A Tale of Deception

April arrived, the snow hiding in the shadows, while crocuses pushed their colorful heads out of the warming soil, and Marty’s eighth birthday approached.

  “What would you like to do for your birthday, sweetheart?” Ann asked sitting on her bed one night. “Would you like to invite some of the children from school to a party? We can have a really big one, if you like... What is it dear? What’s wrong?” asked Ann, when she noticed Marty wasn’t smiling, she looked so unhappy.

  “I don’t have any friends at school,” she said abruptly.

  “Marty, I’m sure you have some friends, don’t you?” Ann asked concerned, because Marty normally loved everyone.

  “No, I don’t. They’re all mean to me. No one speaks to me at all. I’m all alone there, and I hate it!” she said vehemently.

  “Marty!” Ann said in shock. “No one? Really? Are you sure?”

  “Mommy, they turn their backs to me and if I ask a question, no one will answer me. It hurts so much,” Marty said with tears in her eyes. “And Mr. Overton hates me. He yells at me and tells me I’m stupid. He tells everybody they’re stupid.”

  “What! How long has this been going on?” Ann asked in alarm.

  Marty looked down, ashamed.

  “Sweetie, tell me, how long has this been going on?” Ann said softly, but firmly.

  “Since the very first day,” she told her mother.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Ann asked in dread and exasperation.

  “I didn’t know what to do, and I wanted you to be proud of me. I’ve tried hard, Mommy, really I have,” Marty looked at her mother for acceptance.

  Ann hugged her, and said softly in her ear, “You don’t have to go there anymore. Mrs. Drummond is hiring a teacher for Jamila, someone who will help her adjust to this new country and our ways, as well as assist her with her studies. I’ll talk with Nessa and explain about your school. Let’s see if we can get this new person to teach you too.”

  “But I know all about living in this country, Mom,” she exclaimed.

  “Yes dear, of course you do, but wouldn’t you like to do your lessons with just the teacher and you? You could work as hard as you wanted to, and if the teacher doesn’t work out, we can always fire them!” Ann said in exaggerated zeal.

  Marty laughed happily, then said, “Okay,” grinning widely. “It might be nice not to get yelled at and learning with Jamila will be fun. It would make me feel all grown-up.”

  Ann smiled at her renewed enthusiasm for learning.

  “Now, back to your birthday, what would you like to do?” she asked again.

  “Can I tell you tomorrow? I want to ask Jamila what she’d like to do, and I want to invite Tom and Faith. We’ll do something special and fun. Would that be okay?”

  “Sure. That sounds great. Let me know and we’ll do our best to get it done,” Ann said, kissing her good night, and leaving the door opened a crack. Even though there was a night light on in Marty’s bathroom now, she still liked the door open to the sitting room.

  Ann walked away determined to withdraw Marty from that place they called a school right away, and she wasn’t going to be too nice about it either.

  How sad to drive a sweet, intelligent child out of school, and for what? What had she ever done to be treated this way?

  She probably should be kind and gentle, it was the Christian thing to do, but her mother’s protective instincts had been riled. They had to know how wrong it was, and she was going to tell them.

 

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