Chapter 2: HISTORY EDUCATION
1337 Words
“Does anyone know who the first king of England was?”
“It was Athelstan, Miss Johnson.” Ellie raised her right hand and answered. She was one of the best students in this class.
That was the perfect answer. But when Janet was going to say “Well done Ellie”, strangely, the whole class burst into laughter.
It happened from time to time. The students had their secret topics and they liked whispering during the classes.
But this time it was different.
Noticed by some other girls, Ellie touches her own back and suddenly flushed, with shame and anger. She ran out of the classroom.
Janet wanted to find some clues. The boys as well as a few girls were giggling. Some timid voice revealed the truth:” Pad……”
She understood what happened just now. Someone just stuck a sanitary pad on Ellie’s back.
There was a student called Mary in Janet’s class when she was in high school. One day during a badminton class, blood stained her sport pants. Janet was to give her spare tampon secretly. But then Mary was surrounded by some mischievous boys – basically Matt’s friends – and got a new nickname from that day: “Bloody Mary”.
Ellie was finally found at the side of the swimming pool. She was not crying, but just staring at the sky.
“Hi Ellie, are you OK?” Janet went to her and seated herself beside her, “I’ll let them say sorry.”
“It’s alright Miss Johnson. I was thinking of the volleyball training.”
Ellie was tall and fit. She was the seed player in the school volleyball team. To get better performance in the games, she even cut her hair short.
“What happened in the volleyball team?”
“My couch was not very happy because I said I need to have a 5-day off. You know, during my period.” She gave a bitter smile, “But you feel painful sometimes. Maybe I shouldn’t have joined the team. Maybe……I shouldn’t have been a girl.”
“Ellie, don’t say that……”
Janet felt sentimental and extremely angry at that moment. She became a teacher because no one should lose their dreams when they are still young. And she knew that school is never a sacred, innocent place. Teenagers do bad things. More annoyingly, they do just for fun.
“It’s not your fault Ellie. You are the best student. You are always the first to answer my questions.”
“Never feel unfortunate to be a girl.”
She became a teacher for this moment. She must do something to teach someone a lesson.
“Miss Johnson, I heard that you had a very meaningful lecture in the class? Quote, ‘The History of Menstruation’. I respect you even more.”
“I don’t remember you have ever respected me at all.”
Matt’s false flattery made no ripple in her mind. Janet was excited after walking out of the classroom. She just came back from the headmaster’s office. Mr. Davis said: “It was a bold move. But personally, I think you did a great job Miss Johnson.”
“I’m not your health teacher. So I want to talk about this topic from a historical perspective.” Janet picked up a mark pen and wrote a word on the white board: Menstruation.
“Menstruation, or as most of us know: the monthly period, is the evidence that a female is at her breeding-age. That is to say, she has the ability to give birth.”
“Think about your own mothers. They gave birth to you because they had undergone hundreds of this natural process. The process with blood, depression, and sometimes violent pain.”
“In ancient times, women during their period were regarded as ‘the sinister’. In Roman Empire, people believed menstruating women could kill crops and bees. In medieval times, menstruating blood was thought to be able to burn up things. Even in the modern times, some people in India still believes that menstruating women are impure. So to get a job, many women have undergone surgery to remove their wombs.”
“Would you be happy if your mothers suffer all these? Luckily in our country, we don’t have such taboos. But period-shaming is as unacceptable as them. Every mother was a girl. And they gave you life. I know some of you think it’s funny to see sanitary pads and other ‘girls’ private stuff’. But think twice before you do anything.”
“You’re a good teacher. And you’re very special.” Matt said sincerely,” No wonder I respect you.”
Janet couldn’t help thinking of the lesson over and over again. Matt’s voice and hazel eyes dragged Janet back to the reality. Why he seemed ……worried?
“But I have to tell you Miss Johnson. If you want to help the student, you’d better to solve problems in a low profile. Teenage boys hate teachers anyway.”
She didn’t know what was waiting for her that evening.
******
Jack glanced at his daughter when she was putting the books in order on the bookshelves.
“You’re a happy girl today. What happened?”
“I gave the most meaningful class in my career. Alright my career by now.”
“Hmm, you taught them how to get rid of your restless ex-boyfriend? Oh, I forgot you don’t even have one.”
Janet rolled her eyes:” And as far as I know, you just had one, who is my mom. You are also not an expert of love.”
“Quality weighs more than quantity. You mother is the best. By the way, you and Matt, he said you are friends? I mean, what type of…… friends?”
“We are not. I hate him. Why you never listen to me?” She almost got annoyed.
“He’s good, to be fair. He’s pretty. You never came here in your 10s and then I knew him. His single mother suffered a lot. But he seems to be quite integrated now.”
“I didn’t know that you knew each other in my 10s……”
“So you should ask yourself why was that distant attitude to your father when you were teenager.” Jack smirked.
“Because you were……”
Janet’s cell phone rang suddenly. She picked it up and heard a strange voice.
“Hello? This is Janet.”
“Oh, so you are that expert of menstruation and Miss Justice, right?” He said in a crooked tone.” What a great woman you are.”
“Who are you? Are you one of my students?”
“I will not tell you who I am. But I think you should come for your student now. You have 5 minutes, come to the washroom in Summerville Park.”
“Why would I listen to you? I’ll call the police.”
"Miss Johnson!!! Help me!!!" A young boy’s voice caught her ears.
She knew it was a boy from her class......
"Is that...... Harvey? Harvey Hikins is that you?"
Harvey was crying and screaming. Her heart cringed.
“Okay, then the officers will find his head separated from his body just because he had such a stupid teacher. I told you that you had 5 minutes. Now only 4 minutes left.”
“Don’t you dare to hurt my student! I’ll be right there!!!”
- Writer
