Deborah Farley-Opsal
OWP Summer '01
A FRIEND'S OBSERVANCE
She stood beside her desk, feeling the energy in the classroom. You know, that pent up energy that third graders have in the afternoon, that wiggly, squirmy, stand on one foot and then the other foot feeling that just overtakes your body?
Well, that's what Maureen felt. Deborah watched her friend's uncontainable body movement. Maureen's seat was across the aisle and up one from Deborah.
The girls had been best friends since they could remember. They were not just third grade classroom neighbors, but next-door neighbors, too. That small fence that divided their property lines had lost its paint after years of climbing and sliding over it to visit back and forth. Not always as friends. Many of the back and forth crossings had happened because of a tiff, or a real scream it out, tough it out, "I'M NEVER TALKING TO YOU AGAIN!" scene.
Despite the pulled hair and broken glasses, the girls were inseparable. They played dolls together in the bedroom. They played waitress in the basement, precariously balancing the tray of valuable wine glasses. They rode bikes all over the neighborhood, even had a secret hiding place to take a pee when the need arose.
That day in school, Maureen couldn't bear to wait until the bell rang. Maureen, the rather quiet, dimpled friend with the sweet, chubby little hands. Maureen, the avid Elvis Prestly admirer. Maureen, the excited. That bell would take Maureen away from the mundane tasks of school, take her to the world of Elvis, singing his heart into her soul.
"There is to be NO MORE talking. Stand quietly." commanded Miss White.
At that moment, Deborah stood silently beside her desk, knowing that Miss White's tone was serious.
Deborah knew when to stand still. Besides, her afternoon was going to be the same as usual, so standing still beside her desk was not too difficult a task.
Maureen, on the other hand, thoughts taking her to imagined divine movie sets, was not so easily reigned in. She was so overwhelmed by joy, that her little leap of excitement caught her elbow, which in turn smashed her chin, which instantly caused her to screech with pain. She had bit her tongue.
"OWWWWW!" She yelped. "That hurt!" Tears welled up Maureen's eyes, and Deborah looked over at her, not able to give any comfort.
But Miss White was not to give Maureen comfort either. She glared down the aisle at Maureen, and demanded that she go into the hall. Deborah knew this was not good. She watched silently, not knowing where the moment was leading. Being sent out of the class was an unknown fate.
Punishment.
Would Maureen be punished for her outcry? Had she really disobeyed Miss White's command? David had been punished once by being given a spanking over Miss White's knee, but that was a long time ago. Surely he had deserved the punishment. But Maureen had not been defiant, merely caught up in a moment .
Maureen slunk out of the classroom, and stood silently, awaiting her fate. To be sent out of the class to see the principal, Miss Hague, a grim faced ex-nun, was intimidating enough, but when she was holding the leather strap in her hand, it was beyond the imagination.
"Place your hand out, palm up," commanded Miss Hague.
"SMACK!" Deborah heard reverberating from the hallway. Her heart pounded in her ears, her mouth dry.
Maureen re-entered the classroom, head down, crying silently. Deborah looked at her friend now, a chastised little girl who had moments before been filled with the anticipation of Elvis, with his smooth as satin voice. Those moments were now lost, Maureen was defeated. Deborah, sitting so close to her yet feeling so distanced at that moment, also felt that defeat. Sorrow filled the next passage in time.