Miss Harrigan

Our Lady of Guadalupe School
Sister Chrisustom's Classroom

She stood there in her nun's habit, her face framed with the miter and
veil of a Sacred Heart nun, black and navy blue. One eye was blue and
the other green. She smiled at all the children, maybe 30 or so who
came into the room the first day of school. Some parents were migrant
workers, poor Mexicans who somehow paid the $10 tuition for their
children to go to school. In one corner stood a Navajo woman who
cleaned motel rooms, she got paid 50 cents a room. She had a young boy
with her and she wanted him to learn how to get along in this world.


When he spoke it was with a definite accent, a Navajo slur. It was the
first grade. The mothers were encouraged to leave and the children
took their seats.


"What is she saying?" He looks at the other children, a Mexican girl
with jet black hair sits next to him and she can't say the word
"chair". She says "share"
The young boy looks at her and says "Bikii di' taaszh?" (Do you
understand?) She just looks at him and stares at him. "Dists'aszh?"
(Is it understandable to you?) She pokes a finger in her nose and
pulls out a snot and wipes it under the desk top. He puts his finger
in his nose, and pulls one out leaving it on his fingertip. He holds
it out and says "nash' tiltlh". She does the same thing and she says,
"Mucos". He understands that it is a different word to her, he repeats
what she said and, she laughs as they roll their snots up into a ball
and flick them off their finger.


Sister Christustom uses a pointer, a wooden one with a rubber tip and
points to some block letters and one has a smile on top of it. "This
is a short "a", say "a", she says. The class looks at her, and she
does it again and again. The repreat it, making it sound all weird,
but it comes out. Over the next three years they will spend a time
each day going over these sounds, phonics, short vowel letters,
diphthongs, learning english grammar. In time they all learn to speak
to one another.


For some they are the interpreters for their families, speaking for
their mothers and fathers. This boy goes around each month paying the
bills for his mother, learning to sell newspapers and speaking
clearly. He learns when to speak is own language at home, and English
at school and outside. He finds he can speak a little Mexican too,
following his friends home and listening to them speak in their own
toungue.


Miss Ellen Harrigan, an old lady with white hair and tiny spectacles
on her nose taught third grade. She never got married, now she was to
old to do that.
She had the children read in front of the class, to talk about what
they ate, or did last night. She did this everyday and told them, you
have to learn to get along in this world and in your own. You will see
many things, and get a chance to go as far as you want. Remember to
learn all you can, education is the key to success, it will open the
door for you. Speak well and it will carry you all the way through
life. She had clear blue eyes and she taught the kids well. She put
her arm around the young boy and said, you can go far. If you could
choose your own name, what would it be. He said, Johnathon Rustywire.
She said, "Why?" He said because it is a good name, it reminds me that
even if you through something away like wire, it still has a purpose,
it can be used again and again. It means also, "Red Metal, or knife"
in the Navajo language. "Oh," she said, "and why is that important to
you". He said, we call all iron-"besh", it represents something
strong, and it often rusts but it is still good."
She said what about the name "Johnathon?". He just said, "I like that
name."


She is long gone now, she was in her 70's then, she had retired. One
of the nuns left back to the mother convent and they were a teacher
short. They asked her if she would like to teach the rest of the year.
I am glad she came back to teaching, she was the best teacher I ever
had. She taught me that I could be anything, even when I sat down and
wrote about things, anything. I wish her well
and all teachers who give their all to children and believe in their
future.


Johnathon Rustywire