Teasers
“Ewww Froggy,” Pat squealed as she ran from Gary. “Stay away,” she shouted, “I don’t want to get warts.” The other girls laughed and screamed also fleeing Gary’s presence as he stood there with a foolish smile on his face.
It was 1960, lunch time in the playground of St. Vincent’s school, children running around playing, enjoying the sunshine of the warm spring day. The girls wore their uniforms, green and blue plaid skirts, and blue sweater over white blouses. The boys had their blue slacks and white shirts, most shirts escaping from the pants as they played games, wrestled or just ran around the fenced in area.
Pat, who seemed to be the leader of the group of girls that hung around together, had decided that Gary was “icky” as she put it. Now Gary was not the best looking boy, he had big red lips, a big nose, and hair that just refused to stay in place. He had the awkwardness that some boys twelve approaching thirteen exhibited, and recently started to display pimples. He was a quiet boy who didn’t mingle much with the other students, but had a pleasant disposition nonetheless.
Neil watched this scene during a break in the touch football game he and other boys were playing, and shook his head in disgust. “Hey Gary,” he yelled, “c’mon, we need another guy.”
“Sure,” Gary said as he trotted over. “Where do you want me to play?”
“Uh,” Neil stammered knowing Gary was not athletically gifted, “play the line. You know the rule, count to five before rushing the quarterback. Two hand touch.”
“Okay,” Gary said, smiling to show his oversized teeth.
At the end of the lunch period Sister Mary Josephine blew her whistle and the kids headed toward the door to resume classes. As some of the girls got close to Gary they shied away. One, Clara, who was talking to a friend, accidentally bumped into Gary and when she saw who it was, she let out a piercing scream.
“Oh,” she shouted to the other girls, “wipe it off, wipe it off, I touched Froggy.”
Pat and the other girls let out disgusting sounds mixed with laughter as they mock cleaned Clara and pulled her further away from Gary who seemed oblivious to the commotion. When they got to their seventh grade classroom the girls avoided Gary’s desk, whispering, pointing and laughing as they took their seats. Neil looked at Gary, whose face reddened as he tried to maintain his smile. But the corners of his mouth slowly descended and his shoulders slumped. Neil decided then that something must be done. Gary wasn’t a close friend, and was barely included in the circle of guys that hung out together, but still, he was one of the guys, and Neil didn’t like how he was being treated.
After school while walking home, he said to his friends, “You guys notice how Pat and the girls are treating Gary?”
“Yeah,” said Pete, “what’s with them?”
“I don’t know,” said Neil, “but it ain’t right.”
“Better him than me,” said Ken.
“You might be next since you’re so ugly,” Neil shot back.
“Shut up,” said Ken punching Neil in the arm.
“Look,” Neil said, “I feel bad for Gary, he’s a good kid, I don’t like how they’re treating him.”
“Why,” Ken responded, “what do you care, you got the hots for him?”
“Shut up Ken,” Neil said. “I just don’t think its right. I know Gary’s a little strange, but he’s okay, not a bad kid really.”
“Yeah, he’s alright,” said Paul piping up for the first time. “He helped me with the last test we had, passed me some answers. Why, what are they doing, I haven’t seen anything.”
“Haven’t…” began Neil frustrated, “where have you been? You haven’t seen the girls running away from him, screaming that he’s some kind of frog, treating him like he’s a leper or something?”
“Uh…guess I didn’t notice,” said Paul.
“Yeah, I seen that,” said Frank, “they almost get hysterical when the poor guy gets close to any of them.”
“We gotta do something,” said Neil.
“Like what?” said Ken.
“Not sure,” said Neil, “but Pat started it; we gotta find a way to get to her. If she’ll stop the others will follow.”
“Want me to slap her around a little?” said Pete.
“You’re an idiot,” said Neil
“What?” Pete shouted palms up, shrugging his shoulders.
“We have to find a way to let them, her, know they can’t treat him, any of us, that way,” said Neil.
“How about we do the same to her?” said Paul.
“So you want us to act like girls, scream and run away? Should we run like girls too…oh wait, you do already,” said Ken.
“Yeah, well you throw like one,” Paul shot back weakly.
“Naw,” said Neil still seriously thinking. “We don’t want to stoop to their level.”
“What then?” said Pete.
“I got something in mind, but let me think about it,” said Neil.
The next day Neil told the guys what he was thinking. They all agreed it was a good idea and they would start right away. When classes started that day the group of boys sat quietly at their desks, hands folded in front of them. The girls walked in and did their usual avoidance of Gary, tittering as they entered the room.
