Elijah seemed deep in thought. "I don't know. Nothing that makes him feel he's being used or anything. He is very distrusting. And you don't want to give him too much power over the other kids. " He smiled weakly. "I'm sure you can think of something. You're a smart man."

"I will make sure his belly gets lined with food at least, see if I can drum up some volunteers to make bread for breakfast for the whole class." He said this absently since he wasn't sure what else he could do at the moment. Elijah was right, he was a smart man... He could easily count to a thousand and back down to one if he needed to, add in his head, and he could give a lesson on history that would knock the socks off of even the most bored person if he put his mind to it. "And what if I cannot contain the storm that is Ed?"

Elijah shrugged with a small frown. "Give it time. He's probably in class so he doesn't get bothered by me and he's curious about you. He may get bored and start skipping school again."

he pinched the bridge of his nose, "But if he skips school, he's your problem again. That means we should work together... I already have an idea of what I want to do... I need fence built, Kitty thinks she should do it but I don't want her doing that kind of work when she is as pregnant as she is. Maybe I can offer money for him to help me build my paddock. I suggest you find odd jobs for him elsewhere too. I bet you if he has things to do, he won't have time to dilly dally."

Elijah rubbed his neck. "I can try. I'm not sure if he feels like doing manual labor when he feels its easier to steal . But I want to try. If it doesn't work, we'll come up with something else.'

"He'll do it if it's worth his while. He isn't a stupid boy at all, he is smarter than he even knows." He almost shuddered at the thought that Ed reminded him of a younger Uriel.... except Uriel had never really bullied, he'd just been annoying and smarter than he let on.

Elijah nodded. "Oh I agree. He is smart but he uses it for the wrong reasons. I truly hope you can help turn things around. Not having his family or friends to assist me, you are my best hope."

"I'm hardly a shining example for kids," he said dryly, raking his hand through his hair, mussing it. "At least in reality anyways."

The man tilted his head curiously. "Why would you say that? It seems like you have your life together and are doing well."

"I'm about to be married with a child, I have a half finished house I don't want to build when I am in a rage but that is what my chicken coop is, a rage coop." He snorted, "And now I am a teacher in a Christian school as a Jew who is possibly about to convert just to make sure my kid is born in wedlock. Meanwhile I have a brother who sees only the bad and turns a blind eye to whatever I do that is right, or if he doesn't, he would never look at me and acknowledge my good." It all came pouring out, the frustration that he couldn't seem to help. "And he is right to do so. I mean, I was irresponsible, but in the end I still love her and our kid. But nobody wants to gossip about how happy people are, they want to gossip about all that is wrong with a person and their choices."