Reality
Tony pointed at the decorations which framed the red bricked school's doors and windows and began to jump up and down. "That's Mother Goose by the roof. By the window there I see Jack and Jill and by the door is Humpty Dumpty. See Abuela? It is like in my books."
He did not allow time for her to answer. Glancing at the entrance he ordered excitedly as he yanked at their hands, "Let's go in now! Vamos!"
They ambled carefully inside and followed others through the short foyer. It ended in the large common room where children filed into tiny chairs as the adults made their way to line the wall, stationing themselves as observers.
Tony scampered into a seat between his best friend, Dylan, and Daisy, a higher functioning child with Down's Syndrome who lived in their neighborhood. He had played with both on numerous occasions and could not hide his delight that they, too, had enrolled.
Tony pulled up on the seat on his knees and turned to survey the back of the room, bouncing his little body. He smiled when he located Gibbs and Maria. His abuela blew him a kiss and he blew one back. His father motioned for him to turn to the front and Tony hurriedly obeyed, excited beyond belief at his introduction to school.
Today, this memorable opening day, the Director, Vanessa Hargrove, commenced with a general welcome.
The headmistress spoke just a few minutes as she explained school rules and pointed out the classrooms and restrooms, then described the schedule for the pre school morning. She concluded by instructing the little ones to hurry and say their good byes to the grown ups, then to line up to find the cubbyholes for their belongings located at the edge of the corridor.
Gibbs caught Tony as he ran up and grabbed his daddy around the knees. The agent kissed his son quickly on the top of his head, then used a finger to tilt up Tony's chin.
"I will be here to pick you up at lunch, Big Boy."
Tony nodded against him and whispered, "I will listen to the teacher and learn, Daddy, and then I will play with the boys and girls."
Then he turned loose and gave his father a dazzling smile.
Gibbs whispered, "That's right, Son, do what the teacher says."
Tony quickly raised his arms for Maria to pick him up. She did, clasping him securely to her, and he rested his head against her shoulder and reached up to caress her hair.
"I will be your good boy, Abuela, el buen muchacho, with good manners. I will be your handsome boy, too."
Maria kissed his forehead and ran her hand down his back, then brushed his bangs back, "Yes you will, Bambino. Now I will put you down and you will go to the line like your teacher said."
She set him down with a gentle smack to his bottom and he dashed off without a backwards glance, practically dancing his way to the other children.
Gibbs and Maria watched a minute or two more as the teacher led the little ones to their individual cubby places and hooks for jackets before they walked out of the door.
They made eye contact with each other and Maria shrugged, feeling a bit guilty that they still could not bring themselves to turn loose.
"I think we must leave the Bambino now."
Finally standing on the sidewalk they regarded each other sheepishly, both feeling as if they had been kicked in the stomach.
"That was traumatic," Gibbs observed, "really traumatic."
"For us, si," Maria agreed, wiping her eyes, "but Antonio does not miss us right now. He abandoned us quickly."
Linking arms, they turned and headed towards home, falling in step with Daisy's parents, as well as Dylan's mom. It appeared that all of the adults had rearranged work schedules to have this first childless morning free, to reconcile themselves to the idea that their babies had now integrated into the big kid world.
A couple of hours later the departure at the pre school mirrored the arrival activities, but in reverse. Gibbs stood patiently in the foyer with the other parents, watching as Tony joined the other children in packing his bookbag with papers and belongings.
Maria had waited at home, preparing lunch so her bambino could eat the moment he returned. She had her suspicions that whatever snack he had been given would do little to satisfy his voracious appetite. He would want his grandmama's food.
Surprisingly, the little boy did not run to greet his father, but walked slowly, grabbed his dad's hand, and demanded, "Take me home, Daddy. I don't want to be here anymore. I will run away from kindergarten now, and you will protect me!"
Taken aback at the order, Gibbs did not know how to respond. All he and Maria had heard for the past weeks had been Tony's observations about what activities he would do at school, how he would play with friends, and the ways that he would pay attention to his teacher. Something had upset him badly this first morning.
Maybe he missed his daddy and abuela and that had upset him.
Maybe they should not have agreed to let him attend the little nursery.
The little tyke was only four.
Walking beside his son and clutching his hand, Gibbs glanced at him over and over as they made their way home.
"You know Abuela is waiting at the house for you to hear all about your day, and Ducky and Mrs. Mallard will stop by to check on you this afternoon. We all want to hear about our big boy's first school day."
Tony did not rise to the occasion and respond to that, and his father noted his open pouting. Tony had puffed out his lip.
"Son, did you have a good day at all?" He ventured, at a loss as to what culprit could have upset Tony.
The child scowled and sped up, his little legs pumping to get a measurable distance away from the school. "I want to go to my house and not here. I will not go to this school any more, Daddy!"
Gibbs was shocked, but before he could question Tony they rounded the sidewalk for the last block of the journey. Tony spied Maria standing at the edge of their yard waiting for him, a smile wreathing her face when her baby appeared in the distance. He broke free from his daddy and rushed to her, his bookbag flying behind him. Maria held out her arms and he launched himself at her and threw his arms around her neck. Nuzzling, he stayed silent as she turned to take them inside, but caressed a handful of her hair.
Gibbs caught up as Tony leaned up to plant a kiss on Maria's cheek and observed decisively. "I will not go to school any more, Abuela mia. I will stay only with you now, solo le."
Maria tightened her grip on the child and glanced in bewilderment at Jethro, but he shrugged to show he was clueless to the cause of Tony's behavior.
The trio made its way inside and Maria set Tony down to go wash his hands for lunch while she put the meal on the table. When he returned his father settled him in his booster seat.
The adults waited for Tony to ask the blessing, a responsibility he took very seriously. Closing his eyes tightly and clasping his hands together he spoke firmly. "For the fruits of the earth and all of the blessings, Father we thank thee. Also, we thank thee because I will not go to that school any more. Amen."
Tony ate without his usual chatter, answering in monosyllables when the adults made queries designed to ascertain the trouble.
His silence disturbed the other two, but he refused to elaborate on his morning except to insist that he did not like the school, or his teacher for that matter, and that he would not go back.
Jethro cleaned the kitchen after lunch while Maria took Tony up for his nap. He insisted that she strip him of his school clothes and he changed into his play clothes before climbing into her lap and allowing her to rock him to sleep.
Jethro joined them within a few minutes. Tony lay sprawled in his abuela's arms and lap, one hand tangled in her hair. He transferred him to his bed and covered him before they made their way back downstairs, confused and disturbed about Tony's reaction to his first school day.