Page 14 - Issue 29

doesn't surprise you. But let me tell you, a peula
about feminism was also definitely not in the
cards. As it turns out, Tomer doesn't necessarily
need a peula on feminism, but thanks to
Dungeons & Dragons, she does have access to
that word now.

There's something else I want to share with you.
The day before the third meeting of the Dungeons
and Dragons group, Tomer had gotten the news
that she would likely be going to a boarding school
next year. Her mother isn't really capable of caring
for her and the help she receives from the welfare
system has not proven enough to keep her in a
stable home environment. Before we started the
exercise of building our own characters I took her
aside and I told her, "This character you build...you
can take it with you for the rest of your life. No
matter where you go, anytime you play Dungeons
& Dragons you get to be this character." In his
backstory, she made him an orphan and a
defender of the weak.

On the way home that day I read the website of
the boarding school her mother was hoping to
send her to. And I cried on the bus. I cried
because Tomer is going to get so much support
and so many opportunities that she desperately
needs. I cried because she has to leave her home
to get them. And I cried, maybe a little bit,
because I'll miss going on adventures with her.