Angels

by Reba White Williams

  After that, Miz Roberts came back to school and talked to Miss Seaman and the nurse and some of the teachers. Freddy heard her tell Miz O’Quinn that Coleman bit Ralph so hard she broke his skin right through his T-shirt; her tooth marks were on his back for all the world to see. She said they could prove Coleman bit him, but that’s silly. Coleman said she did, and we all believe her; why would Miz Roberts talk about provin’ it? Billy Joe says they’re goin’ to have a teachers’ meetin’ about Coleman, and he’s tellin’ people they’ll kick her out of school. Why would they do that? It was Rotten Ralph who did wrong.

  Coleman and I got sent home at lunchtime. We were sittin’ under the trees with our friends eatin’ our sandwiches, when Miss Seaman told us to go home. She didn’t say it very nice, and she didn’t even let us finish our lunch. So we picked up our books and our lunchboxes and left. We told Aunt Polly and Miss Ida what happened, but they didn’t say much. They called Aunt Mary Louise, and she came over with Freddy’s mother, and they sat on the porch and talked a long time. We couldn’t hear a word, but they don’t act like they’re mad at Coleman.

  Both Miz Roberts and Miss Seaman called Miss Ida, and they’re comin’ to see her—not together, but one at a time. Aunt Mary Louise says she’ll be at those meetin’s; she told Miss Ida this bullyin’ is everybody’s business.

  When Miz Roberts came, I answered the door and took her into the livin’ room. I never saw her up close before. She looks like Petunia Pig, but with a sour expression instead of a smile. (I declare, what with Miss Hatley looking like a duck and Miz Roberts like a pig, this town is like Ol’ MacDonald’s Farm!) Miz Roberts seemed real surprised to see Aunt Mary Louise sittin’ in there with Aunt Polly and Miss Ida.

  I ran up to our room, where Coleman was already listenin’ by the chimney. They got through the “How are you?”s real fast, and Miz Roberts started complainin’ about Coleman, sayin’ how “uncivilized” she is—I wish I could have seen Miss Ida’s and Aunt Polly’s faces when she said that—and about her poor boy’s “wound.” She told how she took him to the doctor. Miss Ida was ready for that.

  “Yes, I spoke to Dr. Mann and told him I’d pay Ralph’s bill, but he said there won’t be a bill. Ralph’s injury wasn’t serious. He said he gave him an antibiotic ointment, and there’s no danger of infection if Ralph keeps his back clean and uses the ointment. He added that he thought Coleman could have been seriously hurt, given their relative sizes, if she hadn’t defended herself.”

  “But biting! That’s disgusting, and Ralphie was just playing—”

  Miss Ida called Coleman just like she had when Miss Hatley came, and Coleman ran downstairs, callin’, “Yes, ma’am, I’m comin’!” I tiptoed down behind her and put my eyes to the crack in the door.

  “Mrs. Roberts, this is my granddaughter, Coleman Greene. Coleman will be six in December. As you see, she’s not a large child. How old is Ralph? Ten, didn’t you say, Mary Louise?”

  Aunt Mary Louise smiled sweet as cotton candy. “Yes, he’s ten, but he’s the biggest boy in the fifth grade, much bigger than our Freddy. I’d guess he weighs more than twice as much as Coleman. He looks like a seventh grader, doesn’t he, Mrs. Roberts?”

  “Well, yes, he does, but biting—”

  Aunt Polly spoke up. “How would you advise a child Coleman’s size to defend herself against a boy as big as Ralph? She could carry mace—like they do in New York to protect themselves against muggers—but you might not like him getting a dose of mace in his face.”

  “Ralph’s hardly a mugger, Miss Slocumb,” Miz Roberts said, nasty-like. I could only see her back, but I pictured that piggy face all red and puffy.

  “No, he’s not a mugger; he’s a terrible bully, which in my view is worse,” Aunt Mary Louise said. “A mugger might steal because he’s hungry, but Ralph torments children for fun. I had to send Thomas to talk to Ralph about his bullying two years ago, and I’d have done it again this fall, but Thomas is at Carolina playing football and can’t get away.”

  It seemed like they’d forgotten Coleman was still in the room, and she told me later she was bein’ quiet as a mouse, so they wouldn’t notice her and send her out. She said Miz Roberts looked scared when Aunt Mary Louise mentioned Thomas. I’m not s’prised—they call him Tommy the Tank at Carolina. But he’s sweet as banana puddin’ with us children.

  “Did that monster threaten my boy?” she gasped.

