by Jim Plautz
The new boy kept pretty much to himself the first couple of days, letting others form their initial judgments. At 6’5”, 215 pounds and sandy blond hair, he looked like an athlete. He carried himself with an easy confidence that made the boys gravitate to him. Girls found him attractive. The first thing they noticed was his deep blue eyes that seemed to have unlimited depth, almost as if you were looking into a crystal clear lake. His eyes projected a serenity and calmness that made people comfortable. But surprisingly, there was little of the “he’s hot” talk. Most of the comments were along the line of, “he’s nice” or “he’s really easy to talk to”.
By Wednesday, his classmates started to notice that there was something special about Matthew. He had an easy smile and greeted everyone by their first name. There were 1,150 kids at the three-year high school and 325 in the senior class. Everyone was his friend; it didn’t matter if the person was popular or a football player, he treated everyone the same.
Toby Hanson was a studious young man with few friends. Only 5’7”, overweight, and wearing thick horned-rim glasses, Toby was fair game for bigger boys to pick on. Wednesday, two wrestlers took great enjoyment in walking up behind and knocking the books out of his hands, strewing papers all over the hallway. The boys laughed as Toby scrambled to recover the papers. More than 20 students walked by without offering to help, a few intentionally kicking the papers and creating a larger mess.
“Let me help you,” Matthew offered as he knelt down beside Toby. Matthew asked others to help and within minutes, seven boys were on their knees cleaning up the mess. The two wrestlers watched in amazement, knowing that their prank had backfired. Matthew looked up at them and asked, “Larry, Sam, don’t you think you boys owe my friend Toby an apology.” It wasn’t a question.
Larry and Sam were not overly intelligent, but it was obvious that they had a choice to make, and they needed to make it now. It wasn’t a question of physical force, although neither boy would want to tackle Matthew alone. He looked like he could handle himself. Rather, it was the new boy’s strength of personality that was evidenced in his request. He expected them to apologize and if they didn’t, they would not be his friends. The boys made the right decision and mumbled an apology before departing to their next class. Later, during lunch hour, the wrestlers tentatively approached Matthew and apologized. “We’re sorry; we won’t do anything like that again.”
“Okay; friends.” The boys shook hands and the incident was over. Word spread quickly that it wasn’t wise to mess with the new boy’s friends.
Word also spread that the new boy was good in the classroom. Tuesday, there was a pop-quiz in trigonometry class. Part of the teacher’s motivation was to see how far along the new boy was. There were ten questions and students were required to show both the answers and the derivations. The teacher watched as the new boy wrote for fifteen minutes before putting his pen down and waiting silently until the class ended. He was somewhat surprised because he had thought that the new boy might be smarter, but apparently the subject material was more advanced than he was accustomed to.
A girl seated to his right had also noticed the new boy’s inactivity. Trudy was an introverted girl that excelled in the classroom. She was also 60 pounds overweight and as a result had few friends. People did not see she had a big heart. Trudy had also finished the math test early and noticed the new boy sitting at his desk without writing. Later, she found herself next to him as they turned in their tests and walked out of the classroom.
With a slight stutter, she introduced herself to the new boy. “Uh, Matthew, I’m Trudy.”
“I know who you are, Trudy, we’re in three classes together. How did you do on the quiz today?”
“I think I did well, but I noticed you seemed to be having trouble. I would be glad to help you if you’d care to study together sometime. Maybe I can answer some of your questions you might have in our other classes. That’s all, I…….it’s not a date or anything I just thought I could help you.”
Matthew saw how difficult it was for Trudy to speak to him and how sincere the offer was. He never considered saying no, and gave her a smile that had never been directed at her by a handsome boy. “That’s nice of you, Trudy. I really appreciate your offer to help. If you have time tonight I can come over to your house about 7:30.”
Trudy almost died with pleasure; she had never expected her invitation to be accepted. She was accustomed to rejection and later half-expected Matthew to call and cancel their study date.
After class, the math teacher glanced at the new boy’s paper expecting to see a blank page. He was amazed that all 10 questions were answered correctly and the derivations supporting the answers were clearly explained. It had taken the new boy no more than 15 minutes to finish the 45-minute quiz.
