Nathaniel Kurtzberg
Nathaniel made his way along the floor to the office of the school psychologist to encounter the door open with the woman standing with a bottle of water in her hand taking a sip whilst reading the interior of a file, that contained a couple of sheets in it. Nathaniel knocked on the door to earn the woman's attention.
"Come in," Invited the woman watching Nathaniel enter into the office and close the door behind him, afterward walked to the desk to see the woman offer the boy to take the chair in front of her desk. "Welcome. You're here, so I can get to know you a little. As the new school psychologist I'd like to see each student at least once and picture myself, who I am dealing with. I saw you got a few extras here, I haven't seen on others. I haven't read it through fully, but I have seen your mother had to deal occasionally with the social worker, is that right?"
"I think it was a tough time for my mom," Mentioned Nathaniel. "She had to prove herself that she can take care of me all alone,"
"All alone? Did something happen to your father?" Questioned Alfida making Nathaniel shrug his shoulders.
"I don't know it," Responded Nathaniel. "It doesn't even matter. I don't think it would be any worth having him around," Spoke Nathaniel slightly cold surprising the woman a little.
"What did happen to him, if I may ask?"
"He left our family, when I still was a baby," Mentioned Nathaniel making the woman sank her eyebrows sad at the notice. "It's not worth the deal. He had done it in the worst possible way….to my knowledge,"
"Can you clarify, what he has done?" Questioned Alfida making Nathaniel look aside thinking about it, then sighed.
"Well it doesn't matter, most people know more or less what happened," Stated Nathaniel. "When I was a baby, my father had promised we would someday go to Germany to meet his parents. He took us in his car and we traveled with it towards Germany. Shortly after we had passed through the borders of France and Luxembourg, we stopped at a service area. My mom had taken me from the seat and mentioned to my dad she was going to the restrooms to change diapers. My father said he was going to put a bit of fuel as it was cheaper at that part and while we were in, my mom didn't notice my dad was about to pull one of the biggest…...mistake or relief in his life. He drove off immediately out of the area. As my mother got out with me, she went to the gas pumps to look for him, but he wasn't there. She looked around for the car anywhere around the area and couldn't find him. She had gotten worried and tried to call him, but his phone was inactive. A vigilant trucker had per coincidence see him leaving , but assumed the entire family was inside the car and questioned my mom about it. He offered her to question the inmates of the gas station for info and she discovered he straight left the place without even docking at the gas pump for fuel. My mother was offered to have the police called, but she rejected it and informed my grandparents about, what happened and they took their own car to make their way towards Luxembourg to take us back home. We never received any letter, call or anything about him. We simply know he left without any words…...my mom assumed he wasn't really happy or prepared for fatherhood. He didn't even talk with her about it or anything, just ran off,"
"That's a really terrible experience," Confessed Alfida making Nathaniel nod.
"Well I don't really remember anything about that. I just know it from my grandparents and my mother. I had to visit with my mom some other psychologists or something, because of having a not-normal family. Not basic like other students. All had a mom and a dad, but I had only my mother and no father around. I feel like they feared my mom wouldn't be able to raise me on her own. She had help from her parents. We lived with them in the same home, I would rarely be alone. Around when I turned 8 I think, I didn't have to visit those people anymore, but my mom would receive twice a year visit from a social worker to take a look at everything to see if everything was okay,"
"What would the previous psychologists talk to you about this issue of not having a dad?"
"I don't remember. Basically, that it's not my fault I had such an idiotic dad and I should embrace the people I have around me, like my mom and grandparents," Commented Nathaniel. "When I was a kid, the girls from my class Rose and Juleka took me to be her friends and I found out, that Juleka and her brother had no father just like me. He had left their family as well, just their mom never told them why,"
"With the two you could eventually bond about a missing parent?" Questioned the woman making Nathaniel nod.
"Yes in a way we did. We both accepted, that we could live better that way too. My mom afterall worked hard to keep me with her and went through a lot to get herself a better job to sustain us. This is why I also go here to Françoise Dupont,"
"Your mother sounds like a power woman for me. You should really be proud of her," Commented the psychologist making Nathaniel nod.
