I really did try to study at home, but it was hard on an empty stomach. Lately, supper had been grits, gravy and string beans. Mother had tried to lighten the situation by saying, “Pretend you’re eating something you like and then it won’t taste so bad.”

After a math lesson on division, it was time for lunch. I reached for the crumbled paper bag on the side of my seat while expecting the usual giggling coming from Tony, who sat next to me.

Tony, short for Antonio, came from Cuba. He spoke good English, probably better than me, since I rarely opened my mouth. He always laughed at the noise my desk made. Sometimes, his giggling became contagious and I had to laugh, too.

One day we began talking about my desk and how the seat would pull up. When Tony said it reminded him of a toilet, I let loose. Since Mrs. Brown kept a firm rule about students keeping their mouths closed and their ears open during a lesson, I knew we were asking for it.

Mrs. Brown called both of us to the front of the room. She asked if I had to use the restroom and I replied, “Yes, m’am.”

Nervously, I left the classroom about to wet my underwear. After taking care of business, I thought about stuffing my underwear with a thick padding of toilet paper. Then, I realized Mrs. Brown would more than likely administer only one lick with the paddle, since this was my first offense. But, a voice inside my head cried out, ‘NO!’ I felt a wave of doom hit my body. I ignored the voice and the feeling. What a mistake!

When I entered the classroom, Mrs. Brown motioned for me to stand in front of the room. It became very quiet. If someone had dropped a pin on the floor, I would have heard it.

“Touch your knees,” she said.

WHACK, WHACK, WHACK

Tears formed at the corners of my eyes. I would not cry in front of them. Crying was for wimps and losers. I dug my nails deep into the palm of one hand to keep that from happening. A gust of wind came from one of the open windows in the back of the room. It swirled around the room knocking the papers off the teacher’s desk.

“Oh!” she moaned.

‘Good!’ I thought.

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