Sleepy Scotty Shoemaker

Scotty Shoemaker was my brother’s best friend and they pal’d around together all the time. But Scotty, I recall my brother, Alain, telling me, had a paper route and often he'd fall asleep in class, because each day he had to rise real early in the morning to deliver his papers.

“Poor Scotty,” he'd say. Sister Mary Margaret was always looking for him when he was supposed to be in her religion class. Why she'd always look to Alain to know where Scotty was.

Well, one day, when Scotty didn't come to class, Sister asked my brother if Scotty was out sick that day. “Oh heck no, Sister!” Alain replied. Scotty’s in the school’s courtyard.

“In the school courtyard,” sister Mary Margaret replied, “whatever is he doing there?”

“Well ….,” Alain thought to himself as he stumbled to dream up some excuse for Scotty's absence. “Uh, well it's like this Sister, Scotty wanted to practice his religion lesson outdoors.”

The class had been learning about St. Francis of Assisi and Alain told Sister Mary Margaret, “Scotty was in the courtyard feeding the birds and singing church hymns to them.” Also, “he’d even bought bird seed to feed them.”

“That’s certainly impressive, Sister replied, but he didn't ask permission.” I'd like you to get him, Alain, and tell him he has to join the rest of the class now.”

“Okay Sister,” Alain replied, and he hurried out of Sister's class to get Scotty. When Alain saw Scotty sleeping on the courtyard bench, he immediately woke him up and said to him, “Scotty! Sister’s been looking for you. You'd better hurry and get inside and, by the way, if Sister asks what you've been doin’, tell her you've been feeding the birds.

That story went over real well with Sister and the following day, like the day before, Scotty fell asleep once again in the courtyard. Now, once again, Alain had to come up with another tall tale, or should I say ‘lie ‘ to tell Sister to keep Scotty out of trouble.

When Sister started to take roll call she called each classmate by name and everyone responded except for Scotty, AGAIN.

“Has anyone seen Scotty today?” Sister Mary Margaret asked, looking for a show of hands, or at least one hand to respond.

“Alain!” she said, looking him straight in the eye. “Have you seen Scotty today?”

“Uh, why yes, sister,” he replied. “He's out in the courtyard.”

Then actin’ as if he had given her a sufficient amount of information, Alain looked away and started to open his religion book.

“Alain!” Sister called out again, this time more sternly and somewhat angrily. “Have you any idea why Scotty is out in the courtyard again, missing my class?”

Now it was obvious to the class and to Alain that Sister was getting a bit perturbed and impatient, and believing Alain knew why Scotty wasn't comin’ to class, she tapped her foot and glared at him, and awaited his response.

“Well Sister,” Alain replied, “Scotty said he wanted to practice the ‘Our Father’ where it was quiet and he said the best place to do that was in the courtyard.”

“Is that a fact? Sister replied. “Well Alain, I’d like you to get Scotty and tell him that I want him to return to class, right away!”

Without hesitation, Alain left and ran to the courtyard. A few minutes later, both boys returned to class.

Now Sister Mary Margaret was a very smart nun and she was on to Scotty and Alain. She knew Scotty wasn't in class because of some other reason than the ones Alain was giving her. Those boys might have thought they had sister Mary Margaret fooled, but she wasn't fooled at all. But she had to admit, she was a bit baffled as to why Scotty was absent each day. So, one day, she decided to leave the class for a moment unattended and walk to the courtyard to see if Scotty was there. There she saw Scotty Shoemaker sound asleep. Not bothering to wake him, she returned to her class and said, “children, I'd like you during class, right now, to write me a story about Jesus. I want you to title your story, “What Would Jesus Do?”

When I call your name, this is what you’ll ask yourself, “what would Jesus do if …”

Sally, what would Jesus do if … He saw someone needed help?

Tommy, what would Jesus do if … He saw someone was bullying someone else?

Sister went down the list of children in class and when she came to Alain she said, “Alain, what would Jesus do if… He were caught telling a lie?

Alain then raised his hand as Sister started to walk away and called out, “Sister, can I tell you something?”

Alain knew Sister knew he'd been lying and after class he told Sister “Scotty has a paper route and he needed to sleep sometimes because he started his route very early in the morning.” He also told Sister “he was sorry he lied, but he had to protect Scotty from getting caught.”

Well Sister Mary Margaret was a very dear soul and she understood perfectly. She knew Scotty’s mom was a single mother and had lots of mouths to feed. Scotty was just one of her children that had to help her out, even if it were only delivering papers, and because of that, she allowed Scotty time to take a little power nap in class. If he needed help with studies afterwards, she even offered to help him.

Alain and Scotty learned a valuable lesson that day. Sister Mary Margaret told them to never be afraid to tell the truth. She reminded them that day to ask themselves whenever they considered doing something wrong like telling a lie, “what would Jesus do?” and she said …..

if you do, ALWAYS what Jesus would do, you'll always choose the right thing to do!“

In loving memory of my brother, Alain