Boy Learns an Expensive Lesson as Mother Demands Rent from 7-Year-Old

Boy Learns an Expensive Lesson as Mother Demands Rent from 7-Year-Old

The Boy, the Girl, and the Teacher

The boy stood before her, in tears, trying to find the words to explain himself. His cheeks were bright red, his forehead was burning hot. It was clear that something had gone completely wrong.

The teacher knelt down, trying to get on the same level as the boy. She remembered scolding him for behaving badly towards a girl. But she never imagined that his parents would take further action.

More than just a punishment

Biology teacher Mrs. Amanda Shaw now realized that this was more than just a simple punishment for the boy. There was something deeper going on than anyone could have guessed at first glance. She had met his mother at a parent-teacher meeting.

The mother had seemed strange to Amanda Shaw. This time, she had found little Cole crying by the toilets, and now she knew that the situation was more serious than originally thought.

Not a normal morning

When Amanda arrived at school that day, she didn't expect anything out of the ordinary. It would be just another day. Outside, it was cold, the streets were soaked in rain, and a storm had passed over them last night.

Amanda entered the conference room, greeted the other teachers, and focused on her schedule. She had to hurry not to be late. Little did she know what she would discover just moments later.

Her calling

Teaching in a small school in North Carolina was not always part of Amanda's life plan. She had imagined becoming a zoologist, discovering new insects somewhere in the tropics.

However, a friend had asked her to take a look at the school system and maybe find her calling there. Amanda planned to dedicate a year to teaching and then focus on new adventures. Unexpectedly, teaching brought her the greatest joy in life.

The toilets

Amanda was on her way to her class when she suddenly heard sobbing coming from the boys' toilets. The corridors were already empty, and all the children had gathered in their classrooms.

Amanda pressed her school supplies against her body and paused. The thirty-year-old teacher knocked on the boys' restroom door. She thought it was an emotional situation that often occurred. She was in for a surprise.

Going inside

After waiting for a few seconds, Amanda firmly stated that she was entering. She opened the door, and at first glance, everything seemed empty. She noticed a navy blue jacket hanging over the sink.

Then she heard the sobbing coming from one of the toilet stalls. The sound was fragile and desperate, like an injured lamb. Amanda raised an eyebrow and approached. She needed to find out what was going on.

Do you need help?

"Hello," she said cautiously. "Is everything okay in there?" There was no response, and she briefly considered getting a male teacher to help. Whoever was in there might be in a difficult or embarrassing situation.

"Do you want me to get help?" she asked. Again, there was no response. She now placed her school supplies on the floor next to the child's backpack. It was evident that the boy would need more time to gather himself.

She Wanted to Help

The best thing about being a teacher is being able to provide real assistance to children. And in this case, Amanda was in her element. After assuring the boy that he wasn't in trouble for being late to class, she asked if he would share his name.

With 500 students in the school, it theoretically made it difficult to know all the children by name, but Amanda had a good overview. She was surprised when he finally revealed his name.

That's Cole

"Cole," came the sobbing voice. "Cole Lieberman?" Amanda asked in astonishment. She couldn't believe it. Cole was almost a feared student, and for good reason! How many times had Amanda sent the boy to detention?

How many times had he been sent home for being mean to other students and teachers? He was a difficult child, but Amanda could never have imagined that he could cry too. Something was definitely wrong.

Hesitant

"What's wrong, Cole?" Amanda asked cautiously. "Do you need help with anything?" The seven-year-old had often been sent to the principal's office before, so he was probably afraid to share his problem with a teacher.

Amanda asked again what was wrong. "I can't go into the classroom," Cole said, breaking down in tears again. "They will laugh at me!" Now Amanda asked who would laugh at him. She thought he might be even more bullied.

He was upset

"The other kids!" Cole replied. It was now clear that Cole was not only sad but also upset. "Why do you think they would laugh at you?" Amanda asked curiously.

Then she suddenly remembered an incident from the previous day and stood up. Cole had also been sent to the principal's office yesterday for his misbehavior. Could that possibly be connected to today's drama?

His actions

The day before, Amanda had experienced a normal school day. After teaching in the early morning hours, she was in the teachers' lounge, eating an apple. Then she heard loud voices in the hallway, and she and another teacher went to investigate.

They found Cole and some of his friends laughing at a little girl, Linda. In that instant, Amanda helped Linda to her feet, and the boys were scolded. But that was just the beginning.

