The Family That Never Was

When I arrived at school on the Monday before Thanksgiving, I checked my mailbox and found a sealed envelope from the head of personnel. When I open the letter it read, “Dear Ms Singer, I feel it necessary to meet with you this afternoon in my office regarding a personal matter. Let’s plan to meet at two p.m. If this time is inconvenient please contact my office as soon as possible. Sincerely, M. Jones”

I couldn’t imagine why I had received this letter. I was a tenured teacher and had done nothing to jeopardize that tenure. I went into Mr. Foster and showed him the letter. He asked if I would allow him to attend with me. He said I had done nothing as far as he knew that would warrant a visit to personnel. I thanked him and said his attendance would be most appreciated. I went on to the staff meeting which lasted all morning. Mr. Foster told the staff he would be gone for a short while around two but would be back if anyone needed him for anything. I had a hard time concentrating during the staff meeting. My mind kept wandering and I kept questioning myself mentally of any improprieties I might have committed. The only words which continued to ravage my mind were “mother, mother, mother, and mother.” I guess I would find out soon enough.

After the staff meeting I ate my lunch in the classroom and finished getting things ready that I needed for Monday; in case I got tied up at the personnel office I would go straight home instead of back to school. I told Mr. Foster that I was headed to the office and he said he’d be right along. I checked in with Mr. Jones’ secretary and I told her that I had asked Mr. Foster, my principal, to join me for this meeting; as I knew nothing about why my presence had been requested. She disappeared for a few moments and came back and said that would be fine.

Mr. Jones invited us into his office, invited us to sit down and closed the door. He was not the most tactful or compassionate person I’d ever met as he approached the subject at hand. We have learned that you had an illegitimate child this past spring and that you kept the child. I stared at him and had a number of horrific thoughts involving very unladylike verbiage but decided to consider what I was saying before I spoke. I was fuming! “Pardon me, Mr. Jones, what would you expect me to do – leave him on a street corner, auction him to the highest bidder, give him away or adopt him out? He is of my flesh and blood and I am his mother. I had no other thoughts but to keep him and raise him.”

“Well, your mother came to me, told me the story of your illegitimate child, and said she felt this would be bad for her image, your school’s image, and the district’s image.” At this point, I was so glad that I had told Mr. Foster. I was livid. I’m surprised I was not frothing at the mouth I was so enraged.

“Mr. Jones,” I said, “My quasi-mother and quasi-father bore four children of whom I am the oldest. I helped raise my siblings, cleaned, shopped, cooked and did whatever else needed to be done. My friends called me Cinderella minus the glass slippers. My ‘parents’ were never parents to us. If my mother is embarrassed or afraid of her image she should have thought of that years ago and maybe acted like a mother and shown us some love. Enough of that, now what do you plan to do? I am a tenured teacher, I believe Mr. Foster will speak of my reliability and responsibility; I have never been involved in anythingmorally improper as regards school. If you plan to fire me you will meet my lawyer as I have not broken any of the terms of my tenure.”

Both Mr. Jones and Mr. Foster were quite surprised at how eloquently I had expounded my feelings. Mr. Jones thought for a moment. He made it very clear that he understood that I had no plan to put the baby up for adoption, that by virtue of my tenure I could not be fired and that the final option would be for me to submit a resignation.

I chuckled. “Why do you think that I should or would resign? I like my job. I have a child to support. How am I to support myself and my child if I resign? That would be ludicrous.”

Mr. Jones responded, “I don’t know your mother very well but I know enough about her that she won’t give up. Your mother will not leave the district alone, or for that matter, you alone until you are gone. She has been in the district far longer than you so her seniority wins over yours and she will see that she can start as much trouble as possible if you remain. I have a proposal for you. We will pay you your full first month’s pay and for your ten sick days but we will not call them sick days so when you get into another district you will still have your sick time. We will get letters of recommendation from each school at which you worked and from personnel. What you tell others about your reason for leaving will be your business.”