Lice Are Not Nice

By S. A. Scott

“When Mom’s fingers carefully lifted some pieces of my hair, she exclaimed, “Oh dear!” She continued, “What have we here?”

I asked, “Mom, what’s wrong with me?” She did not answer right away, so I persisted with a nervous stutter, “Mm . . Mom, wha . . what do you see?”

I looked up at Mom and noticed that she did not look very well. Somehow her eyes lost their usual sparkle.

Find out exactly what Harry’s Mom saw and what she knew. Were those “vampires” that his friend Lenny warned him about, coming after him, too?

• Language: English
• Publisher: S. A. Scott
• Release date: Aug 14, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310753497

Book preview

Preface

   Throughout the years, many generations of children passed through one-room schoolhouses. In time, larger buildings were built to serve the growing population of students.   

    Head lice also attended schools in the districts.

    In the not so distant past, society frowned upon head lice and spoke about it in hushed tones. Being anonymous was difficult for the boys who came back to school with freshly shaven heads. Sometimes the girls would return to school with newly bobbed hairstyles as well. It was a scourge that carried with it the label of being dirty or unclean.

    The remedy of cutting hair is no longer an absolute requirement that is necessary in ridding the pesky insects. In general, society has let their hair down quite a bit more in regards to this pesky problem. People are much more open about discussing the trials and treatments for the growing dilemma of head lice.

  With the seemingly constant need then and now for scalp inspections, school nurses always keep a box of disposable wooden sticks on hand.

   The two words head lice commonly evoke an emotional response. Most all people everywhere have either heard about these insects or they have had their own personal encounter with them.

   This highly contagious disease is not just a regional problem, but a universal one that is widespread throughout the country and beyond.

Chapter One

Mom, What’s Wrong With Me?

Early one morning I went downstairs and sat at the kitchen table. I was not hungry for breakfast because I did not feel very well.

Mom immediately noticed that something was wrong with me. She asked, Are you okay, Harry?

I nodded that I was, but then I began scratching at my itchy head. What is wrong with you? Mom said.

What was bugging me? What could it be?

You have such dark circles under your eyes. Mom said. She pressed the palm of her cool hand against my forehead.

I thought for sure I had a fever, because I felt like I was at least a hundred and fifty degrees! But then I remembered, fevers usually make my body shiver and freeze.

Mom confidently said, I don’t think you have a temperature. She placed a thermometer under my tongue just to make sure.

When it began beeping, Mom took the narrow instrument from my mouth and read the result. She said, Ninety-eight point six – the average temperature for any healthy child or adult.

Then Mom checked my neck for swollen glands. My ticklishness caused me to laugh and I instinctively pushed away her soft hands.

She said, I don’t feel any unusual bumps. And, there are certainly no lumps.

As I yawned I told Mom, I think I had that thing you call insomnia, because I hardly slept and I tossed and turned all night in my bed. All I did was scratch at my itchy head!

Mom said, Oh, Harry, I am so sorry! Why didn’t you come and tell me?

DrinkingJuice

"I shrugged my shoulders and took a large gulp of orange juice from my cup."

I shrugged my shoulders and took a large gulp of orange juice from my cup. Then I wiped my mouth on my shirt and excused myself from the table as I attempted to jump up.

But Mom gently put her hands on my shoulders and sat me back down. When she said she wanted to take a closer look at my head, I stared back at her with a frown.

I crossed my arms and tapped my feet as I obediently stayed seated on the chair. Then I watched Mom put on her eyeglasses that she sometimes needs to wear.

She said, Now I’m ready to begin the inspection. I just wanted Mom to hurry up and be done.

Then I heard her nose make a sound. Mom, are you really sniffing my hair? I asked, as I tried to turn around.

She said, Hold still, your hair has a really unusual smell. I wonder if it could be that new gel?

When Mom’s fingers carefully lifted some pieces of my