Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Margot Goes to Kindergarten

Little Margot sat primly at the table.  The pink bow tied her long honey-colored ponytail, the perfect accent to the pink-on-white polka dot pinafore she wore.  Margot's hands were folded atop the table and she listened intently as Miss Roz was giving first-day instructions to the new kindergarten class.  It was a bright, hot August day outside, but the whir of the air conditioning fans overhead promised comfort in the classroom.

The table accommodated five scrubbed and enthusiastic, or frightened, or subdued children and Curtis.  Miss Roz knew within moments of the day's opening exercises that Curtis would be a handful.  What she had yet to learn was that Tina, seated next to Margot and across from Curtis would,  over time, make Curtis appear to be angelic, in a manner of speaking.

Curtis was jumping in and out of his chair grabbing pencils and books that did not belong to him.  Miss Roz, not yet frazzled,  was making a valiant effort to corral the tyke. Tina leaned toward Margot and said, "That is the ugliest dress I ever saw."  Margot, stunned, never said a word, but a tear formed in the corner of her left eye.  And Tina said, "Why don't you cut off that awful hair?  It looks like throw-up down your back."  The floodgates opened and Margot's cheeks were inundated with tears.  She turned toward Miss Roz, but Miss Roz had heard what was going on.  She, too sweetly Margot thought, chastised Tina and asked her to apologize.  Tina turned to Margot again and said, "I'm sorry you can't take a joke, you skinny stick.  Bet your mama starves you so she can eat it all herself, the fat pig."

Margot turned full in her seat, faced Tina, put her pointer finger within an inch of Tina's nose and said, in a clear voice, "You're just a little shit."


This is essentially a true story, especially the last line which is a completely accurate quote.  I have lived to see Margot elected to the local Board of Education. Names changed of course to mask the identities of the real-life participants in this little tableau.

Word of the day: pinafore
 © 2015 David W. Lacy

8 comments:

Vee said...

It's nice that it was Margot and not Tina who was elected to the school board, and I hope Little Miss M. learned more appropriate vocabulary to use when expressing her displeasure.

Jim Grey said...

An elder at my church is also on the IPS board. From what I can see, being able to quickly detect and call out the sh*ts is a pretty critical skill of that job.

vanilla said...

Vee, it is so much fun living in a little community where I can watch the tots I knew back when perform in their roles as movers and shakers in the community. Of course some of them are making a meth, I mean mess, of their lives.

Jim, a very useful and indispensable skill, indeed.

Secondary Roads said...

Mess with the dog long enough and you will be bitten.

Grace said...

Margot telling it like it is - Gotta love her.

vanilla said...

Chuck, that is one of life's abiding rules.

Grace, the child didn't so much have a mouth on her as she had discernment. And the ability to call it like it is.

Sharkbytes said...

Harper Valley PTA! Junior edition.

vanilla said...

Sharkey, just a little girl with a precociously developed b.s.detector. And probably parents whose banter should have been rated "R".