The Pretzel Rod Club

Part 5

Mark finished his lunch just as Mr. Grinns appeared to take the boys in his group to gym class. Gym class, in this case, was more like the recess he enjoyed when he was in primary school. It was an indoor play yard with various structures and tubes and slides and ramps and even a climbing wall. 

Mark gave in to his impulses and was soon running around in an impromptu game of tag. The stress of the morning seemed to disappear but so did the kid's collective energy. After about fifteen minutes of intensive play, most of them were exhausted. They sat in loose groups on the ground and on the few benches in the play area, clutching their bears and leaning on their neighbors for support. 

Mr. Grinns took advantage of their relaxed state and introduced them to a new afternoon ritual: naptime. He led them to a quiet area, it stated so on the sign, and had each boy take a mat from the pile of mats stacked against the wall. 

The mats were covered in vinyl and had nursery prints on them. Mark was too exhausted to care. He did as he was told, thankful that instructions were given in English this time, and laid down with his teddy bear next to the boy who had spent the morning with his thumb in his mouth. The lights were dimmed and in a few minutes, he was sound asleep.

Timothy was stacking blocks and his new friend, Bobby, was knocking them down much to his chagrin. He tried to correct the boy but wasn't sure how much he understood. Bobby certainly didn't seem fazed by Timothy's admonitions. He started looking around for something else they could play with. He examined the toys on the bookcase but nothing really piqued his interest.

He went to the boy's dresser. There was nothing in the top two drawers but when he got to the third drawer, on top of a stack of baby clothes there was a blanket sleeper. Timothy took a deep breath. He felt the soft, microfleece fabric. He held it up to the light. It had little teddy bears, alphabet blocks, rattles, and baby bottles printed on the white fabric. Timothy was repulsed by the infantile sleeper but couldn't fight the overwhelming urge to wear it, try as he might.   

He had just finished pulling up the zipper when he heard Ms. Majors outside the door. He panicked but as much as he tried he couldn't undo it. He stood there in Bobby's totally babyish blanket sleeper while Ms. Majors looked him up and down.

"Well, I see you found something to wear all by yourself." She said as she put the clothes she had brought for him to wear on the dresser. 

"Yes, Momny Majors. I'm sorry. I was looking for a toy we could play with."

"Timmy, I can think of no more fitting punishment for what you did to Daniel at lunch than going to dinner in what you're wearing."

"Yes, Mommy." Timothy blushed but accepted his fate. All things considered, he thought, it could be worse.

"Mr. Grinns is occupied elsewhere and I have to take Bobby to dinner in the Nursery." Ms. Majors said, as she got the boy up and adjusted his clothes. "Do you think you can find your way to the ninth grader's table in the main dining room by yourself?"

Timothy nodded, trying to hide his enthusiasm. Ms. Majors remind him again to use his voice when expressing himself.

"Yes, Mommy Majors. " He said, beaming with pride at being trusted to do something on his own for a change. The truth was, he had no idea where the main dining room was from where they were now. As she closed the door to Bobby's room... there was a sign on the door that said so in big bright primary colors...with Timothy and Bobby in tow, she had to point Timothy in the right direction, and then she watched as he padded down the hall. 

He smiled and waved goodbye as he turned the corner. Bobby waved back. Of course, as soon as he turned the corner he was hopelessly lost. He wandered from hallway to hallway, space to space, trying to make sense of the layout. Finally, he came to a door that seemed different. He tried the doorknob but it was locked. He peered through the small window and saw a space he recognized.