These days Willie and I travel together on increasingly seldom journeys. Willie has had 2 formal suspensions this year. The first in May for hurting a teacher’s assistant. His mom made an appearance at City Hall in front of CSE ( the Committee on Special Education). Willie returned to school and was suspended the day before Good Friday. He returned to school the first day after Easter break. He lasted a day and was again formally suspended for injuring a staff member. This time my daughter refused to go to City Hall. It proved to serve no purpose. It did not address the issue. What was triggering Willie’s attacks?

Recently I touched a knot on the back of Willie’s head. It’s the reminder of the big goose egg that formed when Willie took that tumble nearly 2 years ago. I asked him if it hurt when I touched it. He answered “yes.” I will be calling his primary to see if we can get a CAT scan or MRI. Could it be pain triggering the outburst?

Willie recently had oral surgery to remove a tooth and fill cavities. He did complain about his teeth hurting after the one tooth started breaking off. His high tolerance for pain worries me. He denies pain even when we know it hurts.

Willie is 13 now and his body is going through changes and I’m at a loss as to how to talk to him about this. Sex education. I have 5 boys and raised them alone. I’m ashamed to admit that everything they learned about sex they learned in school and in the streets. I will continue to seek answers for Willie. I will fight, if I have to, for the tests I feel he needs and I will pray for answers. In height Willie is growing slowly, but he is getting increasingly stronger all the time.