The spirit within… Our soul is the voice that speaks to us warning us about situations. Good or bad, pay attention. Remember that the spirit within doesn’t work for adults alone it works for all.

 Paul was 5 years when I got my wake up call and I learned my lesson. When he and Sarah say they don’t want to go to school or out, I do not care if it’s an examination … something very important. I do not send them. The day I got my wake up call was horrible. I ignored all the warnings. The night before, I had a dream about Paul and a boy, fighting on top of a hill. I was walking towards them shouting for them to stop. There was a stream below the hill and they could fall into it. Suddenly they fell on the ground and started to roll down the hill. I ran towards them trying to stop them. The boy stopped but Paul continued tumbling and he fell into the stream. I grabbed onto a branch. As he passed where I was I grabbed him and held on to one of his pants leg then I pulled him. When I woke up the morning, I was scared and I wasn’t sure, if I got him out of the stream. My mind was saying do not send him to school, but I remembered it was his 5^th birthday and I was having a party at school for him.

When he woke up he said, “Mom I don’t want to go to school.”

“Why, I am having a party at school for you. Look at all the gift bags and food on the table,” I said.

He looked sad but he said, “Okay.”

He got dressed for school and he looked apprehensive, but I ignored him and we left home. On the way he said, “Mom, my stomach is hurting. I feel sick.”

“Do you want to use the bathroom?” I asked.

“No, but let’s go back home,” he said.

“You do not want to have the party anymore?”

“Let’s have the party then go home,” He said.

“Okay,” I said not remembering the warning signs that something was amiss.

We arrived at PS181, he met his friends and he started playing and having fun. I shook off the uncomfortable feelings I was having.

We had the party. The teacher allowed them to play and it was fun-filled. Paul had a wonderful time. When it was time to leave he told me that he was having fun, so he want to stay in school. I left although my mind was saying, “Take him home with you.” I arrived home and started cleaning up when the phone started to ring. It was Paul’s teacher saying that he fell and the ambulance is on its way. I rushed back to the school. The children in his class started to talk, “Miss Joseph so-and-so tripped Paul. He fell down and he got a big cut on his nose. It was bleeding a lot”

 The teacher told them to be quiet then she and I went to the nurse’s office. Paul was sitting and the nurse had a handful of paper pressed, a little above his nose-bridge between his eyes. When she moved it I was shocked to see a hole and some of the membrane visible. My heart sank because I was warned that something terrible was going to happen. The ambulance came and he was taken to Kings County. The doctors took care of him and he got 10 stitches. I blamed myself for a long time because I got all the warnings signs about that danger of that day…