Sleeping Through An Exam

 

The boy showed up, almost on time for his exam in the 8:00 AM.  At first he attacked each problem, and put down precise answers to every question.  But then, I noticed his eyes starting to close.  Several times he jerked himself awake and continued working.  He even asked permission to go the the bathroom to wash his face.  It was no help.  He barely finished in the allotted time.

As he slept, I wondered why he was so tired.  Was he just tired from staying up all night on Facebook or with his girl friend?  Had he worked all night, slaving away at some low paying job to help his family pay the rent and buy food?  More kids do this than anyone would like to believe.  I am guessing from his accent, he is a fairly recent arrival in this country.

I covered the class for an absent teacher so I will never learn his true story.  I feel for him but rest a little easier knowing his teacher will not be held accountable for his grade and no one would write her up if they saw him sleeping at his desk.  In college, teachers are not held accountable for things they cannot control.