The Sins Of Innocent Children

What follows is a fictional account of a real event. Like DRAGNET the names have been changed to protect the innocent. Although innocence is questionable. I was one of those ‘not so innocent characters'.  This is a rather long story written several years ago. I will print it here in episodes—until it is done.

            It was August.  Did all the momentous events of her life occur in August?  At any rate it was August-- the first day of school after Miz Carmack retired -- after forty years as teacher of the one room school.  Miz Carmack started at eighteen, right out of teacher's academy and had never taken off a year until she retired. Even when her babies came she brought them with her and kept them, first in a cradle, then in a play pen, and later running around the class.  Now the only teacher most of the community had ever known was gone, and a new one was coming.

            Opal and Kaye did not dawdle this day.  Anticipation of a new teacher directed their feet to hurry.  They knew little about him. His name was Mr. Morton, he was just graduated from the teacher's college and this was his very first job. Even the Meltons where he was rooming had never met him, but had agreed to rent him a room on Miz Carmack's recommendation.

            Opal and Kaye ordinarily cut across the big yard to the wood frame school, unpainted for years and set well back off the road.  But seeing Jeannette and Janann coming from the opposite direction they met them at the path into the school yard.  "Wonder what he looks like," Jeannette asked.  "Daddy says he can't be that much older than Elmo and Bob."

            Bob and Elmo Davenport, fifteen and sixteen, were still working at third grade level.  Every year they began school and after a few weeks they began skipping days until by Christmas they we were no longer coming at all.  The next fall they did the same. Opal once asked her father what would happen when Bob was old enough to get married.  Her father never said.  Jeannette  asked as they approached the school house, "Can you believe he's not much older than Bob and Elmo?"

            "That's dumb," Kaye said.  "Elmo's just fifteen. Ain't no way a teacher can be fifteen."

            The girls neared the schoolhouse, peered in the window.  There he stood, his back to them.  He was writing on the blackboard which was nearly filled up.  He was short and thin. His white shirt was neatly tucked into his gray pants.  Jeannette drew in her breath.  "He's a teacher."

            Frank Morton saw the wide eyed girls with their noses pressed against the window.  He smiled and motioned for them to come in.  Stifling giggles they entered.  The desks had been moved from the way Miz Carmack left them. On each desk lay paper and a book. On the makeshift table to the left of the door the water glasses were shiny and arranged neatly around the water bucket. To the right books were stacked neatly on a shelf.

            ""And who might you be?"

            Jeannette blushed;  Kaye and Janann giggled.  Opal said, "I'm Opal Alley.  This is my sister Kaye and this here's Jeannette and Janann Harrison."

            "I'm Mr. Morton."  He eyed the girls. "Well Opal and Jeannette, Miz Carmack left me a note that you're in the seventh grade. You'll sit here."  He pointed. "And Kaye and Janann-- here.  You're early.  I like that.  It shows an eagerness to learn."

            Students trickled in --each greeted by Mr. Morton.  The last to come were Elmo and Bob Davenport, nearly half an hour late.  When Mr. Morton pointed to their desks, Elmo said, "I ain't sittin' with them little farts."  Wide spread giggles erupted.

            "That's where the third grade sits," Mr. Morton.  "Sit down, please."

            "I said I ain't sittin with the babies."  Elmo moved his desk to the opposite side of the room near Jeanette and Opal.  "I'm sittin' here."  Bob grinned and moved his seat too.

            The tone of Mr. Morton's school was set. Mr. Morton's control, or lack of it, was established.  He turned and pointed to the blackboard. "Well, we'll begin. Everybody will start by working on arithmetic."  A round of groans went up.  Jeannette leaned over and whispered to Opal, who tried to restrain her giggle. "Jeannette, do you have something to say?"  Jeanette's grimaced; she said nothing. "If you do have something to say, say it to all of us."  Jeannette blushed, remained silent, and shook her head.  "Then don't talk.  Your assignments are on the board.  There will be no talking until they are all done or recess whichever comes first."  Protests began with a few isolated groans.

            Elmo looked around the room, and getting no response to his grin asked, "What are we supposed to do if we can't do what you got up there, stick our fingers up our butts?"

            Everyone was laughing and talking.  Mr. Morton snapped his wooden pointer against the blackboard.  "I said no talking. On your desk you have paper and a pencil and a book.  If you can't do the work get help from the book. Now I think I made myself clear. I said there will be no talking until you are finished.  Are there any more questions?"

            Jeannette raised her hand. "What can me and Opal to do?"

            "Opal and I?"

            "Yeah, me and Opal.  There ain't no work up there for us."

            "Isn't," Mr. Morton said.

            Elmo grinned and stifled snicker with such aplomb that general laughter broke out. Mr. Morton snapped his pointer against the blackboard again.  He pointed to a section in the top left corner.  "Do this."

            Inez Swicegood, whose body surpassed her mere thirteen years, rose and walked around the edge of the seats until the got to Elmo's seat.  She leaned down and whispered something Elmo's ear.  Then she turned, faced Mr. Morton, pushed back her shoulders, thrust out her well developed breasts, shown to advantage in her tight shirt.  She tossed her head and said, "I have to go." Without waiting for Mr. Morton's response she walked defiantly out the door.

            Thirty minutes later she had not returned.  Mr. Morton confidently said, "Jeannette, would you go and ask Inez to get back in here."

            Jeanette looked to Opal;  both girls shrugged.  "Jeannette," Mr. Morton said.

            Elmo raised his hand.

            "Yes, Elmo?"

            "That ain't goin' to do no good.  Inez said if you want her to come back, you have to come git her yourself.  She's hidin' in the woods out back of the girls' toilet, waitin' for you."

            Mr. Morton's face flushed.  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Opal, go bring Inez back here."

            "No sir, Mr. Morton.  It won't do no good.  She told Elmo she won't come for nobody but you.  And she means it.  You don't know Inez.  When she makes up her mind to do something she means to do it.  Ain't no stopping her.  Ask anybody."

            Elmo snickered.  "She is mighty hard headed."

            "Then you're in charge, Opal."  Mr. Morton stalked out of the room.  Behind him was tumultuous laughter as the students gathered at the windows to watch what they could.

            It was nearly half an hour later when Mr. Morton returned with a defiant Inez following. The class was properly seated and silent. Inez took her seat, smiled and shrugged. Sly looks became whispers; whispers became chatter.  Mr. Morton looked at the clock on the wall over the blackboard.  Barely nine thirty.  With a demeanor of calm not reflective of his turmoil he announced it was time for recess.