User:Peter Novakia

Peter Novakia is a fictional character, who grew up in a small town in NE. He was a somewhat confused child who often meant well, but was always misunderstood. In his desire to be open and honest, he made statements which caused him to be mocked by teachers as well as other students. As he grew older, his mistrust of other grew to a point where he would only circle himself with a few close friends who he could open up to, and felt particularly uncomfortable around adults. Peter lived a very private life, keeping much of his life a secret. As an adult, he seemed to develop socially and live a somewhat normal life.

Third grade began with Miss Westcott. She was an elderly teacher who had been teaching for more than thirty years; however, no one is sure how prepared she was to have in her class: Wayne Beeman, Steven Conroy, Billy Wailing, and Peter Navakia. These boys were pretty slow learners which in those days was not a concept. Once she stood and counted to ten as her patience ran thin with Peter. Another time, he and one of girls needed to make up a math test. Miss Westcott tried to have a short review; Peter mistakenly wrote ten cents as if on a lemonade stand. Miss Westcott was so irritated, she yelled, “Peter, don’t take the test”! Peter took it upon himself to interpret this comment as not being literal, so he went down to the auditorium anyway and took it. These boys, who sat on the far right off the class, formed a comradary. Miss Westcott had folders in front of the class in which the students filed their assignments during the day. Realizing that these certain boys were slow learners, she had a special file for them on which she labeled them as “special people.” On one occasion, her temper flared up and she screamed at them, “You’re drones”! and she turn the file around and wrote – d r o n e s  on it. Peter had never heard this word before, but as it was pronounced with such venom, the pain cut right through him, as the rest of the class looked on. Sometimes the humility was absorbed among the four or five of them. The “drone” file stayed there a few days and later when things were calm, Miss Westcott was explaining the formality of the file system, and she said that these boys would continue to have a separate file from the rest of the class, but it would be turned again to read “special people.” Perhaps the craziest circumstance happened at mid year. As the class was waiting to go out to recess, Peter was dragging his finger along the desk and tracing the pencil well. Cheryl Goff was sitting along side him and yelled, “EEE.” Then when the students returned from recess, Miss Westcott sternly told Peter to step outside the classroom into the corridor. What took place next was a meeting with Peter, her and Cheryl Goff. Miss Westcott grabbed Peter’s hand said, “Show me what you did! Did you make that sinful sign with you hand?” At that point Peter really had no clue what she was talking about. Then Cheryl explained how, “He was going like this with his finger, dragging it across the desk.” Somehow Miss Westcott understood that Peter had no understanding as to the matter. She, then, asked Cheryl to return to the classroom, and told Peter that he did nothing wrong, only some people want to accuse others. Peter did learn that day that some bad jester can be done with a finger. Peter had an accident in the middle of the third grade, and he had to attend school on crutches. Since he could not ride the bus, his mother drove him to school and picked him up when school was finished. Although, it was short lived, Peter loved the special attention he received. When his dear, but somewhat-disillusioned mother came to his classroom in order to bring him home, it provided Miss Westcott an opportunity to be able to talk with Peter’s mother. Miss Westcott explained to her that Peter had learning problems, and his mother should be concerned about him. The teacher  graciously said that Thomas Edison was not good in school and may have been a daydreamer just like Peter. As Miss Westcott tried to convey the seriousness of her son’s problem, Peter just helplessly listened from a distance of a few feet away. At this point, it only confirmed to him that he was different from the other kids. That year Peter joined the Cub Scouts. His mother was a den mother.