Matthew showed up promptly at 7:30 and Trudy introduced him to her parents. It was obvious where Trudy got her propensity to gain weight; each was portly to say the least. Trudy and Matthew set up their study hall in the dining room and much to Trudy’s amazement, it soon became clear that Matthew did not need her help in math. What she did find was a friend that had interests in literature and history that were similar to hers. They exchanged views and opinions and the two hours passed quickly. Trudy had never been able to talk so easily with another student, much less a good-looking boy such as Matthew. Trudy found herself talking about her friends, or lack of friends, and her desire to lose weight and be just one of the girls. Like all girls, she wanted to be popular. She had opened up to Matthew, a boy she had only known for two days and told him things she had never talked with anyone about before, not even her parents. Matthew made her feel more attractive than she had ever felt before. He saw inside her a person that she wanted to be and looked past the exterior. It didn’t matter to him that she was overweight or wore glasses; he saw what other people didn’t see.
“Are you sure you want to lose weight, Trudy, because you don’t have to lose weight to be a beautiful person.”
“I really do, Matthew. You know it’s important to other kids. They look at me and see a fat person.”
“Would you like me to speak with your parents about helping you?”
Trudy nodded her assent and almost on cue, her mother entered the room with a surprise dessert. “You kids have been working so hard, I thought you would like some chocolate cake and ice cream as a reward.”
“That’s kind of you, Mrs. Rodgers; would your husband like to join us?” They were about to start eating when Matthew asked, “may I offer grace and thanks for this good food?”
“Go ahead, that would be nice,” Mr. Rodgers said with some apprehension. They were not a religious family. Matthew offered his extended hands to Trudy and Mr. Rodgers on his left and said a simple grace. “We thank you, Lord, for the food on our table, and the new friends we have met today. I especially ask for your help in supporting Trudy while she begins a difficult task.”
“So, what’s this difficult task, Trudy?” Mr. Rodgers asked as he began eating.
Trudy looked at Matthew for support and answered her father. “Dad, Mom, I’ve decided to try and lose weight and Matthew has offered to help me,” she said with obvious trepidation.
“Trudy, we like you just the way you are. A little extra weight never hurt anybody. What if you get sick? Are you telling her to lose weight Matthew?”
“Dad, that’s not true at all. Matthew is the only person who told me I was beautiful the way I am. But, you don’t realize what all the other kids say. They call me tubby and fatty and a bunch of other names.” There was a moment of silence and Trudy looked at Matthew for support.
“Mr. and Mrs. Rodgers, both of you are big people and that’s fine. You are adults and have earned the right to make your own decisions. Unfortunately, children and teenagers can be cruel. It’s not fair, but there is little that Trudy can do about it. She’s as nice a person as I’ve met, but there are some kids that only see what is on the outside. They don’t see what a beautiful young woma
n she is. She will feel much better about herself if she loses a few pounds and it will help her fit in better with her classmates.”
The parents looked at Trudy who was close to tears and stared at Matthew with adoration. They loved their daughter and could see how important this was to her. “What can we do to help, Trudy?”
“I need to start watching my calories, and stop late night snacks. If you don’t mind, I would like to start right now,” Trudy said as she pushed her half-finished dessert to the center of the table. She looked at Matthew for support and was rewarded with a reassuring smile.
“Do you mind if I finish your dessert?”
Ms. Thompson loved poetry and every year she looked forward to this part of her senior English class. “Okay, class, settle down. This week we are going to study some of the great love poems of modern times. Can anybody give me an example?”
Silence was their response which was not totally unexpected. Poetry wasn’t something that most high school kids understood.
“Anybody? Come on, surely there are some boys out there that have quoted poetry to their girlfriend.”
Silence again. “Okay. I’ll give you an example,” she said as she turned to write on the chalkboard. “Your words are my food, your breath is my wine; you are everything to me,” a male voice said from the back of the room.
The classroom was silent. It was not only the words, but the way the verse was read, with depth and feeling
“Excellent, Matthew, Sarah Bernhardt is a great example of Victorian poetry. Do you have another example?”
“Of course. Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote.”
“I love you not only for what you are,
but for what I am when I am with you.”
“Do you know the rest of the poem Matthew?” the teacher asked softly.”