  Aunt Mary Louise laughed. “No, Thomas doesn’t need to threaten anyone. He advised Ralph not to pick on little children, but it sounds like Ralph forgot Thomas’s advice. Maybe he needs a reminder?”

  “Well, I never,” Miz Roberts said. “My boy gets bitten, and you defend this brat’s behavior—biting! And talk about sending a huge college boy to come scare him.”

  Miss Ida stood up. Her cheeks were real pink. “Look at Coleman: she’s tiny. Your son picked her up, tossed her over his shoulder, and walked off with her. She couldn’t have bitten him in the back if he hadn’t been holding her, with her face against his back. Can’t you see she had no other way to defend herself?”

  Miz Roberts stood, too. “Boys will be boys, and my Ralph was only playing. He wouldn’t hurt her. There was no need for biting. Goodness knows where she’s been and what she’s been up to. She might have given him a disease. She’s a savage. I don’t want that uncivilized brat in school with my boy.”

  Now Aunt Mary Louise stood up tall—she looked like a giant. Her eyes were flashing, and when those gold eyes flash like that, she’s real scary. I tell you true, nobody but a crazy person would tangle with Aunt Mary Louise.

  “Most of the folks living around here would prefer not to have Ralph in school with our children, but we’ve been too polite to say so. If you were ‘civilized’—or at least mannerly—you’d apologize for Ralph’s ‘savage’ behavior, the behavior that forced Coleman to defend herself. If you were a good citizen and a good mother, you’d have put a stop to Ralph’s bullying a long time ago,” she said. Her voice was soft, but scary like her eyes. The hair on the back of my neck stood up.

  “Well, I never! We’ll see whose child has to leave school!” She stalked out and slammed the front door behind her.

  I had to run to keep her from seein’ me, but even worried as I was about Coleman, I nearly laughed, ‘cause I was picturin’ her with a curly little pink tail pokin’ through the back of her tight black skirt.

  Polly

  After Mrs. Roberts left, she went directly to the school and tattled to Miss Seaman, who immediately called to cancel her appointment with Ida. Ida said Miss Seaman was officious and rude. She told Ida that she knew all about our conversation with Mrs. Roberts, so there was nothing to discuss. She understood our position and disagreed with it. She reminded Ida that she’d been concerned about Coleman’s social skills and hadn’t wanted her to skip grades—this was what came of ignoring the opinion of a professional. (Of course, Ralph would have attacked Coleman if she’d been in kindergarten, but never mind logic.) She’s arranged a teachers’ meeting later this week to decide what to do about Coleman and will let us know what they decide.

  Miss Ida asked her about Ralph, and I can’t believe it, but they don’t plan to do anything about his behavior: “Boys will be boys,” Miss Seaman said, and he was “only playing” and didn’t hurt Coleman. She’s nothing but a parrot, echoing that boy’s fool of a mother. Then she announced that Coleman was suspended until a decision is made. Dinah is welcome to attend school. Ha! As if she would, or we would let her.

  I think that tacky little Seaman snip is trying to get even because Ida wouldn’t discuss Coleman’s background or “peer groups” and the like with her, or agree to hold Coleman back on her say-so. Could she really believe that we would have a serious discussion about family matters with a nitwit like her? She and that odious Rita Roberts deserve each other. And I think that Hatley woman is mixed up in this, too—taking Billy Joe’s part along with Ralph’s. Well, she would, since he’s her brother’s child
.

  Naturally, Dinah isn’t going back till Coleman does, and Mary Louise alerted the Byrds, and they’re staying home, too—that’s about a third of the school. Freddy has been in class with Ralph ever since kindergarten, and he and his friends are making a list of all the children that horrible boy has bullied. Mary Louise and I are calling parents to let them know what’s happening at the school. I hold Miss Seaman responsible. It’s up to the principal to keep order and to make sure the children behave properly at recess.

  Ida talked to Dr. Mann, and he’s consulting the school nurse, and they’re putting together a list of children who’ve been injured or frightened by Ralph and his cronies. Dr. Mann blames himself for Coleman’s troubles; he said he should have done something about Ralph long ago. He’s writing to Miss Seaman, with copies to the parents of Ralph and the other two boys, and to the entire school board, telling them what’s happening at the school, and what he thinks should be done—which is to stop the bullying. Everything will be hand-delivered to her today or tomorrow. We have to act before that teachers’ meeting. We can’t let them expel Coleman. It would be ruinous on her record, and to my mind, she did nothing wrong. All she did was defend herself the only way she could.

