𝑬𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝑴í𝒂 | ᴮᵒʸ ᴹᵉᵉᵗˢ ᵂᵒʳˡᵈ

8: Pride and Prejudice

Shawn and I walked into the lunchroom.

"Hey, Cory!" Shawn said. "Brought you a great article on Barry Bonds!" He said as he handed Cory the newspaper and sat on top of the lunch table.

"Ah, the 43-million-dollar man." Cory said as he opened the newspaper.

"Why do they call him that?" Minkus asked. "Because that's what he's getting paid to play baseball for six years." Shawn answered. "7.16 million a year?" Minkus asked in disbelief.

"If that's what it comes out to, yeah." I spoke. "He happens to be one of the top guys in baseball." Cory said. "Well, I think Mr. Feeny is one of the top guys in teaching, and he makes 40,000 a year." Minkus said.

"That stinks." Shawn said. "Finally, something we agree on." Minkus said. "Yeah." Cory said. "He isn't worth that kind of money." I spoke. "You thought I meant he was overpaid?" Minkus asked. "I meant that, Mr. Feeny is grossly and tragically underpaid." "But he makes 40,000 a year." I spoke.

"Minkus. May I call you Minkus?" Cory asked. "Does spelling ever change? No. Does history ever change? Uh-uh. Does Feeny ever change? Never. You know why? He doesn't have to. Know why? Cause nothing about teaching sixth grade ever changes." Minkus disagreed.

"Well, I think you're wrong." "Well, I think I'm right. I think in about five seconds Feeny walks in here, takes a sip from the drinking fountain, flicks his mustache, goes to the coffee machine, sees me, and says "Good morning, Mr. Matthews. I've trust you've done the homework." Every day, the same thing. He's so predictable." Cory said. Mr. Feeny walked in, and did exactly what Cory said he'd do.

"Good morning, Mr. Matthews. I've trust you've done the homework." Mr. Feeny said. "I did, but my little sister ate it." "But my little sister ate it." Mr. Feeny knew what Cory was gonna say, and I found it a bit funny. "You are so predictable." Mr. Feeny said, then walked away to the coffee machine.

♥

Once again, we were in Mr. Feeny's class.

"This week in social studies. We'll be talking about prejudice." I'm familiar with the term, but I don't know what it means.

"Good, cause I'm prejudiced against the scungy food in the cafeteria." Cory said. "We will be discussing black slavery in the American South, the Jews in Nazi, Germany, and several examples of prejudice throughout history." Mr. Feeny said as he passed out books. "Tonight, your assignment is to read the first 30 pages of that book." I looked at the cover. 'The Diary of Anne Frank' Her name sounded familiar. The bell rang dismissing us. The book seemed interesting.

♥

When I went home, I asked Eduardo what the word 'Prejudice' meant.

"Well, bebesita 'Prejudice' means saying something hateful or doing a hateful act towards someone of a specific racial group or living class." Eduardo told me as he made dinner. "Like what?" I asked as I did my math homework. "Well, if someone was lower class and a higher-class person made fun of them by calling them a bum, then that'd be prejudice."

"That's mean." "It is. Dad and I both experienced our own versions of prejudice before." I became curious. "What happened?" "Well, since dad didn't know much English, people would make fun of him and call him hateful names that I wouldn't repeat." I had a feeling I knew what words were said.

"What about you?" Eduardo seemed uneasy when I asked him. "Kids would also call me names and make up names to call me." He sounded sad. "They bullied you?" "Yup, but they don't anymore and have apologized. They have matured, and so have I." He turned off the stove. "I hope the world can too." He whispered. I guess he didn't want me to hear, but I did anyway.