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- 03/10/2021
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The Home - 37. Chapter 37
On Sunday after mass, Chad and Tom took the boys to the farm. I followed with my family after having a coffee in the fellowship hall of the church. Arriving home, I didn’t see the boys, so I figured they were showing Peter and John around the farm. While Amalia tended to the children, I started to prepare lunch, soup, and sandwiches. I brought several jars of broth from the basement, and I added some vegetables and pasta. We had a little leftover chicken which I diced and added to the broth.
For sandwiches, I used some of our cheese and my salami. Tomatoes and lettuce from the garden and two loves of store-bought bread. I made a stack of sandwiches which I placed on the dining room table. I would dish out the soup when it was ready, which wouldn’t take long. The soup was almost done when the boys came in from the farm.
“Wash up. Lunch is ready/.”
Later that evening, “Tony, these boys aren’t dumb. I explained everything to them once, and they got it right away.”
“Brad, something doesn’t sound right. Father said they were poor students and were given a certificate when they aged out.”
“Let Tom and I work with them. And see if we can determine what was the problem that they experienced in school.”
“Okay, in the meantime, continue to teach them about the farm.”
Two weeks later, Brad and Tom came into my office. “Tony, we know what Peter and John’s problems were with school. Both boys have dyslexia. We can help them.”
“We have to tell Father when we go to mass this Sunday. In the meantime, you can work with the boys, and they can continue to help you on the farm. Since they will be helping you, you’ll need to pay them.”
I laughed at their expression when I said that. I smiled, and they knew I would pay the boys.
Peter and John arrive at 8 am every morning. Brad and Tom left a list of jobs for them to do while they were away. When Brad and Tom came home, it was class time for the boys.
Amalia prepared lunch for Peter and John, I helped to prepare dinner. This was our routine, and in fewer than two weeks, it became a routine. Peter and John pitched in when we got busy. They were hard workers, and I think they appreciated what Brad and Tom were doing as well as having a job.
It took Brad and Tom 6 months to prepare them for the GED. I thought it would take them much longer. I mentioned that to Tom.
“Tony, the boys aren’t dumb. Their problem was reading. Once we explain mathematics to them, they rook off. The same with reading, once we explained what they were seeing and what was written, they began to read. It was simple. If you and I look at a capital E, we see three platforms to the post’s right, and they see those platforms to the left of the post. Once we explained what they are seeing is an E, they then started to connect words. The idea is to let them see the word and pronounce the word. Unless there are people trained to recognize this and work with people suffering from dyslexia, the problem will reflect itself as a slow learner. It’s like learning a code. Once they understand the code, they can do the work.”
“That seems simple.”
“It isn’t simple. I gave you a simple example. Depending on the degree of dyslexia, they may not even see the word, and there is no cure for it. These boys will have to live with this the rest of their lives.”
“Isn’t there some way of providing help outside of school?”
“Not that I know of. Having someone reading or giving instructions utilizing a tape recorder would help. They understand what you tell them, it’s the reading that is their problem. They have picked up on the farm work very quickly.”
“I would have thought by the time they reached high school. It would have been detected.”
“Not everyone can understand this, and the child is labeled as a slow learner, relegated to the back of the class.”
“I’m glad that you and Brad have taken these boys under your wing. I wonder how many other children in the schools are in the same position, and they are never diagnosed and helped.”
“Probably quite a few. Not only are they deprived of an education, but they have the stigma of being dumb. Teachers tolerate them, and they are passed on age, not merit. “.
“That would be horrible. What a waste of an intelligent being. What discoveries, what stories, could be lost because a child was suffering from this and wasn’t helped. “
“It happens”
Later that evening in the apartment, “Brad, how would you feel if I take a year off and study dyslexia, how to recognize it and treat it. I talked with Tony, and he mentioned the loss of intellect that would happen if this wasn’t recognized and helped.”
“I have no problem as long as you are still here. If you had to go away for a long time, I would miss you.”
“I could come home for weekends.”
“Who would take care of the farm on weekends.”
“The boys”
Peter and John did pass their GED’s. Tony talked to them about college. They weren’t sure they could handle the workload. Tony mentioned it to Father, and at the following Mass, Father announced it to the congregation. The boys were the center of attraction during coffee hour.
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Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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