| Despite my diplomas that allowed me to teach in | | | | report the fact, when TocTocToc, somebody |
| state secondary schools, and my requests, I had | | | | knocked at the door.- "Come in!" |
| been appointed to teach to a sixth-grade class. At | | | | A little girl came in.- "Excuse-me, Madame, I was |
| least, I almost worked in my backyard. | | | | lost." |
| The morning classes went smoothly. I knew that | | | | Before I could reprimand those who laughed, she |
| my pupils were experiencing many new situations. | | | | began to vomit. |
| In primary school, they were all day long in the | | | | I pointed a girl out: "Go to the infirmary with her." |
| same classroom with the same teacher, who | | | | -"Where is it, Madame?" she asked.I did not |
| knew them by their first name. During their first | | | | know. I had no time to reflect, the second girl |
| sixth-grade day, they met a different teacher at | | | | vomited, then a boy, then I could count no |
| each hour, each time in another classroom that | | | | longer.I thought of a food poisoning and sent two |
| was to be found among hundreds. They were | | | | pupils who looked in good health to warn the chief |
| mainly concerned by finding and reaching the right | | | | supervisor "or any grown up you find". Yes, I was |
| room on time. Any of them would have been | | | | losing my head at full speed!At last, the cavalry |
| happy to recognize and to sit beside the girl or | | | | came to the rescue: firemen (in France, they dealt |
| the boy they did not want to be seen with last | | | | with any emergency issue, not only fire), |
| year, when the world was not that large.The | | | | ambulances, the medical staff and the cleaning |
| afternoon classes began at two o'clock. (As much | | | | team.As the pupils in the other classrooms were |
| as possible, lunch time is scheduled on regular | | | | not affected, it could not be because of a food |
| bases for the youngest.) I unlocked the classroom | | | | poisoning and No!, I am not noxious! The first girl |
| and let the children enter. I counted them as they | | | | vomitted because of her fear of being lost, late |
| passed in front of me. One was missing. I | | | | and alone. The others let themselves be led by |
| checked in the attendance notebook: no pupil was | | | | her because they felt the same fear of being lost, |
| reported absent. I had no idea about what I was | | | | late and alone.To yawn is infectious also. I would |
| supposed to do and began to wonder how to | | | | have prefered she yawned. |