“I love you not only for what you have made of yourself,
but for what you are making of me.
I love you for the part of me that you bring out.”
Tears formed in her eyes. Browning was her favorite poet and the favorite of her ex-fiancé who had read poetry to her for hours with the same feeling that Matthew exhibited. She had broken-off their engagement last month. Ms. Thompson was fighting the tears when Matthew gave her needed time to recover.
“As I’m sure you know, Emily Dickenson was greatly influenced by Browning. The Heart is the Capital of the Mind, is one of my favorites.”
The Heart is the Capital of the Mind
The Mind is a single State
The Heart and the Mind together make
A single Continent
One - is the Population
Numerous enough
This ecstatic Nation
Seek — it is Yourself.
“Can anyone tell me what this means?” Ms. Thompson asked, as she recovered from her reflections. “Debbie?” The remainder of the class passed quickly. She had never had a group of kids more interested in poetry. When the bell rang, she instructed each student to have a short poem that they could quote by heart for tomorrow’s class. “Matthew, please stay for a minute.”
“I want to thank you for changing the subject. Elizabeth Browning’s poetry affects me, for several reasons. If you know her poetry, you know the poem I wanted to avoid. I got the impression you sensed that.”
“Would you like to talk about him Ms. Thompson? He must be special to you.”
She didn’t know how he knew, but found herself spilling out her heart to this 17-year-old boy. “His name is Jeff, and he is a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin. We were going to be married this summer, but I broke it off because …” Matthew was a good listener, and twenty minutes later she admitted that she had made a terrible mistake. “I just wish he would give me another chance, but he won’t even answer my calls.”
The next day everyone was ready with their poem and eagerly awaited their turn. One-by-one the students read their poetry, most without glancing at their notes. It was a teacher’s dream. Elizabeth Barrett Browning was off limits, but one young man had chosen a poem by her husband, Robert Browning.
Summum Bonum
“All the breath and the bloom of the year in the bag of one bee:
All the wonder and wealth of the mine in the heart of one gem:
In the core of one pearl all the shade and the shine of the sea:
Breath and bloom, shade and shine, — wonder, wealth, and— how far above them
Truth that's brighter than gem,
Trust, that's purer than pearl,
Brightest truth, purest trust in the universe — all were for me
In the kiss of one girl.”
“Jeffrey, can you tell us what Robert Browning meant?
“I’ll try. Summum Bonum is a Latin word meaning ‘highest good’ and in Christian philosophy, the highest good is usually defined as the life of the righteous, the life led in Communion with God. I guess Browning is equating this kiss to the ultimate pleasure.”
“Excellent, Jeffrey. Okay, Matthew, your turn.” She couldn’t wait to see what he had come up with.
“Ms. Thompson, with your permission, I would like you to help me on this; I’ll read a couple lines and then you read a couple. May we put the projector screen between us so you can have a little privacy?” The kids applauded so she was left with no choice. She knew what was coming and braced herself for the inevitable rush of emotions. It might have been a mistake to tell Matthew her secrets.
“How Do I Love Thee?” a poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Matthew started, as a young man slipped into the room and took Matthew’s chair.
“Ms. Thompson, you begin.”
“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.”
Tears appeared in her eyes as she paused to let Matthew continue. It was Jeff’s favorite poem.
“I love thee to the level of every day'
Most quiet need, by sun and candle light.”
Tears streamed down her face as she recognized Jeff’s voice. She was sobbing as she continued.
“I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.”
Jeff finished the beautiful poem that had been a symbol of their love.
“I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,-I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!-and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.”
The classroom was still; mesmerized by the emotion that filled the room. Ms. Thompson looked up and saw Jeff’s face, and cried with happiness as he slipped their engagement ring onto her finger.
The class erupted with applause as they embraced.
She learned the rest of the story in bits and pieces. A guidance counselor provided Matthew with Jeff’s address and phone number. When Jeff did not immediately return his call, Matthew jumped in his car and made the 90-minute drive to Madison and camped out on Jeff’s doorstep. They talked for almost three hours before Jeff swallowed his pride and agreed to be there the next day. The ring was Jeff’s idea; at least he thought it was.
Chapter 3 - “You Can Do It!”
