Dean and Paul

1.

Dean avoided the eyes of the other children as they passed. No eye contact meant fewer remarks.

“Waiting for Dumbo?”

“ Got to take the spas home?”

Bradley, Deans best friend, didn’t make these comments, but even he didn’t want to walk home with them. It wasn’t fair. Why couldn’t Paul be at a separate school where he, Dean, wouldn’t have the responsibility of taking him home. He’d waited long enough. Surely Paul knew the way home by now. Dean decided he would walk as far as the shops and hang about there. At least he wouldn’t have to put up with his classmate’s comments if he was away from the gate. It wasn’t as though Paul was a real brother. He’d only known Paul for less than a year and been living with him for less than three months.

He pondered on the events of the past year. First his mother Jill had met a new boyfriend which meant he had to sleep over at grandmas some nights. Then she brought him home instead. Now she was married to him and he had to put up with a virtual stranger in the house. Dean wanted his Mum to be happy so he had said he didn’t mind when she asked him about getting married. But Barry had brought his son with him. Not only was Paul five years younger than Dean but his mind didn’t work in the same way as other people. He wouldn’t leave Dean’s things alone and sometimes broke them. Dean’s mother had said we had to make allowances for his behaviour and Barry always replaced the broken item but they still expected Dean to treat him like a brother. One of the things that made Dean uncomfortable was that Paul adored him. He was always telling Dean that he loved him which was embarrassing when he said it in front of Dean’s friends. Dean felt like hitting him. The sniggers and lewd remarks made Dean cringe. He sat outside the Post Office and was surprised when Bradley came and sat beside him.

“Waiting for Paul?” he asked.

 

2.

Yes, I’ve moved from the gate. Those morons in Craig’s gang get on my nerves. You know, they are the ones who are idiots. They are able to think and deliberately make stupid remarks. Paul can’t do that and is a much nicer person.

Bradley thought for a minute. “You know you’re right. Perhaps you should tell them that.”

Dean shook his head, “It won’t make any difference.”

He looked up to see Paul coming towards him with Craig and a friend dancing round him. One snatched his bag and the other his hat. Dean ran towards them, smacked Craig with his bag while Bradley snatched back the hat and shouted at the boy.

Paul was crying. “Why did they take my hat?” he asked Dean…

“Because they are idiots,” Dean said.

“I love you Dean,” sniffed Paul.

Suddenly it didn’t matter any more, Dean laughed and Bradley joined in. Seeing them laugh Paul laughed also

When they got home Paul said that a boy had taken his hat; his hat was important to him.

“Can’t you stop them?”  Jill said to Dean.

Dean lost his temper. “Why don’t you come to the school and see what goes on. I have to stand there while all my classmates make fun of me because of Paul. Why am I responsible for him? I didn’t ask him to come and live with us.

You didn’t ask me whether I wanted him living here. You don’t care at all about me now it’s all Paul, Paul, Paul.”

Barry came in as Dean was finishing; now crying.

“I think we had better have a talk about this,” he said.

“Don’t cry Dean. I love you.” said Paul. This made Dean smile.

He told his mother and Barry what had been going on, with  Paul interrupting to say they had taken his hat and bag  but Dean and Bradley had got them back. Jill and Barry said they would have a talk and see what could be done                                                                                                                                            A week later Dean was surprised when he went into class and found  Barry

there talking to his teacher. The teacher told the class that Barry was going to give the next lesson.

 

3.

Barry proceeded to talk to the class about how the body and mind are made up and how people manage if bits of it don’t work – like false legs, wheel chairs and hearing aids and talked about the paralympians. He went on to talk about minds that don’t work in the same way as most people. He then brought in Paul who beamed at the whole class.

“Paul finds it very difficult to learn things that you find easy. He can learn much more quickly if people help him. People like Paul need friends who will help them to learn everyday things. Paul went out and Barry continued. “I am sure that some of you have friends or relatives that have a disability in some way, how are they helped?” he asked’

The children came up with their own experiences; a granddad with a hearing-aid. a cousin with a guide dog and a neighbour with a wheelchair, concentrating on physical differences.

Bradley said, “we could help someone like Paul to find his way home or to buy a bus ticket or an ice-cream.”

Crag sniggered and said “Or we could teach him to buy us an ice-cream.”

This was met with silence from the rest of the class, so Craig, with an  embarrassed snigger said,” only a joke.” .Lots of good ideas came from the rest of the children.

The lesson did what Barry had hoped and the teasing and bullying mostly stopped with a few children actually befriending Paul.

Jill and Barry now tried to think of a way to help Dean accept Paul as part of the family if not a brother. A few weeks later Barry brought home two puppies -brothers; one white and one black. He called Dean and Paul and told them there was one each. Dean had always wanted a dog so was delighted; Paul was not so sure. .Barry said” shall we let the dogs decide which boy he belongs to?”

The boys stood hardly daring to breath, wondering where the dogs would go but luckily the white one ran to Paul and the black one to Dean. Dean picked up the dog and, watching, Paul did the same. They were both laughing as the dogs licked their faces.

“You have to look after your own dog,” Barry told them. “I have bought some puppy food. The instructions on the packet will tell you how to feed them.”

He got out the food and told them how much to put in the bowls then he left them to do it.  Dean did his own bowl then looked at Paul.

“Look, you see that mark on the packet, well pour out the food until it gets down to that mark.”

Paul did as he was told with Dean saying “just a little bit more,” then when it was right, “good that’s exactly right.”

Paul beamed at him. ”I love you Dean,” he said

Dean smiled back, “I love you too Paul”

Jill and Barry listening smiled as well.

Barry said, “I am hoping that when they take the dogs for a walk some sort of bond will grow. I’m not expecting it overnight and we must make sure that Dean isn’t made responsible for Paul and that Paul is safe.”

They continued to watch as the boys played with the dogs. It looked as though it would be alright.