"I am, honestly," Responded Nathaniel. "She and my grandparents were the most important thing in my life,"
"Adorable," Alfida confessed looking at her block to notice his details in the middle, where she's supposed to question the redhead about the family. "Okay, if you don't mind I'd like to continue my task here about the introduction between us two, but if you need to talk your heart out about this or anything else, feel free to contact me," Offered Miss Ecofinisher making Nathaniel nod.
"Yes," Responded Nathaniel watching the woman read the first question of the block.
"How is school doing for you?" Questioned the brunette watching Nathaniel shrug his shoulders.
"It's alright," Responded Nathaniel. "Most of the time it's boring. I'm doing my best to make the best here at the school. I distract myself a lot when studying," Commented the redhead making the woman chuckle.
"I can understand why," Answered the woman watching Nathaniel pass his hand behind his head.
"It's fine for now. I don't need help at the moment. I pass decently through the classes," Added Nathaniel making the woman nod.
"Who are your friends here at the school?" Questioned Alfida. "I guess Rose and Juleka from the previous comments are some,"
"Yes, Ivan and Luka are friends too for me," Responded Nataniel.
"Alright, what are your hobbies?"
"I read comics and play video games sometimes. My biggest passion is drawing. I have been drawing since I was 4 or 5 years old. With the time I start to read comics and mangas, I began to teach myself how to draw characters and got better with the time,"
"Very well. Talking about getting better, what subject would you like to improve here at the school? What subject here at the school are you great at? Can you answer me that?"
"Well, I have always been terrible at science. It's the only subject at the moment I'm bad at. Physics is alright so far. The ones I'm good at is art class obviously and French lessons,"
"Good, good. Can you tell me about the current class you're in and the previous ones? How did you feel there?" Questioned the psychologist as she wrote down Nathaniel's issues about the subject.
"Sometimes I used to be bullied by Chloé from both classes. In my old class, I also was mocked for drawing by the student Nikolaj. He used to say it was girl stuff," Explained the redhead making the woman nod.
"You're such a talented young man. You gotta use that gift for something good as you received it. You're doing the right thing,"
"Thank you," Replied Nathaniel followed by the woman taking notes from the issues with the bullying.
"How is it in the current class?"
"It's better. Chloé sometimes does the same nonsense, but on rare occasions," Added Nathaniel making the woman nod.
"Would you like your future job to have anything to do with art?"
"I thought of comic designing, but my mom says it's probably not very lucrative. Maybe I could get the chance to be something else, that has people needing artists. Like drawing behind the scenes in animation movies or, or work on an actual movie in 2d. Today it's probably rare unless I maybe try it out in Japan,"
"Yes the world's changing. But who knows, 2d animation can get popular too someday, like uhm…..okay, I can't at the moment recall any 2d-animated movie right now,"
"Uhm…..like Dragon ball?" Questioned Nathaniel making the woman nod. "Well, I can't remember anything European or American. The only European thing I remember is Code Lyoko and that's probably like 12 years old or more,"
"Probably. Well at the moment you're still got a few years in front of you. Until there you can find a path for you to go or even find something that you would like as well,"
"Yes, that's what my mother said," Added Nathaniel. "She said as she was a flight attendant she never had thought before about trying to get a course for herself as an air traffic controller. It's not a lifetime deal our first starter job,"
"In today's time, most people leave and find a new job after years. You'll learn more about different aspects of life too. Meet new people. It's not as bad as it sounds,"
"I think so," Commented Nathaniel watching the woman notice down his future.
"Do you have any health issues, such as allergies or something bad?"
"No, I'm good…..In case you ask me about my weight, I eat a lot, but I feel like I don't gain any weight at all," Stated Nathaniel making the woman nod and point it down.
"A small chunk of people are like this. This isn't quite worrying, if you ask me," Miss Ecofinisher stated making Nathaniel nod. "Do you have a deskmate in your class?"
"I do," Responded Nathaniel. "It's Lila Rossi. She joined class about…..a few months ago I think,"
"Oh and do you two get along?" Questioned Alfida watching Nathaniel scratch the back of his neck.
