I never know how to react or behave with curious kids in public. Yes, I am always keen to help, or to coax a smile, making silly faces but usually the parents are with their children and I get a knowing smile or at worst a cold hard stare from a guardian.
But what to do with those curious kids that want to engage with the world? If a child has a question for me I'd like to answer it! I am a teacher after all.
I stepped onto the Straßenbahn this evening, there was an on-going dialogue between a father and son. As my German is not so good I was able to filter it out as background noise. I was standing by the tram door, when we stopped the man who I had thought was the child's father hopped off and called back.
'Tschüss!'
I thought it was a ruse. I watched and waited for him to step back on and into the carriage. He didn't.
It is obvious to me now that he had answered what he felt to be a sufficient number of questions. Perhaps, his brain had melted under the barrage of that persistent search for clarity. Whatever the reason he had had enough and threw himself out into the dark air of the night in a bid to escape that pint-sized antagonist.
I had really thought him to be the boy's father.
He sat alone momentarily. No sooner had the doors closed and my escape hindered, nay impossible, he turned his attention to me. I don't know how he started. I was rocking back and forth in a blissful daydream, happy that my working day had ended. He quietly ascertained that I was not a local. The conversation in German went something like this,
...
Boy: Do you live here?
Me : Yes, I live here. I'm -
Boy : Are you on holidays?
Me : No, I work here as an English teacher.
Boy : A stoner?
Me : No, no. An English teacher. English-
Boy: Oh I do English at school. I'll have more classes next year.
Me: Oh, can you speak English!?
Boy: Yes.
Me: And will you go to Gymnasium next year?
Boy: Yes, (says something I don't understand).
Me: Pardon?
Boy: (Says something and then) Will you be one of the teachers? (I think).
Me: No, no. Maybe (I'm at a loss here). I work in one school. A school in Floridsdorf.
Boy: You can speak in English!
(I was thrilled that he was so keen to practise!)
Me: I used to work in different schools last year. I worked in different schools last year. .
He thought to himself for a bit. He looked puzzled, and then simply nodded and walked off.
Either he was startled by my incomprehensible accent or I had begun to bore him. He walked to the top of the tram. I held on to the handrail, worried that I had offended him and worried too that some of the passengers would think I had interfered with him and caused his abrupt departure. Maybe we were nearing his stop or more likely he was so engrossed in conversation he had missed it. Maybe it was even several stops back.
I thought about this encounter briefly before the tram scratched to a halt.
If a child has a question it ought to be answered. We need to make time for them and not dismiss their quest for knowledge. Not all strangers pose dangers. There is something heart-warming about children who love learning and talking to the world. They shouldn't fear but they should be aware. I hope they learn a lot and grow up to be people who can talk to people. I admire that curiosity but I cannot help but worry for their safety. So reserved, so frightened and so awkward are we adults sometimes, frightened of our peers, our fellow man and fearful for our children.
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