Where it all began

Amanda took Linda to the teachers' lounge and asked what had happened. She learned that Linda's mother was battling cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. She hadn't seen her daughter in months, and that morning she had been able to bring her to school.

Linda was so happy that her mom was strong enough to bring her to school, but Cole and his friends had been watching the whole situation closely.

Little Linda

Cole had spent the entire day laughing about Linda's situation. He had given Linda's mother mean nicknames because she had to shave her head. He insisted that Linda would end up the same way.

Amanda had to gather herself when Linda narrated the incident. She had almost burst into tears herself as the little girl told her the story. Cole and his friends wouldn't get away with it so easily.

Taking action

Amanda called Cole's mother, and the parents of the other children involved were informed about the incident. She explained Linda's situation and how difficult things were for the whole family. What Cole had done was simply unacceptable.

Amanda hoped that the parents would have an initial conversation with their children. She had no idea that she would find Cole crying the next day. But that was just the beginning!

He was just a child

Amanda rolled her eyes briefly and considered the best way to handle the situation without losing her composure. She realized that Cole was just a child, no matter how badly he had treated Linda.

As she thought it through, the anger she had briefly felt dissipated. She needed to help Cole now and find out what was really troubling the child.

Please let me help

"You need to open the door now, Cole," Amanda said, hoping he trusted her enough to follow her instructions. "I'll help you, but I can only do that if you allow it, okay?"

Cole had stopped sobbing, and it only took a few more moments for a click to sound, and the door swung open. Amanda wasn't prepared for what she saw. She paused.

The consequences

Almost a curse word escaped her, but she managed to swallow it. The boy's head, which had sported thick blonde curls just yesterday, was now shaved bald in some spots.

Cole was now silent but tears streamed down his cheeks like a waterfall, eventually landing on his soaked T-shirt. He approached Amanda and hugged her tightly. What had happened here?

A victim

The first words Amanda managed to say assured the crying child that everything would be okay. She convinced him to come with her to the teachers' lounge and promised that no one there would see him like this.

Although Cole was known for mocking other children, it was clear that he was the victim this morning. He felt betrayed by his uneven haircut and couldn't suppress his feelings.

Calming down

Amanda waited for Cole to calm down finally and then asked for more details. She had another teacher take over her class and could now give Cole her undivided attention.

Amanda asked Cole what had happened. Cole first spoke about the previous day and how sorry he was for what he had said to Linda. He burst into tears again, and Amanda realized that all of this didn't make sense. She gave him the day off, allowing him to shave his hair and talk to her about it tomorrow.

Further assistance

Amanda promised to look after him the next day to ensure no one would laugh at him. It was now clear that he felt remorse for what happened with Linda. Amanda shared her plan with Cole, but she wasn't prepared for the reaction she received.

Cole started to panic, trembling visibly. "What's wrong?" Amanda asked. The boy's eyes widened. He seemed to fear something that Amanda apparently didn't know.

The reason

Amanda realized that he had reacted very negatively to the offer of going home. "You don't have to go home. We could just call a hairstylist, how about that?" Amanda offered the child.

Cole shared with Amanda that he wasn't allowed to go home until school was over. Amanda recalled how strict Cole's mother had to be with him, but then Cole said that he couldn't afford to make his mother angry.

Uncovering the roots

What would happen at home if Cole angered his mother? Amanda needed to report the situation to the principal now. After that, there would be a conversation between her and Cole's mother. The principal was very helpful.

He knew how to handle clippers and helped Cole regain his self-confidence. Then he sent the boy back to Amanda while he spoke with the mother. It didn't take long for the truth to come to light.

Mrs. Lieberman

Amanda saw Cole's mother park outside the school and enter. She was tall, well-built, with blonde curls. With determined steps, she headed towards the principal's office, and after a few minutes, Amanda was called in.

Amanda entered and saw Mrs. Lieberman giving the principal a stern look. She turned to Amanda and said, "Where is my son?" "In class, Mrs. Lieberman," Amanda replied calmly. "I found him crying near the toilets. When I offered to let him go home, he had a panic attack."

Rules

Mrs. Lieberman almost smiled. "After yesterday's incident, I decided to teach him a lesson. I added some dollars to his monthly rent and internet bill. I took away his tablet and gave him a haircut."

She explained that her son had to spend 30% of his allowance on rent, electricity, and internet. This way, he would learn the rules of adult life and realize how good he had it. Amanda was speechless. What kind of household had she stumbled upon here?

To protect the privacy of the individuals involved, names and details have been altered.