed satisfied with my explanation. A few even cheered me on, 'Go Madame, Go!' 
My little six/seven-year-olds put on a brave face and left the classroom smiling, leaving me behind heartbroken, in an empty, cold space. It took me a while to come to terms, not so much with what had happened, but why it had. 
Once I noticed I was still standing, I knew neither parental fury nor disciplinary actions could break me. The worst was over. 

Of all the evenings in the year, last night I should have arranged an outing that did not involve me alone. Victory proved to be lonely, bittersweet company, and yet Bill 115 - not accepted or filed!