| That John was odd is a fact about which there | | | | to notice he was in the room or dismissed him as |
| was no doubt. That he was ungainly looking, | | | | being a slow learner. He mentioned several staff |
| awkward, socially inept and of limited intelligence | | | | members who were kind and gentle and who |
| was also obvious. John was in fifth year when I | | | | went out of their way to wish him good morning |
| met him. His mother had brought him to the | | | | and inquire about his family. "There are a lot of |
| office because she was alarmed about his | | | | good teachers in my school. Some are a bit |
| "preoccupation" with helicopters. It seems his | | | | cranky all right, but a lot of them are just trying |
| teachers had expressed concerns about John's | | | | to do their job. It isn't easy when a lot of kids are |
| constant reference to the helicopter which | | | | acting the maggot in class." As he talked about his |
| followed him to school each day. They were also | | | | teachers and the "...nice lady who gives me a cup |
| concerned because John's fellow students in | | | | of tea in the parent's room..." he began to cry. |
| school were intolerant of him, occasionally verbally | | | | Through his tears John began to talk about Mr. |
| abusive to him and had "set him up" on numerous | | | | O'Reilly. "That teacher is the best, he understands |
| occasions, at one time encouraging him to sing | | | | me. He told me that if I go for help the helicopter |
| the national anthem aloud during prayer time in an | | | | would go away and I won't hear those noises all |
| assembly. | | | | the time. He even told me, and I'm not supposed |
| John's one friend in school was Mr. O'Reilly, his | | | | to say this, that he has a brother who had a |
| English teacher. O'Reilly was a young lad who had | | | | problem just like mine and that he got help in a |
| only completed his teacher training the year | | | | hospital. Don't tell anyone I told you that please." |
| before. O'Reilly was from a large family, born in | | | | After further questioning it became clear that |
| rural Ireland he was the youngest and had been | | | | John was an adolescent with schizophrenia. He |
| adored by his mother and father. O'Reilly was a | | | | was having auditory hallucinations, believed there |
| kind and decent man who had seen life's | | | | was a helicopter following him everywhere, even |
| difficulties up close and person. One of his | | | | into school and was frightened and anxious all the |
| brothers was incarcerated for car theft, a sister | | | | time. |
| had moved to England after having giving birth to | | | | John ended up in hospital of course, was given the |
| her third child by her third partner (the other two | | | | appropriate medication and his hallucinations went |
| children were fathered by each of her two other | | | | away. In the day room, once every week, there |
| partners) and he had an older brother who spent | | | | was a bingo game. Every week Mr. O'Reilly came |
| years in an out of a psychiatric hospital. As a | | | | and visited John, playing bingo with him. One |
| result of this unusual, but rich and loving family | | | | week's prize was New York Yankee's baseball cap |
| background, O'Reilly was sensitive and tolerant to | | | | that had been on display all week long before |
| difference. Of all the teachers in the school he | | | | bingo. John loved that cap, he lived for it, it was all |
| alone recognised something essentially good and | | | | he could talk about for the week. He even |
| decent about John. | | | | phoned Mr. O'Reilly once, with permission of |
| My first impression of John was that he was | | | | course, and told him about the cap and how much |
| unusual odd looking. Tall and gangly with a face | | | | he wanted to win it at bingo. That week Mr. |
| studded with bad acne and teeth that seemed to | | | | O'Reilly turned up as usual. Throughout the bingo |
| protrude from every corner of his mouth he sat | | | | game all John talked about was the baseball cap. |
| gazing upward in his chair. His mother introduced | | | | O'Reilly thought John mustn't be taking his |
| him saying that he was shy and didn't quite | | | | medication! |
| understand why he was here. Despite this | | | | John won the baseball cap that week. He was in |
| acknowledgment of his shyness John was eager | | | | floods of tears walking up to the bingo table to |
| to talk, rose to greet me and shook my hand | | | | collect it. He looked at it as if it was made of solid |
| warmly. "Are you afraid of helicopters?" was his | | | | gold. Walking back to his chair he held it in his |
| introductory remark to me. As we walked to the | | | | hands, just looking at it. Mr. O'Reilly told him to put |
| office to have a chat I could not help but notice | | | | it on. But John said, "No, I want you to have it |
| that John was constantly staring at the ceiling. | | | | because you were always nice to me" and gave |
| John spoke freely about his experiences in | | | | it to O'Reilly. O'Reilly is 35 now, with a family of his |
| secondary school. He talked about the number of | | | | own. He lost track of John years ago. O'Reilly has |
| lads who laughed at him, who encouraged him to | | | | the baseball cap proudly displayed in his classroom |
| do things he really didn't want to do, like singing | | | | and often mentions a very unusual boy named |
| aloud during prayer time. He talked about his | | | | John who taught him a lesson about life and the |
| teachers who, according to him, either didn't care | | | | importance of kindness. |