Mr. P walked down the long corridor to Mr. Melvin's classroom. Mr. Melvin, a friendly man, with a sharp mind, saw him coming and came out to greet them. He held out his hand and in his most congenial voice said, “Hello, Mr. P. Thank you so much for coming, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He motioned toward the open door in a warm gesture.

“Come on in and sit down, so we can get started.”

“Thank you,” said Mr. P. “I’m sorry my wife couldn’t come. She is not feeling well.”

“No problem, Mr. P. Please, have a seat,” Mr. Melvin replied sincerely.

They walked into the classroom and as they settled into their seats, Mr.P handed Mr. Melvin a small cup of coffee. “ I stopped by Sojo’s on the way to this conference and though you might enjoy it,” said Mr. P.

“Oh, thank you, I really appreciate it,” Mr. Melvin replied.  He leaned across the table and began the meeting. “I believe your son, Moses , is my most enthusiastic student,” said Mr. Melvin. “He is quite diligent, always turning in well-thought assignments, and has excellent communication skills. Moses is very inquisitive and is always the first one to raise his hand in class. He asks great questions. Although I think his enthusiasm is wonderful, he should sometimes give other kids a chance before he jumps in and gives his opinions and answers.”

Mr. P politely replied, “Yes, my son is very excitable and enjoys learning new things. I hope he doesn’t get carried away as I’ve always taught him to respect others.”

“No, no, don’t get me wrong,” said Mr. Melvin. “ I really enjoy Moses; he is the brightest boy in my class. If I had one comment, it would be for him to be more sensitive of his classmates.”

Mr. P answered, in his own quiet way, “Ok, his mother and I will talk about this later on, and hopefully he will improve his behaviour. I am glad to hear that you like having him in your class.”

“Oh. Mr. P, don’t take it too seriously. Moses’s wonderful and he is on track to have great success in his future.” Mr. Melvin  kindly said.

“Thank you so much for your time today, and always helping Moses with opportunities to improve himself,” said Mr. P.

Suddenly, the door opened and Mrs. P entered. “What’s up?” she said, in a very rude way. “Are you that fat man who teaches English? I guess so.” Mrs. P kicked Mr. Melvin’s desk and sat down on a chair.

“Oh…. You must be Mrs. P....? It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Mr. Melvin said in a welcoming tone, although he was clearly puzzled.

Mrs. P  was on her phone, typing an email, and did not seem interested in what Mr. Melvin had said. After an awkward pause, he repeated himself. “Hi Mrs. P, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Mr. P’s face was red as Mrs. P did not show any respect and wasn’t polite, so he told her, “Deborah! Mr. Melvin is talking to you!”

She finally replied, “So?”

Mr. P got so mad that he pulled her up from the chair, to her feet, and forced her outside.  He pulled the door shut and locked it. “I’m sorry,” said Mr. P. “Recently, she has had mental problems, so she cannot control herself. ”

“It’s ok, let’s continue,” Mr. Melvin replied with an understanding expression on his face.

“By the way, have you ever talked with Moses about his plans for the future, and what he wants be?” Mr. Flaa asked.
  Mr. P seriously replied, “Yes. He said he wants be a veterinarian, helping sick and injured animals.”

“Well, then he is on the right track by studying hard!” Mr. Melvin smiled. “ Once, I wanted to be a veterinarian as well. Where does he want to study?”

Once again Mr. P spoke firmly, “Last year we went to Colorado, and he wants to go to Colorado State University, but I want to him to go to a better university.”

“I lived in Colorado for a few years and I am sure that he will love it there.” Mr. Melvin said.

“Thank you,” said Mr. P politely. “I really appreciate your hard work.”

“I’m glad to teach your kid!” said Mr. Melvin.

Mr. P opened the door and walked down the long corridor and introspectively thought about Moses being a good student, despite the hardship of a mother clearly suffering from mental illness.