I am so grateful for this house teeming with sprinting, howling, sugar-crazed boys. Zack is turning eight and God's grace is surrounding his life. He is attending a private Christian school with high standards for behavior; teasing this socially awkward, painfully quiet boy, will not be tolerated. Not only was he not teased, he was embraced.
Things are looking good, his teacher adores him and she constantly seeks to understand and develop ways to encourage Zack's success. Surprising, however, that she would call in the middle of his birthday party during the scavenger hunt; and yet it is always like this, always without warning.
Here it comes. Churning, churning, its rhythmic pursuit coming for my heart. Its dragging me into its relentless grinding teeth. Huffing, huffing, can you feel it? The stinging heat from the steam. It's almost here. The whistle threatens to blow its terrifying voice. It's pulling into the station now, time to climb on board for yet another harrowing ride to places unknown, guaranteed to be dark and desolate, on a track that has no end.
"Satan is talking to me, he says he's going to kill me. He put a snake in my desk." It took her less than five seconds to repeat the words my son had spoken that would shake me to my core. Zack would rather pluck his own eyeball out than raise his hand in class, but on this occasion it just couldn't be avoided. His second grade teacher approached; he needed to talk to her in the hall. His recounting of this terrifying experience on a sunny day in May sent chills down this young enthusiastic teacher's spine.
Phone still in hand, I gaze out the sliding glass door. An explosion of excitement, the boys have found another clue. They go charging off toward the next destination.
Somehow I made it through the birthday party and allowed Zack to bask in his birthday bliss. The next day however, he was questioned. Zack would explain that the snake was very real; it was a Black Mamba and it was striking at him over and over. He recounted how he needed to use one of his pencils to fend it off. An epic battle is raging, with an enemy far more daunting than Darth Vader, and I feel as helpless as Luke Skywalker slogging through icing.
