Mrs. Remington-Neil Bartram

[00:00.098]Alvin [00:00.532]The beginning. [00:01.890]A story about alvin kelby. [00:04.265]My mom passed away [00:05.232]In the summer i turned six [00:06.792]Write that down. [00:07.564]Thomas [00:07.797]Alvin, what's the point’ [00:08.663]Alvin [00:08.962]Trust me. [00:09.607](thomas writes in his notebook.) [00:09.949]Thomas [00:10.322]Alvin's mom passed away in the summer he turned six. [00:14.037]Alvin [00:14.484]Good. [00:14.917]And left a single father and his son. [00:17.448]But dad had the bookstore [00:18.937]With a leaky roof to fix. [00:20.359]So i was on my own [00:22.116]Facing the unknown, [00:24.454]The terrifying prospect of grade one. [00:28.329]But at the time how was i to see [00:33.677]A kind and gentle soul was waiting there for me’ [00:39.148] [00:40.520]Mrs. Remington, our first grade teacher [00:42.408]Made elementary school a better place. [00:44.766]But her single most disturbing feature [00:47.115]Was the coarse black hair on her face. [00:49.528]Maybe she was menopausal. [00:50.730]Lack of estrogen will cause [00:51.976]A lot of odd conditions, [00:53.390]Some acute! [00:54.333]The irony would never faze her [00:55.596]Namesake of a famous razor. [00:56.921]And to be so facially hirsute. [00:58.953] [00:59.827]But mrs. Remington smiled [01:02.161]And she would brighten my day. [01:05.289]Back then a teacher hugged you [01:08.089]To make you feel okay. [01:09.287] [01:09.765]Though my face sorta stung [01:12.187]From mrs. Remington’s beard, [01:15.404]When she held me, my problems disappeared. [01:19.120] [01:22.804]Mrs. Lynch was an ignoramus, [01:24.873]Mr. Pollack was just plain mean. [01:27.215]Mrs. Remington was nearly famous [01:29.289]For her parties at halloween. [01:31.838]Pumpkin heads of every shape [01:32.935]Were cut out of construction paper. [01:34.200]Each and every one would be displayed. [01:36.543]The highlight for the children was [01:37.743]To make a really special costume [01:39.105]For the yearly halloween parade. [01:41.544] [01:41.977]Mrs. Remington smiled [01:44.264]And she was clearly content [01:47.239]As she lovingly presided [01:49.521]Over this, the main event. [01:51.409]So we’d nervously walk [01:54.098]Past her critical eyes [01:56.826]And we’d vie for mrs. Remington’s top prize. [02:01.103] [02:01.632]Thomas [02:01.889]There was this one kid wearing cardboard wings, [02:03.436]A coat hanger halo, carrying a bell and a homemade book that said tom sawyer. [02:08.551]Nobody had a clue what he was supposed to be. [02:10.870]Alvin except me. [02:13.499](alvin becomes his younger self.) [02:13.759]Oh, oh, oh, mrs. Remington! [02:15.417]Pamela koshan thought he was the statue of liberty. [02:19.823]Mrs. Remington, i know! [02:21.128]Thomas [02:21.356]Donnie carter thought he was a thanksgiving turkey. [02:23.466]Alvin [02:23.729]Mrs. Remington, i know. He’s clarence. [02:28.848]The angel from it’s a wonderful life. He was my mother’s favorite. [02:32.375]Thomas [02:33.276]The class laughed. [02:34.775]Alvin [02:35.142]I cried. And mrs. Remington announced that i was next. [02:40.992] [02:41.696]But mrs. Remington smiled [02:44.203]In that way that she had. [02:47.219]A smile that made you realize [02:49.776]That things were not so bad. [02:51.537]And i knew from her face [02:53.829]That this feeling would pass. [02:56.885]So i went to take my turn before the class. [03:00.983] [03:01.448]Thomas [03:01.662]Those poor kids were still trying to figure out who the heck clarence was... [03:05.152]Alvin [03:05.329]... When i shuffled onto the platform in fuzzy slippers and bathrobe, [03:10.321]With pink sponge curlers in my hair. [03:14.364]"alvin kelby," mrs. Remington said, "and what are you supposed to be’" [03:20.661]I’m a ghost. The ghost of my mother. [03:25.739] [03:28.015]Lunch that day was awful lonely [03:30.066]Sitting by myself and only [03:31.836]Wearing fuzzy slippers and chenille. [03:35.673]While all the kids were making fun [03:37.526]In came mrs. Remington [03:39.722]With clarence dragging slowly on her heel. [03:44.773] [03:45.209]"clarence," she said, "i’d like you to meet mrs. Kelby. She’s a big fan of yours." [03:52.425]And mrs. Remington smiled [03:54.943]‘Cause mrs. Remington knew [03:57.809]That the battlefield of childhood [04:00.006]Was easier with two. [04:01.837]Mrs. Remington watched, [04:04.210]As the angels do, [04:07.351]And on halloween that year [04:09.025]She saw two masks disappear [04:11.395]When my mother met her angel [04:15.385]And i met you. [04:19.229]