Where the Streets Have no Name....

So, I took Hayikan on as a home school student three days a week for 1.5 hour sessions, starting at 4. It has been rather interesting and pretty sad.

Day One:
My school did not feel it safe for me to go into Hayikan's home, so therefore we are meeting at a neutral location, which apparently is a halfway house for narcotics anonymous. I completely support what they are doing at this location, although its just down the street from his home, so its still not exactly the safest local. Mom shows up, Hayikan is excited to see me. He tells me how he misses his dad because he's visiting Grandma, but said his Mom said Dad will be home soon. He is talking to his "friends" throughout the entire lesson. He asked me if I ever had an imaginary friend, and I said, yes I did have a friend once and her name was Megan (short for Megan Sugarjuicertrucker). He confided that he's friends are from under the ground and that God didnt make his friends, which was upsetting to hear him say. Because he does have multiple personalities and hears voices, its hard to know which kid you are teaching. It was apparent on this day, that I was working with the real Hayikan. Mom takes him to church to cure him, and I hope one day it works. Until then, this poor little boy believes he is possessed by the devil instead of getting help for his mental illness. At one point, he was talking to his friends so much and I couldnt get any instruction in soI asked him to ask one of them what the answer to the math problem was (and he got it right!).
We completed our session and waited for Mom outside, when he proceeded to yell at me that he "HAS TO GO TO THE BATHROOM!" He persisted that he could just go in the bushes because his mom lets him. Considering my location, I didnt really want to wander this house looking for a bathroom. It was really embarrassing being the minority, with about 30 men sitting outside this house watching me get yelled at by this little boy and see how I would handle it. We did find a bathroom and as I waited for him to come out, Mom came in. She talked to me for about 5 min while Hayikan was playing in the water. When we got outside to her car, she had her 8 month old and 6 year old sitting in the front seat, unsupervised, windows down, doors unlocked. Baby was in a car seat, but was not buckled in, Hayikan got in and the car rolled away with smiling grateful faces with no seat belts on. It was something I've never experienced to say the least.

Day Two:
We continued at the same location. Mom called at 4 and asked if we were meeting. I said I was already there and she informed me she needed to find Hayikan from the street and shed be right over, 20 min later, we began our session. Mom asked to watch and respectfully sat in the back while I worked with a grouchy Hayikan. He does not understand that he is punished from school and thinks he's on summer vacation. He was "mad Hayikan" which he told me before is "a white man inside him"(whatever that means) and proceeded to berate me. It was nice that his mom got to see us interact. I have learned to completely ignore him and continue to repeat my question as if his "ugly hags" and "dumb b****" are inaudible. At the end of the session, Mom asked if he was always like that, and I said, yup, that's what we've been telling you since October. She then yelled at him to the point of tears about disrespecting me. It was very uncomfortable and made my guilt rise. I tell Hayikan that I care about him very much and can't wait to see him again, get in my car, and drive into my safe neighborhood, with my stable life, and go to dinner at a nice restaurant. Such is life.

Other happenings:
Pat's team made it to state finals but unfortunately lost at home.
I found out I will work most likely with the 4th and 5th grade, lower functioning kids next year!

Cheers.