The Past, Present, and a Gift
Mrs. Sampson smiled as she watched the two boys, lying side by side on a reading cushion laughing delightedly as they turned the pages of The Curious Invention of Hugo Carbret. She would occasionally catch small bits of banter, as each boy took a turn reading from the few pages of writing, Evan, the stronger reader of the two, occasionally correcting Angus whenever he stumbled over a word. She nodded in approval when she saw each of these words carefully recorded in a small blue spiral notebook, then looked up in a dictionary both lying to Evan's left side.
She turned back to the papers she was grading with a sigh at least she was getting across to someone. She often contemplated why she became a teacher at all. Something she swore in her youth she wouldn't do. She could remember raging down her middle school hallways declaring that if she was a teacher she would do it right. She would allow students to finger paint, and dance around the classroom to fun upbeat music just so they didn't have to sit all day. she would celebrate each holiday to its fullest extent never assign homework and allow they students to express themselves through writing, acting, and other art forms.
She laughed to herself recalling how her math professor tiredly told her to go for it. She rose confidently to the challenge, but realized that the task may be far more daunting then she had first anticipated. There were rules, boring rules, that had to be followed. To her horror even though she had decided to teach a younger group of students, she was still held to a very structured curriculum. Her lesson plan had to be approved. The other professors had complained about her 30-minute dance breaks, her immaturity and unprofessional attitude towards the teacher's craft. The worst of it was that her students didn't seem to be learning anything.
Then she almost lost the job she had for so long swore she could change. The principle had entered the room during the students' free time. To him it must have looked like absolute chaos. Some students were singing loud rowdy songs, others working on a stunt routine they had seen on the internet. Some were painting the walls with vibrant shades of yellow and orange, while others were having a pillow fight in the reading corner. Mrs. Sampson had been busy braiding a young girl's long black hair so she could look more like princess Fiona from Shrek.
The principle had not been pleased. Veins throbbing angrily beneath his skin he brusquely escorted Mrs. Sampson to his office. She had only stood their quietly while he paced his office screaming about her irresponsibility. He was being so loud that neither heard the creek of the door or the twenty small footsteps that crept hesitantly forward into the room. He may have never noticed the students at all if one small six-year-old girl, now resembling Fiona hadn't cautiously crept forward and pulled on his normally tucked in shirt.
The principal's look of shocked surprise would have been comical had any part of the situation been humorous. At least he stopped shouting. After a strained silence, the principal ran his hand through his thinning silver tresses. "Well what is it?" he inquired sharply.
"Please sir," the young girl's voice quivered slightly but got stronger as she continued speaking, "Don't be mad at Mrs. Sampson, she braided my hair," and "fixed my finger," piped up a small boy who held up a bandaged finger for inspection. "she helped me meet my best friend," said another, "and read my story to the whole class." Suddenly there were children voices everywhere hurrying to claim that Mrs. Sampson was a hero.
"Ok," the principal had to shout to make himself heard over the now bellowing crowd, "Ok," he turned back to Mrs. Sampson the children watching quietly, with bated breath. "Well it seems that I may have acted to quickly before understanding the full scenario." He turned back to the children. "Forgive me, will you help me to keep your teacher in line, and make sure she does her job." "You may all return to your classroom, I'm sorry for interrupting." He turned around and sat back down at his desk.
The girl who looked like Fiona reached up and grabbed a very stunned Mrs. Sampson's hand and they all paraded down the hall back to the classroom, where each child apologized profusely for getting her into trouble. One small child with long blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes dressed like Alice from Alice in wonderland, adorned her black hair with a daisy chain she had made during recess, a small grubby boy, named Gwaine, offered her an apple he had saved from his lunch. Mrs. Sampson accepted each gift with tears in her eyes.
"Mrs. Sampson," a young voice called. Mrs. Sampson abruptly came back to the present startled to first discover that like a fool she was crying, and Evan was standing in front of her with a concerned look on his small face. Angus who was beside him quietly handed her a tissue from the flowered box on her desk. She took it gratefully and wiped her eyes, taking time to compose herself before looking at the two boys. "Well, what is it?" she asked suspiciously.
"Well," Angus replied "Evan and I saw that you once played Gweneviere in the musical Camelot, and we were wondering if you could sing us one of the songs, Evan here says it's a great musical and that I sort of remind him of Arthur." Evan blushed slightly behind him.
Mrs. Sampson looked at Evan directly "Is there a certain song you had in mind?" she asked him kindly. He smiled then whispered one of his favorites into her ear. "Oh yes I rather like that one as well." She stood up and clapped her hands assembling her students within a small circle before her. "As the result of a special request I would like to share with you a song I had the privilege to sing when I had the opportunity to play queen Gwenivere in the musical Camelot when I was 19 years old. The song is called The Simple Joys of Maidenhood."
Mrs. Sampson took a deep breath and begin. Her heart soaring as she strongly sang out each verse. Remembering them as if the events only happened yesterday, and she was back on the stage in a dream she had forgotten that she had.
Where are the simple joys of maidenhood?
Where are all those adoring daring boys?
Where's the knight pining so for me?
Oh where are a maiden's simple joys?
Angus sat listening enthralled. He would never have guessed that his teacher could sing so well, nor would he have expected himself to enjoy it so much. He also noticed Even smiling and humming along, swaying to the music. He nudged him gently. Evan turned his attention towards him. "Do you think it's possible that we could find the whole play and watch it sometime?" Evan smiled "Of course, I have it on DVD if you want to come over on Friday." Angus smiled "I'd like that." he said. He then turned his attention back to Mrs. Sampson as she began nearing the end of the song,
shall I not be on a pedestal
worshipped and competed for,
He soon realized that without this woman he would never had looked twice at the boy sitting next to him, much less going to his house to watch a musical. His whole life was turned around and he actually didn't mind.
Are those sweet gentle pleasure gone for good?
Shall a feud not begin for me?
Shall kith not kill their kin for me?
Oh where are the trivial joys?
Harmless, convivial joys?
Where are the simple joys of maidenhood!?
After she finished the song she was surprised to hear the explosion of applause erupting from all corners of the classroom, some girls even threw the dandelions they picked at recess. she curtsied with a huge smile on her face. Making her look years younger than her now 37-year-old self. She found Evan and Angus in the crowd, smiling and clapping appreciatively. She mouthed thank you and nodded her head to both, grateful for the gift of youth and opportunity they had presented her with. She hadn't felt so good in weeks and it was so nice to be appreciated if only for a little while.
As she watched the children stand and ready themselves to leave she walked back to her desk, as she sat down in her chair she knew why she had given up her earlier dream of being a stage actor, a star in shining lights, so long ago. This was better, this was so much better.