Page 26 of Never
‘How did you come to be excluded from the class?’
‘I kept asking, and he got fed up. He said that if I couldn’t sit and listen I should leave the room, so I did.’ Pippa shrugged, as if to say it was no big deal.
Gerry said: ‘But Ms Judd told me this had happened three times. What were the second and third arguments about?’
‘Same thing.’ Pippa’s face took on a look of outrage. ‘I had a right to an answer!’
Pauline said: ‘So, even though you may have had right on your side, the result is that lessons continue as before, except that you’re not in the class.’
‘And I’m in deep shit.’
Pauline pretended not to notice the profanity. ‘Looking back, what do you think about the way you handled this?’
‘I stood up for truth and got punished.’
That was not the answer Pauline was looking for. She tried again. ‘Can you think of any alternative responses that might be worth trying?’
‘Suck it up and shut my mouth?’
‘Would you like to hear a suggestion?’
‘Okay.’
‘Try to think of a way the class could learn about the genocide of Native Americans and the Nazi Holocaust too.’
‘But he won’t—’
‘Hold on. Suppose Mr Newbegin agreed to devote the last lesson of the semester to the Native Americans, and to let you make a presentation, which could be followed by a class discussion.’
‘He would never do that.’
‘He might.’ He would if I asked him, Pauline thought; but she kept that to herself. ‘If not, doesn’t the school have a Debate Society?’
‘Yes. I’m on the committee.’
‘Propose a motion about the Indian Wars. Were the pioneers guilty of a holocaust? Get the whole school involved in the discussion – including Mr Newbegin. You need him to be your friend, not your enemy.’
Pippa began to look interested. ‘Okay, that’s an idea – a debate.’
‘Whatever you do, work it out with Ms Judd and Mr Newbegin. Don’t dream something up then spring it on them. The more they think it’s their idea, the more they’ll support it.’
Pippa smiled. ‘Are you teaching me politics, Mom?’
‘Maybe. But there’s one more thing, and you probably won’t like it.’
‘What?’
‘Everything will go more smoothly if you begin by apologizing to Mr Newbegin for disrupting his class.’
‘Do I really have to?’
‘I think you do, honey. You’ve hurt his pride.’
‘I’m a kid!’
‘Which makes it worse. Put a little ointment on his wound. You’ll be glad you did.’
‘Can I think about it?’
