For days, the teachers at Oakwood Elementary noticed something peculiar about Max, a quiet 9-year-old student. Every afternoon, like clockwork, he would slip away to a secluded corner of the schoolyard, kneel in the dirt, and dig a small hole with his bare hands. At first, they assumed it was just child’s play—maybe burying treasures or playing pretend. But when one teacher decided to follow him, the truth broke her heart.
Hidden behind the trees, she watched as Max carefully pulled a plastic bag from his backpack and placed it into the freshly dug hole before covering it up. When she confronted him, his fearful reaction told her this was no game.
“I’m hiding my schoolbooks,” he admitted quietly, avoiding her gaze. “So my dad won’t find them.”
The teacher’s stomach dropped as Max explained that when his father drank, he would tear up his notebooks and yell at him to stop studying. “But I love school,” he whispered. “I don’t want to stop learning.”
Tears welled in the teacher’s eyes as she hugged him tightly, promising he wouldn’t have to face this alone anymore.
