My fury is a very scary thing.

Tonight Senor Onion came down stairs and asked for me. When I asked him what he wanted he began to falter and he said that he was teased at school about the toenail polish he had worn on his toes during the weekend. I asked how kids at the lunch table knew about it? He said that he had taken his shoes off at the birthday party he went to and the older brother (who sits at Senor Onion's lunch table) had seen it. The little bastard took it upon himself to share this information and make it a source of fun. The teasing began yesterday (and there was a bit today.) and it explains why his teacher said that Senor Onion had been grumpy during class.
That moment when Senor Onion looked so sad and began to cry as he told me... I wanted to cry myself and I wanted to hunt down that child and tear him apart. Yeah he is only eight years old but I wanted to scream and frighten him for daring to hurt someone I love. My initial reaction to such things is to go balls out Italian and burn down every house.
I held my dear darling Senor Onion and sympathized. Because teasing is the worst. I mentioned being teased as a child and how much I hated it then. I told him that there is NOTHING wrong with him or enjoying toenail polish. I said I understood if he didn't want to wear it around other kids. I told him that sometimes some children are ignorant and come from a pretty narrow place where they thing only girls can do one thing and boys can do another. If they are lucky they might grow up and have a better understanding that people can do anything they want. I told him he was a fantastic kid, and I loved him to bits and he should never be ashamed of being who he is because as Mr. Rogers said, "the truth is inside us." I mentioned talking to his teacher. He was afraid of that, but I explained that if she knew what was going on, she could help him and understand why he was grumpy. He cried when I told him how much I loved him. So I just held him because god damn...this is the shitty shitty side of being a parent. I want so bad to protect him from the hurt. I don't want his sweet personality to harden against bullshit kids like that. He felt better after that.

I came downstairs and told Mr. Jenner what was up and how I want to go Mama Bear in the playground and pull a wig or two. I talked to my sister in law about the Mother of the kid in question. The Mother is nice enough but I have a sense that maybe having a chat would fall on deaf ears. Her boys (all three) are um... kind of hyper aggro males. Her younger boys are sweet in many ways but there is this kind of encouragement in the family to be really macho. My sister in law mentioned a few chats with her (as they both have twins) and some of the Mother's more... interesting views about child-raising. It is kind of an oblivious attitude. So I may not address the Mother unless it keeps up. Then I will make life uncomfortable for her. But first the teacher. I will say, "this shit don't fly. Keep an eye on the lunch table, and here is the bigger picture going on."
I will TRY and refrain from saying, "You do NOT want to see the kind of Sicilian level revenge I can bring down when I am crossed. My Father had to move to another time zone because of shit he pulled. If I do that to blood relations, you don't want to see my fury to someone who has no ties to me." (my secret evil side wants to say, "I know you are having your Ofsted inspection today... you do NOT want to see what I can do to that." But that is just what I think in my head. I wouldn't do it. I am just a trifle cinematic in my head.)

In the mean time? Imma gonna throw some shade on the playground.