Aura of Grace

[Stephen Torelli]

They don veils and listen, quiet introspective kids from the Middle East. Two freshmen girls volunteer for the Columbus Day parade to carry the high school banner, “Yes, you can participate,” says their Moms, “but after the parade, come home; don’t go to the boys and girls club; you don’t want dad to find out.” They go anyway and after pizza they huddle in the back alley of the building to smoke their first cigarette and swear their first swear words like a New York City kid.

Student immigrants from all racial and cultural backgrounds becoming American… good, bad, and indifferent when they enter city schools, “Go fuck yourself,” says one yet she doesn’t fully understand what that means, and the other, while she puffs on a cigarette and coughs, “You ain’t nothin but a bitch and a mutha fucka.” She needs practice on the accent, but also doesn’t know what that means.  There’s no turning back, and not long after they seem to get it right with a job and education, both street and higher learning; and return to school with an aura of grace to thank their teachers and coaches for the support and understanding.

[Kristine_ES]

sigh of relief for the final sentence. i was so hoping the kids would come full circle. 

[Angela]

Kind of universal.  The image of these girls was very interesting.  I would have enjoyed watching them try it all out.

[Stephen Torelli]

As you know, most students that go astray return to normalcy and may surprise you when you see them again; however, if they are disowned when they go astray, you may never see them again. Thanks, Bolton and Toby.

[Toby Tucker Hecht]

Teenagers are the same world over.  It must be something in their pattern of development that makes them all do these vulgar things.  Good thing they mostly grow out of it.

[bolton carley]

oh, how great that would be to be thanked.  and i love this image of immigrants becoming american in all the wrong ways and a few of the rites of passage.  gotta love it. :)