Wednesday period 1-3 exams. Stay at school to study in the afternoon.
Thursday period 1-3 exams. Ibid.
Friday period 1-3 exams. 4th period class. Lunch. Then a two-hour lecture in the gymnasium about drugs.
The story for this week`s reading lesson is about a boy with no arms and legs. It is an exemplary tale that throws all of the above into sharp relief. Let our pain be your amusment.
I was the center of attention of the whole school. There was always a circle around me, and children followed me as I moved from place to place. They asked me how to use the wheelchair and many other questions. Being the center of attention was just fine with me. I think perhaps I enjoyed being treated like a king.
One day Mr. Takagi, my homeroom teacher, said, "From now on, you can`t use your wheelchair without my permission." I was very surprised at his words, but he had given me this order for the following reasons.
First, Mr. Takagi knew that the wheelchair was giving me a sense of superiority. I had been very pleased that a big group of children always followed me. However, Mr. Takagi knew that they were there not because they liked me but because they were just interested in the wheelchair. He wanted to treat me like everyone else. He wanted to promote the idea that people with disabilities aren`t special.
Second, Mr. Takagi believed that my body should be stronger. Children in grade school grow very fast, and, of course, I`d grow, too, in my own way. Mr. Takagi knew that I`D have fewer chances to move my body in the wheelchair. He looked to the future and believed that I`d need to build up my muscles, so he wanted me to use the wheelchair less often.
Mr. Takagi`s order was very harsh for me. The wheelchair was, after all, my legs. Without it, the school yard was too big, and moving around was going to take a lot of energy.
It was natural that there were protests against Mr. Takagi`s decision. After I began moving around the school yard without my wheelchair, a lot of teachers said it was cruel. The protests grew stronger in summer and winter. Since my whole body was nearer to the ground, I felt the heat or the cold more than other people.
But Mr. Takagi wouldn`t listen.
Mr. Takagi thought, "We can take good care of him right now in school, but he`ll have to look after himself some day. I believe this is what we need to do now for his future."
I now think Mr. Takagi made the right decision. He was strict with me, but thanks to him, I can move easily now. Later he explained, "Even if Ototake thought I was too strict, it was all right with me. I hoped he would later say, `I`m glad I had him for my teacher. `"
"True strictness is true kindness." When I think of Mr. Takagi, I really understand the meaning of these words.