Poor Kid

Today has been strange. First, I woke up early this morning and was running around trying to get laundry done before work. I ran out of the house a little later than usual and looked around and realized that a thin coat of snow lay over everything. It was so bright and beautiful. It the first snow I have seen in Japan. In fact it has been years since I have seen snow I think. so I rode to work in a jolly mood. I was sure that today was off to a good start. As I sat on the train waiting for it to leave the station, I noticed a man of about 50 sitting across from me. He was concealing some thing behind his briefcase and he was acting strangely. Then I saw him take a sip of his secret beverage, SAKE! it was 7:45am. I also noticed the young boy next to me talking softly to himself. Once I got to school the day continued to be strange. An alarm of some kind kept going off all morning causing the staff to run about and fret as the phone range and they attempted to figure out why it continued to sound. I tried to find out what sort of alarm it was, but never did. All day long there seemed to be something wrong. One of the teachers was absent from my class. And all the others seemed on edge. Then at lunch I spoke to the principal and asked her what was going on. She told me that one of the students was in trouble. His name is Akira and he is in 5th grade. She told me last night he ran away from home and spent the night outside in the cold (Its snowed last night too) finally he was caught this morning by his step mother and when he was brought home his father hit him. She told me that when Akira was in 2nd grade his Father walked out on his mother and there 3 children. His father returned 2 years later with a new wife and baby, and kicked his previous wife out of the house. So now he lives with his father and step mother. You can imagine that this kid is going threw stuff. He no longer wants to live at home with his father. He has told the principal that and requested that he be brought back to like a foster care home, were he was a few years back.

Its very sad. Poor kid. I think all of this must be so shameful for him, ESPECIALLY here in Japan, where instances like this are far more uncommon. Well i am in the middle of my day so lets see what else happens. I hope nothing else bad or shocking!