Week 3, Day 1 and Day 4: It's not always fun

In fact, sometimes it's just plain heartbreaking.  And a few days ago I was, not for the first time, floored by the utter sickness and blackness of heart that resides within people.

After the test, my student, a Saudi woman of about 33 years, apologized for not having prepared better for the test.  She explained.  After having just gotten her license on Friday, she had to run across the street to get McDonald's for her daughter.  She barely crossed the street when a woman turned into her.  From what I could understand, it wasn't a serious accident.  Small damage.  So anyway, they pulled over.  My student had insurance.  She was legal.  Yet she is Level 1.  And she was scared.  Her brother had previously told her that if she did anything wrong while driving, she would go to jail.  So this big scary woman started talking and working on exchanging insurance information when she realized my student didn't understand much.  She told my student that she would call the police unless she paid her $1000.  Yes folks, that's one thousand dollars.  I didn't mistake the number.  My student comes from a country where carrying a lot of cash is completely normal.  She had it.  In her fear and trembling for her safety and her daughter left alone back in the house, she handed over the cash and the woman drove away.

When I hear things like this, and by no means is is an isolated event as I found out that last week another person had been brutally beaten for his nationality, I wonder why anyone even wants to come here at all.

This same student, today, four days later, heard me talking to another girl about not having her books yet.  The bookless girl tried to tell me about her parents situation in Mali, a wore-torn country right now, and a poor country forever.  She simply doesn't have a penny.  So my Saudi woman just came over and said something that added up to: "Here, you can have my book.  My brother took this level in the past.  I can use his book.  Do you need any other books?  You can have any of mine."

Heartbreaking.

I wrote her an email today and thanked her from the bottom of my heart.  Do you know what she did?  She thanked me for giving her the opportunity to help someone.

May God look down upon these people.