史蒂夫的天使

賈慶文

Steve, a twelve-year-old boy with alcoholic parents, was about to be lost forever, by the U.S. education system. Remarkably, he could read, yet, in spite of his reading skills, Steve was failing. He had been failing since first grade, as he was passed on from grade to grade. Steve was a big boy, looking more like a teenager than a twelve year old, yet, Steve went unnoticed… until Miss White.

Miss White was a smiling, young, beautiful redhead, and Steve was in love! For the first time in his young life, he couldnt take his eyes off his teacher; yet, still he failed. He never did his homework, and he was always in trouble with Miss White. His heart would break under her sharp words, and when he was punished for failing to turn in his homework, he felt just miserable! Still, he did not study.

In the middle of the first semester of school, the entire seventh grade was tested for basic skills. Steve hurried through his tests, and continued to dream of other things, as the day wore on. His heart was not in school, but in the woods, where he often escaped alone, trying to shut out the sights, sounds and smells of his alcoholic home. No one checked on him to see if he was safe. No one knew he was gone, because no one was sober enough to care. Oddly, Steve never missed a day of school.

One day, Miss Whites impatient voice broke into his daydreams.

“Steve!!” Startled, he turned to look at her.

“Pay attention!”

Steve locked his gaze on Miss White with adolescent adoration, as she began to go over the test results for the seventh grade.

“You all did pretty well,” she told the class, “except for one boy, and it breaks my heart to tell you this, but...” She hesitated, pinning Steve to his seat with a sharp stare, her eyes searching his face.

“…The smartest boy in the seventh grade is failing my class!”

She just stared at Steve. Steve dropped his eyes and carefully examined his fingertips.

After that, it was war!! Steve still wouldnt do his homework. Even as the punishments became more severe, he remained stubborn.

“Just try it! ONE WEEK!” He was unmoved.

“Youre smart enough! Youll see a change!” Nothing fazed him.

“Give yourself a chance! Dont give up on your life!” Nothing.

“Steve! Please! I care about you!”

Wow! Suddenly, Steve got it!! Someone cared about him? Someone, totally unattainable and perfect, CARED ABOUT HIM??!!

Steve went home from school, thoughtful, that afternoon. Walking into the house, he took one look around. Both parents were passed out, in various stages of undress, and the stench was overpowering! He, quickly, gathered up his camping gear, a jar of peanut butter, a loaf of bread, a bottle of water, and this time…h(huán)is schoolbooks. Grim faced and determined, he headed for the woods.

The following Monday he arrived at school on time, and he waited for Miss White to enter the classroom. She walked in, all sparkle and smiles! God, she was beautiful! He yearned for her smile to turn on him. It did not.

Miss White, immediately, gave a quiz on the weekend homework. Steve hurried through the test, and was the first to hand in his paper. With a look of surprise, Miss White took his paper. Obviously puzzled, she began to look it over. Steve walked back to his desk, his heart pounding within his chest. As he sat down, he couldnt resist another look at the lovely woman.

Miss Whites face was in total shock! She glanced up at Steve, then down, then up.

Suddenly, her face broke into a radiant smile. The smartest boy in the seventh grade had just passed his first test!

From that moment nothing was the same for Steve. Life at home remained the same, but life still changed. He discovered that not only could he learn, but he was good at it!

He discovered that he could understand and retain knowledge, and that he could translate the things he learned into his own life. Steve began to excel! And he continued this course throughout his school life.

After high-school Steve enlisted in the Navy, and he had a successful military career. During that time, he met the love of his life, he raised a family, and he graduated from college Magna Cum Laude. During his Naval career, he inspired many young people, who without him, might not have believed in themselves. Steve began a second career after the Navy, and he continues to inspire others, as an adjunct professor in a nearby college. Miss White left a great legacy. She saved one boy who has changed many lives.

You see, its simple, really. A change took place within the heart of one boy, all because of one teacher, who cared.

