Controversy

Ms. Johnson

Ms. Johnson. Copyright © 2012 by Jasmine Tabor. All Rights Reserved.

Disclaimer: This is an unedited draft. This is the prequel to an upcoming novella.

"Ms. Johnson says she has something special for us!" shouted Trudy over the murmur of little hands writing on thin paper and the whispers of feet tapping the tiled floor of the classroom.

"Thank you, Trudy," Ms. Johnson silently agreed for once with her student's loud little mouth. At least she didn't have to hush the students herself. She wasn't capable of that anymore. "I do have something to give to you." The talking resumed once more. The little mouths opened and closed but quickly and constantly. 

"Shut up-!"

"We don't say that word in class, Trudy," Ms. Johnson scolded. "Go to your seat, please." 

The little girl pranced to her seat, completely unfazed. She never is unfazed, thought Ms. Johnson. Always so happy.

The classroom was silent. "I have a sheet of paper you need to give to your parents to read and sign. If you turn it in by tomorrow, I'll give you a treat." The class erupted in chatter about the idea of candy, or a toy, or a game. The class silently agreed to themselves and each other that they'd bring that sheet back in tomorrow at all cost to see what that 'treat' was.

Ms. Johnson began passing out the paper to each child, a single sheet to every student. As she passed them out, the children were hungry to know what was so important. They read it at a steady pace, going back over the 'grown-up' words they didn't quite understand yet but soon would.

When Ms. Johnson was finished going around the room, she straightened out her back as she had been walking in a sad, hunched over way. She stood up straight and looked at her class with a slight smile as she saw them all reading but it slipped into a frown as she remembered what it was about.

Andy, a boy who's name was actually John but insisted on being called the name of the boy from Toy Story, raised his hand though his face was still skimming over the context of the paper. Ms. Johnson nodded her head at him to speak. He realized this sign, placed his paper on the table in front of him in a very mature manner but promptly began to speak a manner that was simply not grown-up. "What is a doctor?"

The classroom burst into a chorus of mockery and giggles. Andy blushed at the derision that was especially saved in the little ones' words: "That's a stupid question!" "I thought everyone knew what a doctor was!" "Andy is so dumb." The last one was said in a whisper not too far from Ms. Johnson. The students knew she didn't like name calling and immediately put a stop to the rude words that flew from the little mouths.

"We do not say mean words about each other!" The teacher said in a loud manner that closed the opened mouths but was sweet enough to keep the closed mouths from opening. "Please apologize to Andy."

Eyes were cast to the tiled floor that was filthy from the dirt from the recess field. The class loved the recess field.

There was a collective sigh of 'sorry' and some even going so far as to say, "I apologize," and suddenly feel like an adult because they said an adult thing.

Ms. Johnson nodded her head once more and smiled a bit at her students. It wasn't much of a smile but it was there none the less. "A doctor is a person who takes care of sick of people."

Andy was recovering from his blushing state and only just managed to ask, "So why are you going to a doctor?"

The class agreed. They murmured things like "You're not sick!" "That's what a doctor is?" "My mommy is a doctor! Are you going to see her?"