Daniel Snaps

Last night Daniel snapped at one of the teenagers.

Remember last week when he got high and mighty after I went all Carrie on them? And Daniel was all like, "calm down Eli! Think of the children!" And then he lectured me in the car on the way home about patience? And then he asked me the next day what I had learned from that experience? Remember that?

That guy. That very same scolder and walking heckler snapped at one of the teenagers.

Daniel has a great relationship with all of the kids. But there is one with whom his interactions have always been slightly hostile. The animosity goes both ways but if you ask him, SHE STARTED IT!

She just turned 18 years old, so technically she's not a kid anymore. So back off angry moms. He didn't snap at a child. He's not like me. He defends the children.

This teenager is very smart and she comes from probably one of the most healthy and wonderful homes in all of Palau. She's also very well-liked and has way too many friends. So this isn't one of those troubled child things. She's a straight-A student and is about to head off to college in the U.S. at a great university where she'll probably gain the education she needs to take over the world one day.

The problem is that she's got attitude and is too quick-witted for her own good. And while she means no harm, she inflicts it on Daniel. Every single week. She heckles him on Wednesday nights while he teaches lessons and eggs on the others to do the same. She mocks him openly. And she's good at it. And sometimes I'm like, "why didn't I think of saying that yesterday when Daniel started irrationally freaking out at me for using his toothbrush again since mine had ants on it!?"

Daniel has taken the abuse in stride since it started last October. It's been entertaining to watch, actually. I was beginning to believe that he had the world's greatest patience because he just never really seemed to be very fazed by it. Sure he would ask her to quiet down. But he sort of just had a grown up and mature "kids will be kids" attitude about the whole thing. And never once did he yell at her or consider stooping to her level.

Until yesterday.

Daniel threw a pizza party for the kids last night since the school year has come to an end. I would say that "we" threw the pizza party, but truthfully I didn't help. Unless you consider complaining about it the whole time "helping." Which Daniel doesn't, according to his, in my opinion, overly harsh reaction last night when I said that "we" had pulled it off and put my hand up for a high five that was not properly acknowledged.

Teenager from Hell was in a particularly obnoxious mood and was stirring up trouble with the other kids right as we got started. The kids are supposed to sing a song for a church event next week and Daniel and I were asked to join them for it and sing one of the verses ourselves. Last night we practiced this song and when it became our turn to sing, teenager from Hell began her mockery, whispering insults just loudly enough for us to hear.

The song ended, and that's when it happened.

Daniel said he had one quick suggestion to make the song "better." Then he pointed at teenager from Hell and said, "I'm just going to say what everyone here is thinking. It would be a lot better if you would tone it waaaaaay down. Your voice is ruining the song."

And everyone immediately did that unison "oooooooooooohhhhhh," which punctuated Daniel's diss exactly how he hoped.

She was stunned. Because he had never responded to her this way before. And a huge smile came over her face. And she looked at him like she had never been so impressed with anything before in her life. And for the rest of the evening she was perfectly respectful.

When we got into the car to leave Daniel cut me off the moment I opened my mouth. "NOT A WORD! I don't regret it one single bit! And if I could go back and do it again, I would have used a lot more profanity!"

Daniel: Destroying the self-esteem since 2013.

Addendum: I just informed Daniel via gchat that I was posting about this today and he responded: "I didn't say 'shut up.' I want that to be clear."

~It Just Gets Stranger