The Teacher's Pet (eBook)

Overcoming Shadows of Abuse and Poverty

Noah James (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2025 | 1. Auflage
193 Seiten
Publishdrive (Verlag)
978-0-00-096090-0 (ISBN)

Infos

When did society decide that some predators don't exist? Who speaks for the boys whose abuse goes unrecognized because their abusers don't fit the expected profile? This powerful memoir breaks the silence that has protected female predators for too long.

Set against the harsh backdrop of poverty and family instability, this memoir follows Devin's journey through a childhood marked by sexual exploitation and trauma. From Arkansas to Florida, through trailer parks and troubled schools, we witness his struggle to survive while protecting his family. The author bravely exposes how female predators - from teachers to family friends - exploit societal blind spots to abuse boys with impunity. This groundbreaking account challenges our understanding of sexual abuse and gives voice to countless silent survivors who've never been heard. Through raw, honest storytelling, the author reveals the complex web of poverty, violence, and manipulation that enables abuse to flourish.

This memoir is a crucial wake-up call that challenges everything we think we know about childhood sexual abuse. It offers essential insights for parents, educators, and anyone committed to protecting children, while providing hope and validation for survivors who have never seen their experiences reflected in literature.

Buy 'The Teacher's Pet' today and become part of the movement to protect all children from abuse.

Textauszug

Chapter 2: exodus

Momma’s promise to get us away from Donny wasn’t immediate.

No, it took several months of hard work, saving up, and several more beatings. Donny had an
inclination that she was up to something, which made the beatings worse and more frequent. Of
course, his late night visits to strip clubs increased as well; but Momma never said anything about
that anymore, especially when he was wasted—which was always. That’s how he knew she was up to
something big in the first place.

Donny is my baby sister Ashley’s dad and was married to Momma. He was not mine or Adam’s dad,
although he forced us to call him daddy. Arrogant, egotistical, abusive drunk that he was. I use to
believe he was until my brother told me that Donny wasn’t our dad. Obviously, he was a cruel, sorry
excuse for a man. The only things he had going for him was that he had a pretty great family and he
maintained a solid living as an electrician.

I hated to leave my brother and sister with him while I went to work with Momma but she needed me
more. Momma has muscular dystrophy which is characterized by a progressive wasting away of the
muscles. It is very rare, there is no cure, and if there is any treatment for it whatsoever, we
couldn’t afford it. So I would go with Momma everywhere that I could. To help her at work and make
sure no one messed with her.

At first, Donny tried to keep me home when I asked to go to work with Momma.

“You can’t go to work with her, Devin. You’re only 3!”

I clung to Momma’s leg and cried silently. I was always so sad when Momma wasn’t around. Having to
stay with Donny’s drunk ass didn’t help.

“He can come,” Momma said firmly holding Donny’s stare. My hopes spiked. “He can bring some toys and
we have coloring books for the kids too.”

Donny didn’t care enough about me or the subject to argue any further. Plus he wasn’t drunk yet
which made him slightly more reasonable. He shrugged and walked to the fridge for a beer without a
second glance backwards.

“Go get a few of toys.” Momma whispered to me with a smile. I ran to my bedroom that I shared with
Adam, grabbed my Superman action figure and was back at the door in a flash. After that night I went
to work with Momma almost every night.

I sat in the same booth and played with Superman and colored while Momma worked. I was too little to
really help her yet. She managed to check on me every few minutes while waiting tables, which was
unnecessary because her female coworker’s did too: bringing me lemonade refills, snacks, and plenty
of compliments.

“He’s so cute, Sarah!” They would tell her as they pinched and kissed my cheeks. “Look at his
dimples! So adorable!” Of course, this praise always brought my dimples out.

Although Donny didn’t protest my going to work with Momma after that first time she’d stood up for
me; he nearly always had something to say when we got home every night.

“It’s fuckin’ twelve in the morning, Sarah!” He slurred stupidly, the living room table littered
with empty beer bottles and dirty dishes.

“Go to bed, Honey.” Momma always urged me quickly. I’d walk unwillingly to my room but always
listened at the door. These arguments didn’t turn physical but there was plenty of yelling and
cussing. I would never go to bed until they were finished.

I wasn’t in school yet so Monday through Friday, Momma and I would always watch cartons together
once we dropped Adam off at his school. Nothing lasts forever though. I began kindergarten just
before my fourth birthday. It wasn’t as fun as I’d imagined school would be. I even got in trouble
for bringing my favorite Batman movie because Batman kissed a girl on the lips. Maybe I should have
brought The Lion King instead...

On the weekends Momma would take us to the apartment pool to teach Adam and I how to swim. She was a
great teacher so naturally Adam and I were getting pretty good in a short time. However, as I said
before, nothing lasts forever.

