Y-kun...

I've written about Y-kun a few times over the past few years here, here and here and here. His faults, his good points, what we have done together. He has been coming to me for English for nearly three years. There are times when I enjoy him immensely, times when I want to wring his neck.

Yesterday morning Y-kun's grandmother came bearing a gift as is the custom and saying,

"Thank you for all you have done for us. Y-kun has loved English. But Friday he was taken away by the Child Protection Services and I don't know where he is." and she burst into tears.

I am not really surprised.

I invited Y-kun's grandmother in and for the next hour she told me of the abused life Y-kun has lived. The father has tried to kill him. The mother regularly abuses him physically and psychologically. The grandmother was most upset that Y-kun had been taken away because she said Y-kun's mother constantly threatened to give him up to an institution; the one thing Y-kun was sure he didn't want.

I have made inquiries as to whether Y-kun will be allowed to receive correspondence from an outsider like me. Officials said they'd get back to me today. I feel I should at least write to Y-kun and say I miss him and hope he'll be back soon. Of course, I don't really think being back with his mother is a good idea though. I have a feeling that the bright side of all this is that he has been saved from more damage by her. Right now the family is allowed no information about his whereabouts nor given any information about what the future may hold which is hard on the grandparents...


I've made many Happy Village quilts with numerous students but I remember making the one with Y-kun most. Say a prayer for him... Send him some loving thoughts....