12歲的史蒂夫的父母都是酒鬼，他按美國的教育制度他即將永遠被拋棄。雖然他能夠閱讀，但其閱讀技巧不行，因此史蒂夫還是考試不及格。他從一年級開始，考試就一直不及格?，F(xiàn)在史蒂夫成為了一名大男孩，看起來要比他的實際12歲的年齡要大得多，然而他卻一直被人忽略，直到懷特老師的到來。

懷特小姐面帶微笑，年輕、漂亮、長著一頭紅發(fā)，史蒂夫一眼就喜歡上了這位女教師！在他年輕的生命中，他第一次無法將自己的眼神從老師的身上挪開；然而他考試依舊不及格。他從不做作業(yè)，他總是找懷特老師的麻煩。在她嚴厲的批評中他變得心灰意冷，當他因為沒有交作業(yè)而遭到懲罰時，他只是感到很不開心！但他仍然不學習。

在第一個學期中間，整個7年級進行了基本技能測試。史蒂夫匆忙做完試卷，讓那一天流逝，他仍然把注意力放到其他事情上。他的心根本不在學校，而是在樹林中，他經(jīng)常單獨逃到那里，試圖徹底擺脫他那充滿酒氣的家。沒有人來關注他是否安全。沒有人知道他走了，因為家里沒有人沒有喝醉，清醒到可以關心他。然而，奇怪的是史蒂夫卻從來也沒有一天不去上學。

一天，懷特小姐不耐煩的聲音打破了他的白日夢。

“史蒂夫??！”他吃驚地看著她。

“注意！”

當懷特小姐開始仔細檢查7年級的考試成績時，史蒂夫用青春期那種愛慕的眼神凝視著她。

“你們都考得不錯，”她對全班同學說，“但一個男孩除外，告訴你們真相會使我傷透心，但……”她猶豫著，用嚴厲的眼神盯著史蒂夫的座位，她的眼睛開始看著他的臉。

“……我的課7年級里最聰明的男孩沒有考及格！”

她只是盯著史蒂夫。史蒂夫低下頭，然后小心翼翼地檢查他的指尖。

在此之后，他和老師仍然處于敵對狀態(tài)?。∈返俜蛉匀徊蝗プ鲎约旱淖鳂I(yè)。即使懲罰變得更加嚴厲，他依然頑固不化。

“努力一下！只一個星期！”他無動于衷。

“你非常聰明！你的成績會變好的！”他還是無動于衷。

“給你一次機會！不要認為你一生已無指望！”他還是一臉茫然。

“史蒂夫！請你聽好了！我很在乎你！”

哇！突然，史蒂夫明白了??！有人還在乎他？有人會在乎他??!!真是不可思議但卻令人開心。

那天下午，史蒂夫從學?；丶視r一直在思考這個問題。走進家中，他環(huán)顧了一下四周。父母已經(jīng)醉得不省人事，有的衣服也脫了下來，身上發(fā)出陣陣難聞的惡臭！他飛快地收集起他的宿營設備，一瓶花生醬、一片面包、一瓶子飲用水，這次……他帶上了課本，朝樹林走去，表情肅穆堅定。

下周一他準時到達學校，等待懷特小姐進入教室。她走進來，神采奕奕面帶微笑！天啊，她真是太美了！他渴望她會朝她微笑。但卻沒有。

懷特小姐立刻對周末的家庭作業(yè)進行測驗。史蒂夫飛快地做完了測試題，并且第一個交上了他的測試卷。面帶一絲吃驚的表情，懷特小姐接過他的卷子。十分困惑，她開始瀏覽他的卷子。史蒂夫走回到自己的書桌旁，他的心砰砰跳個不停。當他坐下的時候，他不由自主地對這這位漂亮小姐再看一眼。

懷特小姐完全驚呆了！她抬起頭看看史蒂夫，然后低頭看看試卷，然后再抬起頭打量史蒂夫。

突然她的臉上露出了燦爛的微笑。7年級最聰明的孩子第一次考試及格！

從那一刻開始史蒂夫完全變了。家中的生活依然如故，但生活卻發(fā)生了改變。他發(fā)現(xiàn)自己不但能夠?qū)W好，而且還能夠做得非常出色。

他發(fā)現(xiàn)他能夠理解并能記住知識，他能夠?qū)⒆约簩W到的知識轉(zhuǎn)化用到自己的生活中。史蒂夫開始出類拔萃！在整個學校生活中他一直保持著這種狀態(tài)。

高中畢業(yè)后史蒂夫應征參加了海軍，他的軍旅生涯非常成功。在那時，他遇到了自己的意中人，成立了自己的家庭，然后他以優(yōu)異的學業(yè)成績從馬格納·坎·勞迪學院畢業(yè)。在他的海軍生涯中，他激勵了很多年輕人，如果沒有他，這些人可能無法認識到自己的價值。從海軍退伍之后，史蒂夫開始了第二職業(yè)，他在附近的一所大學擔任副教授。懷特小姐留下了一筆巨大的遺產(chǎn)。他挽救一個改變很多人生活的男孩。

要知道，其實就這么簡單。僅僅由于一個老師的關心，一個男孩的內(nèi)心發(fā)生了巨大的變化。