Momma had to work a lot more in order to save up so we could leave Donny. That meant two jobs and
work all weekend, so instead of swimming lessons Sundays as we were growing so accustomed to, my
brother and I started going to Sunday school at a nearby Church.

The Church bus picked us up right at our apartment complex. I remember my first day like it was
Today. Adam and I got on the bus with our friend from the apartments who’d just lost his mom to
cancer. We were separated by age groups when we arrived at the Church which stood 3 stories tall.
First we introduced ourselves to the group of 20 kids my age. After that, we played duck-duck-goose
until we were all thoroughly winded.

At that point, our Sunday school teacher—a really nice older lady with blond hair streaked
silver—told us: “Now kids, we are all human. Sometimes we break the rules. When we do break the
rules that is called sin, and we are all guilty of sin. Everyone who sins will go to a very bad
place that no one wants to go; a horrible place. But God sent his son, Jesus, to pay the price for
all of our sins. All you have to do is believe in Jesus and you will be saved from all the sins you
have sinned.”

As the class looked around at each other with wide, terrified eyes. I didn’t need to be told twice,
I believed right then and there. No bad places for me please! For the next several months, several
times a week I would beg Momma to draw Superman and a cross on the computer paper our landlady had
given us. She would draw them whenever I asked. Momma was such an excellent drawer; she could draw
anything!

Eventually, all Momma’s hard work and saving paid off and the time came for us to run away from
Donny. He left for work in his work truck at the same time that Momma would have to drive Adam and I
to school. Usually, she would load us three kids up in the backseat in our respective car seats and
we took off in the direction of our elementary school. At the stop light near our apartment, Donny
had to make a left turn, always with two honks of his horn, and Momma would turn right with two
honks of hers.

On this day, however, Momma stopped before she opened up the back door.

“Shoot,” she said. “I forgot my purse inside.”

“Damn it, Sarah! We’ll I can’t wait here for you to go get it, I’ve gotta go,” Donny replied. He
stooped down and planted a kiss on Ashley’s cheek, Adam’s and then a wiry one on mine—his breath and
mustache smelling of beer already.

Ughh! I thought.

He stood up and kissed Momma on the lips. “Love you guys. See you latter.”

Donny was all about talking love and playing the family man when people were there to witness; which
was ironic considering the fact everyone knew him to be a drunk, cheating, woman-beater. In any
case, it wouldn’t have gone well for us to call him out on it in public or otherwise.

“Love you too!” Momma, Adam, and I chimed.

Donny got into his work truck while Momma and us kids headed back towards the apartment to get her
purse. Donny laid on his horn twice before he disappeared around the corner.

As soon as he was out of sight, Momma hurried us back to the apartment.

“I want you both to grab a couple of your favorite toys, okay, we’re not coming back?” she informed
us.

“Where are we going?” Adam asked.

“We’re going to take a plane to Aunt Lisa and Uncle Jason’s house. We’re gonna live there now.”

”Wow! An airplane!” Adam exclaimed.

“We’re really leaving, Momma?” I asked, heart beating rapidly.

Momma nodded. “That’s right. I told you everything would be alright, didn’t I?”

Of course she did! I knew she would! I was excited and more happy in that moment than I could ever
remember being. Once inside, she almost ran to our bedroom, Adam and I trailing behind her
curiously. Momma ducked inside our closet and began to withdraw 4 packed duffle bags and Ashley’s
baby bag.

“We’re in a hurry boys, get your toys.”

I grabbed Superman out of the big blue barrel of toys that Adam and I shared, The Lion King, then
tried to help Momma with her duffle bags but, wow, they were heavy!

Together, Adam and I helped Momma lug the bags to the front door.

“Stay with Ashley. I’ll be right back.” She said shouldering one duffle bag, grabbing another, and
slipping out the door. The deadbolt clicked loudly.

Several moments passed before she came back. “Alright, let’s go. She told us breathlessly. She
placed the smallest duffle bag over her shoulder and set a large one on top of Ashley’s baby
stroller handles. When we got back to the parking lot our car was pulled right up to the curve.
Momma heaved the duffle bags in the trunk, buckled us all into car seats and mashed the gas.

Momma drove it like she stole it all the way to Nana’s house, watching me in the rearview mirror as
I beamed the whole way. Momma truly smiled so brightly for the first time; her smiles never reached
her eye’s before. Everything would be alright, just as she said it would. No more Donny to hit her
again, or call her names and make her cry. We would be safe. Really safe now.

Nana too was happier than I’d ever seen her. When we got to her house the first thing Nana did was
get Momma out of the car and hug her so tight.

“Oh, Sarah! I’m so proud of you! So happy for you! This is the...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 6.7.2025
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Biografien / Erfahrungsberichte
• ISBN-10: 0-00-096090-X / 000096090X
• ISBN-13: 978-0-00-096090-0 / 9780000960900