by DP Scott
fluttered close to Jacob’s face, and looked into his eyes. “I understand, but sometimes when you are sad, it helps to share your feelings with a friend.”
“Well, after I tell you, you probably won’t want to be my Green Thing, or my friend.” Jacob felt very depressed. “I’m not smart, and I mix-up letters and numbers in my head. I’ll never be good at school. Mom and Dad don’t think I know, but I heard them taking about me. It’s called dis-something.”
“Dyslexia?”
“How do you know that word?” asked Jacob.
“I know lots of things. Dyslexia is nothing to be embarrassed about Jacob, and it has nothing to do with intelligence, or determine how smart you are. Lots of very smart people have or had dyslexia. Like Alexander Graham Bell who invented the telephone, Thomas Edison who invented the light bulb and the motion picture camera, Walt Disney who created Disneyland, and Albert Einstein who was one of the smartest men in the world!”
“Really?” said Jacob totally surprised.
“Really,” answered Drake. “The secret in dealing with dyslexia is to learn techniques to overcome it. Instead of struggling to write the words for your spelling test on a piece of paper like you were doing, let’s say the words out loud, and visualize them in our heads.”
“You saw me practicing, Drake?”
“Yup, I did. One thing I do know Jacob is that you have a great memory. I’m going to help you learn the words for tomorrow. Close your eyes, and try to see the words and sounds in your head as I go through the spelling list.”
The next day it was snowing hard, and as Jacob and Arnold went from the bus to the school yard, they slid along the tops of the frozen mud puddles. Jacob didn’t want to think about the spelling test. He knew he had fallen asleep before he had learned all of the words.
When the teacher asked them to put away everything on their desks except for a blank sheet of paper and a pencil, Jacob felt as though he was going to throw-up. He didn’t think he would remember even one of the words on the list. The first word they were asked to spell was “blue”. Jacob recalled seeing the word on the list, but had forgotten how to spell it. The teacher repeated the word, and Jacob remembered what Drake had told him, “Close your eyes.” He could now see the word “blue” with blue letters floating right inside his brain. Writing down what he saw, he waited for the next word. It was an easy one, and Jacob wrote it down quickly. Every time the teacher said a word he wasn’t sure of, he closed his eyes and found he was able to see it inside his head.
Jacob was nervous when the teacher picked up the completed spelling tests, and instead of going outside for recess with the other kids, he sat in his desk and watched her mark them.
“Don’t you want to go outside and play?” asked his teacher. Jacob shook his head. “Are you worried about the test Jacob?”
“I don’t know,” he said, looking at the floor.
“Well, how about if I mark your test right now?” she suggested. Within a few minutes she had a big smile. “You got every word right Jacob! I’m proud of you. Why don’t you take the test home and show your parents?”
At dinner Jacob pulled the wrinkled spelling test out of his pocket. His parents were so happy he was allowed to have a double scoop of ice cream for dessert. Jacob looked out the window to see if it was dark. He could hardly wait to tell Drake.
The second his parents closed the door to his room that night, he whispered at the wall, “Drake, guess what...guess what?”
“What?” said Drake, smiling as he floated upside down.
“I got 100% on my spelling test because you helped me!”
“You’re amazing! I knew you could do it!”
For the next four months Drake helped Jacob every night with his homework. The school year was coming to an end, and Jacob had gone from the bottom of the class to the top in every subject. The teacher said she had never seen such a dramatic improvement in a student.
One day Jacob brought home a book from the school library to show Drake. “It’s a book about famous people. And look, on the cover is a picture of Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, and Albert Einstein,” he said, pointing at the pictures. “Drake, how come you know about these smart people who have my number and letter problem?”
“I know they had dyslexia because I was their Green Thing when they were kids”.
“Wow! You must be pretty old.”
“Around two hundred and eighty-three in people years,” replied Drake, doing a cartwheel as he changed color from green to orange and then back again.
“You are the coolest friend I ever had. I’m going to keep you forever,” said Jacob, grinning.
“I wish I could stay with you Jacob, but you remember what I told you the first time we met? I can only stay for as long as you need me, then I have to go to another kid. That’s the rule.”
It was Friday night and school was finished for the year. That night at supper because Jacob had gotten straight “A’s” his mother made his favourite dinner. His parents were very pleased with him, and Jacob felt a confidence in himself he had never had before. Because of Drake, he had learned to deal with his dyslexia. He now knew anything was possible, as long as you worked hard, didn’t get down on yourself, and never gave up.
Before he went to bed Jacob hugged his Mom and Dad in the living room. “I’ll put myself to bed from now on,” he told them, “I’m not a little kid anymore.”
As he lay under the covers, he felt different, more grown up. Somehow he knew he would never see Drake again. It was very quiet in the house that night, and although Jacob tried to sleep he couldn’t. He smiled when he remembered how scared he had been when he thought Drake was a monster in the wall.
“I hope Drake’s new girl or boy is good to him,” he whispered, “Drake was the best monster a kid could ever have!”
“What did you call me?” asked Drake, sticking his head out of the wall.
“Drake, I thought you had gone to another kid!” yelled Jacob.
“Speaking about that, I got my new assignment today,” said Drake, flying around the room.
“Thought so,” answered Jacob, feeling sad.
“But it doesn’t start for one more year.”
“You mean I have you for another year?” asked Jacob, laughing.
Drake laughed too, “As long as you need a funny green monster with red eyes.”
THE END
If you enjoyed reading “There’s a Monster in the Wall!” by D.P. Scott, then check out her other story “Saturna, the Forgotten Princess”, a full-length novel for young readers, age ten and up.