Betty McConnell Saves a Life

The morning bell had rung and all the children were in their seats, all except Kenny who was normally a couple of minutes late. When Kenny came through the door, a backpack draped over one shoulder, his long black hair a mess, he still had his coat on, a Vietnam Era Army Coat he had bought at the Army Surplus Store.
As Kenny made his way back to his seat Mrs. Ohme stood behind her desk tapping a ruler into the palm of her hand. Kenny mumbled something to his friend Mike, that was all it took. Mrs. Ohme, got ahold of Kenny’s ear. She twisted the ear until Kenny was forced to walk beside her, his neck cranked at a funny angle. Mrs Ohme lead Kenny down the long hall toward the other end of the building where there was a table and a chair.
Kenny spent most of his days sitting in the hall, doing nothing but staring at the walls. Twice a day Mrs. Ohme would walk down the hall to give Kenny some work to do, but it didn’t keep Kenny occupied for very long. All of the other kids in class wondered why Mrs. Ohme disliked Kenny so. Kenny was a nice boy and a good friend. Everyone thought it was unfair. Kenny didn’t even get to go out for recess on most days.
Betty McConnell decided that she was going to talk to Mrs. Ohme. Betty wanted her to see Kenny’s good side. When the last bell rang Betty waited in her seat until all the other kids had left the room. “Betty, Crossing Guard is a big responsibility. Why are you still here?” Mrs. Ohme asked, not looking up from her work.
“Yes it is, but today I asked Mr. Bell to find a substitute. I have something I want to talk to you about.”
“Oh really?” “Well this is a surprise, what is it Betty?” Mrs Ohme asked looking up from her work for the first time. “I wanted to talk to you about Kenny.”
“Oh, what has that scamp done to you child? I can assure you that he will not get away with it.”
“No, it’s nothing like that, Kenny has never done anything to me. He’s a very nice boy and a good friend.
“So you think I’m to hard on him?”
” I think if you gave Kenny more of a chance, he’d make you proud.
Mrs. Ohme sat up straight in her chair, closed her eyes, stretched and rubbed the back of her neck as if she were getting a migraine. “Betty I like you, your a good student and a pleasure to have in class. I have taught school for almost forty years and have seen a hundred Kenny’s. Kenny is a class clown. He makes sure that he’s late everyday, just to vex me, then he always has to make some smart alec comment before taking his seat. If I let him stay in this class he would be so disruptive that none of the other children would learn a thing.”
“He’s not being a smart alec he just says hello to his friend Mike. I think he does it to be polite”
Mrs. Ohme got up and began to usher Betty out of the classroom. “You just let me worry about Kenny, as long as he does his assignments he will be moved out of the 5Th grade then he can be someone else’s problem.”
Betty McConnell didn’t like the way that Mrs. Ohme shooed her out of the classroom without listening to what she had to say. Betty decided that she would go straight to Mr. Bell.
Mr. Bell was the Gym Teacher and head of the Crossing Guards. Betty explained to Mr. Bell what had been going on between Mrs. Ohme and Kenny in the classroom and Mr. Bell promised to talk to Mrs. Ohme about it.
Betty felt better as she went home that day. Mr. Bell was the most sensible teacher in the school and he could always be counted on to do what he said he was going to do.
The next day Betty showed up for school early and went to Mr. Bell’s class. He was at his desk grading papers. “Did you talk to Mrs Ohme? What did she say?”
Mr. Bell laughed. “Your really concerned about Kenny Miller aren’t you.”
“Well he’s my neighbor and he is a real nice boy, I know him well.”
“I talked to Mrs. Ohme but I’m afraid I have bad news. Mrs. Ohme thinks that Kenny is the Devil, she has no plans to change the way she deals with the boy and I can’t make her do anything. It is her class.”
“That is ridiculous, Kenny is not the Devil, not even close”, Betty said a little steamed.
“I agree Betty, I like him personally but I can’t interfere in Mrs. Ohme’s class. She has to be trusted to do her job as she sees fit. She has been teaching for a long time and that has to be respected.”
“Okay, I understand, but at least give me this, Rich Ruth has been out for the last couple of days with mono, he’s expected to miss at least 2 more weeks. I want Kenny to be his replacement as Traffic Guard. He can patrol with me at the main crossing right in front of the school.”
Mr. Bell sat back in his chair and closed his eyes, he pressed his fingers together as if in deep thought. “Betty you know that the position of Traffic Guard is a great responsibility. It has only been open in the past for students that have shown a great deal of maturity, and for those with no disciplinary problems.”
“I know Kenny, he will do a great job, I promise.”
“I have to think about this one Betty. I will let you know at the end of the day.”
Betty found herself watching the big clock on the wall all day long. She was so anxious to know what Mr. Bell had decided. When the last bell rang she ran to Mr. Bell’s class. “Well what did you decide?” Betty asked excitedly.
Mr Bell gave Betty a stern look, “I’m going to let it happen on one condition. Kenny has to partner with you and if there’s any problems what so ever he is off the team for good. He must be at his post on time.”
“Thank you Mr. Bell you won’t regret this, I promise.”
The first couple of days were uneventful, it was the third day that produced a defining moment. They were guarding the crosswalk right in front of the school, the most dangerous crossing for the children as the cars could not be made to slow down even as school was getting out. There must have been 10 or 12 kids behind Betty and Kenny’s outstretched arms, waiting for the light to turn so they could walk safely across the street. Kenny was looking straight ahead when he saw a flash from the corner of his eye, instinctively he grabbed at the flash and caught the hood of a little girls blue jacket.
The girl was small, probably and was about to run head long into the busy street just as a big sedan came roaring through the intersection. The little girl was running so fast that when Kenny grabbed her hood her legs flew out from under her, flopping wildly toward the street but Kenny sat her back down on the curb as gently as could be, just as the sedan roared past. The little girl just smiled up at Kenny oblivious to the danger she was in.
Kenny knew that he had saved the girls life, he felt pretty good about it but wouldn’t have said anything.
Of course Betty wasn’t about to let such a heroic event go unnoticed. She walked the children to the other side of the street holding on to the little girls hand and giving the poor thing a good tongue lashing as they went. The girl wouldn’t forget it, of that Kenny was sure, she wouldn’t be trying to run into the street again.
As Betty came back across the street she was grinning from ear to ear. “My gosh Kenny you just saved that little girls life. That car would have hit her for sure and the driver wouldn’t even of had a chance to slow down. You deserve a metal for this. I’m telling Mr. Bell about the whole thing.
Betty did tell Mr. Bell and Kenny did get a metal. They held a little ceremony after school one day, all the traffic guards were there, the little girl and her parents, even Mrs. Ohme attended. Kenny was expected to give a speech or to at least say a few words upon excepting the metal.
Kenny was embarrassed. ” If someone else had been there, they probably would have done the same thing. Betty’s the real hero she saved my life. I don’t think I could have took another day in the hall. Everyone chuckled, except Mrs. Ohme who just turned a little red in the face. Mr. Bell placed the metal around Kenny’s neck, Betty gave him a hug, the father of the little girl shook Kenny’s hand, the mother gave Kenny a hug and Mrs. Ohme whispered something in Kenny’s ear that nobody else heard. Kenny never spent another day in the hall again.