  Ida called Mr. Sherrill, too, and he’s furious. He’s getting in touch with the appropriate officials in Raleigh, and he plans to pay a call on Miss Seaman. He hopes to bring an expert on bullying with him—someone who’ll explain to Miss Seaman and the teachers what they should do about Ralph and his friends, and how ridiculous it is to blame Coleman for fighting off a much larger child who was abusing her. He said if she were grown and had repelled a would-be rapist, she’d be worshipped by the likes of Miss Seaman, and her picture would have been in all the papers. He agrees with the children: Coleman is a heroine.

  Dinah

  Hardly anybody went to school today, but most of us who stayed home had to work on school stuff—read books and such—not go to the river or anything. Aunt Polly gave us lessons, and they were much harder than school.

  Miz O’Quinn called Miss Ida this afternoon, and Miss Ida told me and Coleman what she said. Miz O’Quinn told Miss Ida that Miss Seaman had a hissy fit about everybody stayin’ home, and callin’ in sick. She was goin’ to make every child bring in a doctor’s excuse, but Miz O’Quinn talked her out of it, explainin’ Dr. Mann would prob’ly write one that covers everybody in the school. She told Miss Seaman that Dr. Mann was mad about the bullyin’ and the way Miss Seaman’s treatin’ Coleman. That Dr. Mann and other folks want to know why she’s excusin’ the bully while punishin’ his victim. Miss Seaman hollered at Miz O’Quinn over it.

  Then Miss Seaman started gettin’ all the mail: Freddy’s list of children Ralph has bullied sent in by Aunt Mary Louise, with a letter; the list from Dr. Mann and the nurse, and the letter he sent to everyone; and Mr. Sherrill’s letter, and a copy of Mr. Sherrill’s letter to the government people in Raleigh. I think other folks wrote, too. Miz O’Quinn said Miss Seaman, lookin’ like she’d been dragged through a knothole backward, closed the door to her office and didn’t come out till after school was over. She got a phone call from Mr. Sherrill, and the secretary who sits outside her office couldn’t help hearin’ he’s goin’ to see her Friday morning, and another man is goin’ with him.

  Miss Ida, Aunt Polly, and Aunt Mary Louise decided that since today is a Friday, they’re declaring it a school holiday, and we don’t have to do schoolwork. Freddy is comin’ over to take Coleman on a bird walk, and they’re takin’ a picnic lunch. He said he’d have her back by one thirty, ‘cause he has to help his daddy this afternoon.

  I’m glad he’s coming because Coleman’s real quiet, and I reckon she’s feelin’ bad. Miss Ida asked me what I’d most like to do, and I told her I’d like to cook. She said that was good, because she has a braised quail dinner to fix for a party in Wilmington, and Aunt Mary Louise and Mr. Sherrill and his friend are coming to supper tonight, so there’s a lot to do. She thinks we’ll be celebrating tonight, but if not, Mr. Sherrill says he can take care of the problem with the law, because what’s goin’ on at school is wrong. But Miss Ida hopes it won’t come to that. She says it’s better if we work it out among ourselves, instead of turning to the courts.

  When Coleman came back from her walk, Miss Ida told her to go wash up and put on the apron Aunt Polly made for her; she had chores for her to do. While Coleman was upstairs, Miss Ida put me to makin’ a big pot of Brunswick stew, and corn sticks, and lemon icebox pie for our company supper, while she finished up the party food. When Coleman came back in the kitchen, Miss Ida told her she should help me; we can do the whole supper by ourselves. I’m happy ‘cause I hardly ever get to fix a meal by myself, and when I have, it’s only been breakfast. Coleman’s tickled pink. I’m glad to see her looking better, and I’m sure Miss Ida thought of our cooking to get Coleman’s mind off school.

  While we were cooking, Coleman told me she’d eaten some corn bread at a church supper in New Orleans, and it had been sweet, like cake. I couldn’t believe it, and I said so, but Miss Ida explained that was Yankee corn bread: they put sugar in it.

  “Why do they do that?” Coleman asked. “I thought it was awful. It might have been all right if it was a cupcake and had frostin’ on it. But it didn’t taste good with pot roast and gravy.”

  “I don’t know how it got started, but if you ever go north, that’s the only kind you’ll find,” Miss Ida said. “They put sugar in coleslaw, too. I don’t care for it myself, but some people prefer it.”

