His Tongue

It was the third day of the summer camp, the kids were starting to get use to me as a teacher. We were two teachers per group a man and a woman because the kids had different necessities when talking about going to the restroom. Our group was of the kids from 4-5 years they had so much energy and they were really creative, this could be an advantage and a disadvantage because they were so difficult to keep them sitted at lunchtime but they made me laugh with all the things and ideas they talked about.  

 

The group was of about 30 kids they were 18 boys and 12 girls. I have my favorites in the group but I did not tell anyone. Miguel a clever redhead boy, he was the leader when playing sports.  Eugenio a sporty blond boy with big brown eyes that loved to discuss whatever he could. This day at lunch time all the kids where acting really hyperactive, they all were standing up, screaming and running. I went to get the food for them and my partner stayed in our spot to somehow control them. I was getting stressed because since the morning the kids where not behaving well, in all the classes they did not follow what the teachers asked for, they yelled and ran around.

 

I got to our lunch spot and started to give the food to the kids, first to the girls who began to eat silently and then to the boys who were standing up and yelling. Miguel didn`t like to eat the nuggets they gave in the camp so he have his own lunch; a sandwich, an apple and a Yakult.

 

I was starting to get impatience with the boys when suddenly they stop yelling, so I get concerned, it was weird to be in silence when I was with them. When I turned around I only saw Miguel with a Yakult bottle stuck in his tongue because of the pressure. I wanted to laugh because of the strange situation but I was also concerned. Miguel was about to start crying and in his eyes you can see that he was really afraid. We called the paramedic but he was attending another boy who had fallen playing basketball. All the boys were staring at Miguel and the Yakult bottle. Miguel was getting desperate and he was trying to move his tongue but he could not. I was trying not to laugh because he was going to cry if I did. All the other boys of the group remain eating in silence waiting to see what will happen. A girl come by and told me if they will cut his tongue, another boy told me if he would have to live with the bottle in his tongue forever.  The only thing that I wanted in that moment was to laugh.

 

The paramedic came and saw what was happening, he took a pair of scissors from his case and all the kids open their eyes, Eugenio’s eyes were about to go out of his head, they thought that the paramedic was going to cut Miguel’s tongue. When Miguel saw the scissors he backed and then Eugenio went and start to tell the paramedic that it has to be another solution. The paramedic turned to see Eugenio and he asked: “What you think I am going to do?” Eugenio answered: “You’re going to cut Miguel’s tongue!” The paramedic, my partner and I began to laugh and then I told to Eugenio that no that everything was going to be okay the tongue of Miguel will remain the same but we need to cut the bottle.

 

When Miguel heard this he stopped from backing so the paramedic was able to do his job. Miguel was release from the Yakult bottle and all the kids began to celebrate. The moment of silence and concern came to an end, and the kids retake their hyperactive state.

 

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