A prisoner of sorts....

When I was a freshman in high school a kid named Moses White sat behind me in English class.

Besides the hour I spent as a Library Aide, English class was the only class I liked.

That is until Moses White decided to harass me.

He'd inch his chair up close to the back of mine.

And talk no louder than a whisper.

The crap he said to me makes my face redden, even now.

Filthy, sexually explicit shit.

At first I'd nervously giggle.

And move my chair forward.

Later when I would quietly complain to the teacher she'd say "just move up and don't listen to him".

One time when Moses was on good behavior (and I had momentarily forgiven him for talking so bad to me) he asked to see a bracelet that I wore.

It was a MIA- POW bracelet.

Which held the engraved name of a man who was missing in action or presumed to be a prisoner of war.

So I let Moses see my bracelet...

and then he wouldn't give it back.

This went on for about a week.

Then I told Daddio about it.

He had a little talk with Moses and got my bracelet back.

I didn't ever tell Daddio about the stuff Moses used to whisper to me....I'm pretty sure  Daddio would have kicked his ass but good.

I'm also pretty sure that (the young) Daddio would have asked me what I did to make him think he could talk to me like that...

The same question my English teacher asked.

Yesterday in my class one of the new (male) loveables said something (derogatory) to one of the new (female) loveables.

I jumped in his shit.

(But not as much as I should have)

And then I talked to the female loveable in the hall.

And we staff members wondered between us what she did to make him think he could talk to her that way.

And we told her to let it slide off her back.

And not to own it.

I was bothered all night thinking about how I let this girl down.

And how it wouldn't happen again, not on my watch, anyway.

I also thought about that creep Moses White...

And how much I'd love to stumble upon his rotten, no good ass, today.

Thank you for listening.