Member-only story
My Boss Begged for a Parent’s Forgiveness
I got to watch from a front-row seat
In 2012, in Shanghai China, I sat in a giant apartment filled with dark oak furniture and the latest electronics and watched my boss Lee peel an orange.
She really made a show of it, audibly grunting with her effort to peel the orange perfectly while the mother of my student Leo watched, her face the picture of distress. The two women became an odd pantomime, Teacher vs. Parent, and each seemed determined to be the one in the most pain.
Teacher: Oh, my fingers! This orange peel is so tough. My delicate hands will surely break as I pull its oily presence from the sweet fruit inside!
Parent: How can I forgive you? All the oranges on Earth are not enough to atone for what has happened to my son’s lower lip!
I watched all of this and felt certain I slipped into a fever dream without noticing. All this over an accident on the slide?
But it wasn’t just an accident
Leo was one of my favorite students. He had a big smile, loved school, ran into the classroom every day, arms open, ready for teacher hugs and to spend the day learning. He even had big dimples on his round cheeks, just to make him a little cuter.
