They stared at me as if I had all the answers, as if I knew everything they wanted to know. It was flattering in a way, that they would have so much confidence in me but it was also… it was troubling. I did not have the answers, I had the tests results though and I was trying to explain to them that in some ways the tests were inconclusive, contradictory, and hard to explain.

“So is he retarded?” The father broke the silence with his rather poorly worded question. The Mother looks appalled and shoots him a deadly look.

“What he means to ask is do you better understand why he does not talk?” The mother looked at me, searching my face, I worry will reveal my ignorance, the fact I too am lost.

“N-no. He is not retarded, he scored very high in the intelligence test and h-he can be very verbal when he w-wants to be.” I am stuttering, my stuttering gives away my confusion, the fact I have no real answers. “B-basically what the results mean is he c-can talk he j-just has nothing to say.. right now.” I cast the small boy a look and he looks at me with such pure concentration. I can’t help but be a little nervous.

“So why is he in the retarded class if he is not retarded.” I sighed; I wished he would stop using that word.

“It’s a sp-special needs class and him not talking would qualify.. as a special need.” I smiled and hoped the parents will understand. The do, reluctantly but something makes me nervous, not them, him. Sid, he kept looking at me with huge eyes that for some reason kept me off balance.. made me nervous. I tried to ignore it but I could not.. it was intense.