  We put together the Brunswick stew first, so it could cook all afternoon, blendin’ the flavors. It has lots of ingredients, but some of ‘em are canned—like the tomatoes—and with both of us working on it, it didn’t take long. Then we put together the dry ingredients for the corn sticks and set them aside. We’ll mix in the rest later and bake ‘em right before we sit down so they’ll be hot. I was gettin’ out everything for the lemon pie when Miss Ida told me to let Coleman make it by herself. Coleman looked worried.

  Miss Ida smiled at her. “The first dish we teach little girls to make is lemon icebox pie, and Dinah will show you how. But you’ll make it all by yourself.”

  Coleman shook her head, still frowning. “I don’t know if I can, Miss Ida. I never cooked anything. I don’t want to ruin the pie, ‘specially with company comin’.”

  Miss Ida laughed. “I know, honey. But at the end of this day, you’ll be able to say you can cook.”

  I showed her how to break up the vanilla wafers and use the rollin’ pin to make the crumbs. Then melt the butter, and when it’s cool enough, mix it in the crumbs, and press the buttery crumbs in the pie pan to make a crust. She did a real nice job. Then I showed her how to make the filling, and finally the meringue. I tell you, that child learns fast, and when she took the pie out of the oven and saw how pretty it looked with the meringue browned just right, she smiled like the sun comin’ out.

  Polly

  Mr. Sherrill and Dr. Ian Fraser—he’s a professor at Duke, who wrote a book about how to treat bullies called Schools Without Fear— brought us up to date on the school situation while we had a glass of tea on the porch before supper. Dr. Fraser and Mr. Sherrill met with Miss Seaman this morning, and Mr. Sherrill gave her a letter from the school board telling her to cooperate with him, and to listen to what Dr. Fraser had to say. Dr. Fraser told Miss Seaman all schools should have a bullying policy. He gave her a list of basic rules that they should put in place immediately—an emergency policy, he called it. Dr. Fraser gave us a copy.

  This is what it says:

  1) After the first episode of bullying, the school should warn the bully’s parents in writing about what’s happening and give them a chance to discipline their child.

  2) If the bullying doesn’t stop, the school should call the bully’s parents to school for a meeting and explain what will happen next if the bully’s behavior doesn’t change.

  3) If the behavior still doesn’t change, the school
should use detention to punish the bully, keeping him in at recess or after school.

  4) After the next episode, the school should exclude the bully from certain areas within the school—like the cafeteria, or the gym, or the playground—wherever bullying is known to take place.

  5) After the next time, the bully should be suspended from school for a fixed term—a week, for example.

  6) If the bullying still continues, the bully should be expelled.

  I agree with every word. If our school had those policies, Ralph’s bad behavior would have stopped long ago.

  Later on, Mr. Sherrill and Dr. Fraser attended the teachers’ meeting, and Dr. Fraser gave a talk, telling them about the harm bullies caused and what should be done to prevent bullying. After Dr. Fraser spoke, the teachers voted to adopt the policy on bullying, and to let Ralph’s and the other boys’ parents know about the policy. Because the bullying had gone on so long, Dr. Fraser recommended a counselor to give a training program at the school, and to help establish a long-term program to prevent bullying. He told them the program will take a while to implement, but it will change peoples’ attitudes (like forgetting “boys will be boys”!). They voted to do that, too.

  Coleman is to go back to school on Monday, and notes to the parents of the three boys who bullied her were delivered this afternoon. The notes explain the new policy and ask that the boys apologize to Coleman as soon as they return to school.

  We all sighed with relief and sat down to eat the delicious meal the girls had prepared. It was truly time for a celebration and a special thanks to the Lord. I wonder how this will affect Miss Seaman. Will she change her ways? Or leave?

  Dinah

  We went back to school today, and we wore our new plaid dresses so we’d remember to hold our heads up high, ‘cause we haven’t done anything wrong. Aunt Polly says some people may still blame Coleman for all that’s happened, but we should ignore them. At recess and lunchtime, teachers stayed at the playground with us, watchin’ to make sure everybody behaved. They’re going to take turns on playground duty from now on. Junior and Billy Joe apologized to Coleman and are acting better. Ralph’s not in school, and Billy Joe says he’s not comin’ back. The Roberts have put him in that private academy about ten miles out in the country. I think it got started a long time ago because of integration; but then everybody got over that, and I b’lieve it’s now for children with problems. I don’t think Miz Roberts was ready for the bullying policy, or havin’ people tell her she had to make Ralph behave, or to give up the idea that “boys will be boys.”