"I think so," Responded Nathaniel. " She does talk a lot to me, to get to know me. I just am not that good at talking to people,"
"Do you answer her questions?"
"Yeah, I'm just not used to people talking uhm a lot. She's the opposite of Juleka and I don't know…..she's got extras to be more talkative than Rose for example,"
"But you would consider her as a friend or just as your deskmate?" Questioned Alfida making Nathaniel shrug his shoulders.
"Perhaps, I don't know it yet," Answered Nathaniel. "It's easier for me to listen. I just feel like she needs someone to give her attention when she's telling something. I never got to know her in ways I got to know Rose or Juleka,"
"Ever thought about it?" Questioned Alfida making Nataniel think about it and shrug his shoulders.
"I don't even know, how to get to know someone. I legit have no idea how to make friends on my own. I just was literally adopted by Rose…."
"Finding something in common and talk about it may be a good start for you. Or question her about anything she talks about to you. That'll do better,"
"Okay, it's worth a try," Spoke Nathaniel, then watched the woman write a star before writing down his answer about the available deskmate.
"Okay, do you have people you can trust with problems you have?" Asked the brunette making the boy nod.
"At the moment just my mom and Rose. Sometimes Miss Bustier too, when it's related to school," Alfida noticed it down after the boy had answered her question, then moved to the next question. "Dream vacation?"
"Japan for sure. England. Maybe Italy. I haven't thought about this a lot," Commented Nathaniel making the woman nod.
"Okay, what are your great talents? As I heard, you're great at drawing,"
"Yes, I'm also good at painting…...I also am good at…..building objects…...I only remember this. I don't do a lot in my free time, to be honest,"
"What about school subject?" Questioned Alfida. "Music, sports, languages?"
"Well, last time in group singing Mr. Song said I would sing well," Spoke Nathaniel making the woman nod.
"Would you sing me a verse or two from a song, you think you're good at?"
"Do I have to?" Questioned Nathaniel a little reculantly making Alfida nod.
"Nothing here will come to the outside, I have promised you," Mentioned Miss Ecofinisher making Nathaniel nod, then he closed his eyes and began to sing a phrase from the middle of a song, that came up into his head.
"Tu es mon ciel, tu es mon ciel, rempli d'étoiles. Je veux te donner mon amour, oh. Ce soir, ce soir, tu seras dans mes bras. Mon amour, mon amour, c'est vrai, c'est vrai…..Parce que ce soir! Ce soir! Vous verrez le vrai moi! Oh oh," Nathaniel sang out loud from his heart, leaving Alfida perplexed at listening to the redhead's voice, without any background music, which sounded quite likable as expected. "Suis-moi, regarde-moi dans les yeux et tu verras….."
Alfida interrupted with a hand clapping, shrieking Nathaniel, which was surprised by the woman's action, then he turned a little red and avoided eye contact with the woman.
"That was good! I wasn't really expecting this," Commented Alfida while Nathaniel scratched his head.
"Thank you," Responded Nathaniel still abashed by the woman's reaction. "I didn't think it would sound that good," Nathaniel commented, then watched Alfida notice down the verb singing and in brackets the word talented. Nathaniel was astonished by the woman's thought, then looked at the last question and pondered about them in advance.
"Only one more question, Nathaniel. If you were stranded on an island for a few weeks or months. Which three things would you bring with you to there?"
"A large paper notebook. Coloring or basic pens and a solar-working radio," Responded Nathaniel making the woman cackle.
"Yours quite unique. Haven't you thought about anything else, that could help you with survival?"
"In nature there I can come up with objects. If I find a sharp stone and a piece of wood I can sharpen it and make a spear out of it. Making fire I would also need stones and wood. I had three years ago to answer this question, but with things, we find on the island,"
"Smart boy," Commented Alfida writing down the picked up objects and noticed as well Nathaniel's answer. "Very good. We're done here, do you want to go or do you have anything in your heart to let it out?"
"I'm okay. I will think about your offer and say something" Spoke Nathaniel getting up from the chair earning a nod from the woman.