“Hi Neil,” Pat said interrupting her whispers to Clara. But Neil didn’t say anything in response, just turned his head and starting talking to Ken.
Pat hesitated briefly, but walked to her seat frowning a little. When Sister Mary Elizabeth passed out assignment sheets, giving a bunch to the student at the end of each row, and Pat offered them to Paul after taking one, he took out his handkerchief to shield his fingers to grab them. Pat looked at him like he was crazy and said “What’s with you?” But Paul ignored her and looked the other way.
By lunch time Pat was visibly shaking. She approached the group of guys sitting at one of the lunch tables. They immediately became silent as she neared. “Hey,” she shouted, “what’s up with you guys?”
They all stood up as though choreographed, grabbed their lunches and moved to another table, not saying a word. Pat slinked back to the table where the other girls sat, and began to sob.
“What’s wrong?” said Sue.
“The boys,” Pat blubbered, “they’re treating me awful.”
“Why, what are they doing?” asked Clara.
“They’re not talking to me,” replied Pat between sobs.
“Big deal,” Karen piped up, “some of those guys never talk to girls, too scared I’d guess.”
“No,” said Pat, “I mean my friends, Neil and Ken and those guys, they always joke around, sometimes even flirt, but today they are purposely ignoring me. What did I do?” She broke into a loud cry as she said this.
Sister Mary Elizabeth heard her outburst and saw the commotion. She approached the table, put her arm around Pat and led her out of the room. A short time later she reentered and called for Neil, Ken, Paul and Pete to follow her out of the cafeteria. They paraded into the classroom where Pat sat at a desk dabbing her eyes.
“We’re going to end this right here,” she said sternly to the boys. “Why are you gentlemen treating poor Patricia this way?” They averted her gaze, looking down at their feet. “She’s told me how you are behaving; ignoring her, not speaking to her, now tell me what’s going on. Or would you rather tell Father Matera?”
Neil looked up at Sister Mary Elizabeth, taking in her black and white habit, watching as her fingers caressed the rosary beads that looped from her waist. She caught his eyes and gave him an expectant look.
“Pat,” he began finally, “has been doing awful things to Gary.”
“What do you mean?” Sister Mary Elizabeth asked.
“She’s been calling him a frog,” said Neil.
“Yeah,” chimed in Ken, “and she and the other girls scream whenever he comes near them.”
“They laugh at him all the time too,” said Pete softly, not looking at Sister Mary Elizabeth, too shy to do so.
“Is this true?” said Sister Mary Elizabeth turning her shocked gaze toward Pat.
“We…we were only joking, fooling around, we didn’t mean any harm,” stammered Pat.
“You think it’s funny to treat someone so cruelly?” the nun said harshly.
“I…I,” Pat started before growing silent unable to think of any defense.
Sister Mary Elizabeth stared at Pat in disbelief. Pat stirred in her seat under the nun’s harsh gaze. “Patricia,” she finally began after an uncomfortable silence, “I am very disappointed in you.” At this, Pat began to sob. “Gary is a good boy,” she continued, “and nobody deserves such treatment. Did he do something to you to that caused you to do this?” she asked knowing the answer.
“No,” blubbered Pat, “I’m sorry,” was all she could muster.
“Then why did you pick on him?”
“I don’t know….I’m sorry,” Pat exclaimed, crying fully now.
The boys sat back contentedly as they watched this exchange, smiles creeping into their expressions. Sister Mary Elizabeth shot them a glare that wiped the smiles off their faces as they sat up attentively.
“Now,” Sister Mary Elizabeth said returning her attention to Pat, “I want you to apologize to Gary and promise me you’ll never do anything like this again.”
“I will, I will, I promise,” said Pat.
“And you’ll talk to the other girls too?” she said.
“Yes, yes, I will,” said Pat willingly, “I promise Sister, we’ll be good, I promise.”
“Alright,” Sister said, “go, and if I ever see you mistreating anyone again, you will answer to Father Matera, and your parents will be notified. Now go.”
They all got up to leave the room, but Sister said “Not you boys, you stay here a moment.”
Pat stood up, wiping her nose with a tissue as she left the room trying to control her sobs.
Sister Mary Elizabeth tried to give the boys her sternest look, but her eyes betrayed her. “The next time you boys perceive a problem,” she began, “you come to me. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Sister,” they all mumbled averting her eyes.
“Now go,” she said, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly inadvertently conveying approval that they nobly defended a friend.
The group silently rose and filed out of the classroom, their smiles returning as they saw Pat at the end of the hall talking to Gary.
Recent Comments