He sat at the table, obviously older than the other children sitting around him eating the morning snack of chopped banana and a cup of milk.
I watched him closely wondering why he was in the pre-k classroom, why was he here today. As he slowly ate his own snack, I could see him watching the other children around him. I stared at his face as discreetly as I could and I began to notice his eyes. They were so clear and wide, and obviously full of great joy in watching the other kids eat their snack. His eyes moved to their hands, their mouths when they talked and smiled.
He slowly looked down to his own serving and put a small piece in his mouth. He closed his eyes as if to thoroughly enjoy the simple taste of banana.
His skin was glowing, which gave his face the appearance of peace. I thought to myself 'He's like an angel, so full of peace and joy.'
He watched the other children patiently, and I could see his eyes shine as he watched them chattering happily, smiling, laughing and eating loudly as children do.
As he was leaving his t.a. asked him to say thank you to the pre-k teacher for inviting him for a snack with the class. In the softest voice I have ever heard he said a very quiet, 'Thank you.'�
When he left I asked the teacher, 'Who was that boy?'�
'Aubrey? We are very blessed to have him. He has a very serious heart condition and the doctors didn't think that he would survive past a day. Now they are sure that puberty will be too hard on him and he won't survive.'�
'�Does he know?'� I choked out.
'Yes.'� She replied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here it is again with the change in tense:

He sits at the table eating his snack of banana obviously older than the other children around him. I watch him closely and wonder why he is in the Pre-K classroom today, and I notice him observing the other children around him.
Staring at his face as discreetly as possible I wonder at his eyes, so clear and wide and obviously full of great joy in watching the other kids eat. I can see his eyes move to their hands, their mouths when they talk and smile.
He slowly looks down to his own serving and puts a small piece in his mouth. His eyes close as if to thoroughly enjoy the simple taste of banana.
His glowing skin clearly gives his face the appearance of peace. 'He's like an angel,' I think to myself, 'so full of peace and joy.'
I could see his eyes shine as he patiently watches the other children while they are chattering happily, smiling, laughing and eating loudly as children do.
Soon his t.a. directs him to say thank you to the Pre-K teacher for inviting him to the classroom as he is leaving. In the softest voice I have ever heard he says a quiet 'thank you'�.
'Who was that boy?'� I ask the teacher as soon as they are gone.
'Aubrey? We are very blessed to have him. He has a very serious heart condition and the doctors didn't think he would survive past a day. Now they are sure that puberty will be too hard on him and he won't survive.'�
'Does he know?'� I choke out.
'Yes'�

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