Episode Three: Phoebe Faces Down the School Board

Dell, Nancy and Aunt Helen were wondering what kind of school board meeting that might turn out to be on Wednesday evening.

 “Well, Aunt Helen,” Dell said, “if you care to stay we could all slip down and stay and have a look. We could well back from the platform so as  not to be too obvious to Pheobe.” 

There were about fifty people there when Dell and them arrived. It wasn’t long before the board came out of the anteroom, each holding a memo. The board and the school principal all took their seats including the board solicitor.  The chairman got to his feet and asked if all members were present. Being assured that they were, he declared that this meeting was open for business. First item on the program was for the secretary to read the minutes of the last meeting.  That being dispersed with, the chairman rose up to his feet.

“Members of this board, we have a lot of business to contend with at this meeting. As most of you know, there has been an altercation at the school and we look at is as a very serious matter. Is it your pleasure that we deal with this matter now or leave it until later on in the meeting?”

 Board member Griffs, “I make a motion that we leave it to later on. Anyone to second that motion?

Member Briggs,  “I will second that motion? All in favour?”

There was a dead silence. Then big Bill Hayden, that runs the wrecking yard, got to his feet and said, “I make a motion that we get on with it right away.  All in favour raise your hands.”

The majority raised their hands. The chairman declared the motion carried. The Chairman said two persons involved are Miss Phoebe Croiner and Mr. Hecter Syminton.  I see that Miss Croiner is here but I don’t see Mr. Syminton.

Burton Syimnton, the foxy old boy that he is, wanted to hear what Phoebe Croiner had to say in her opening statement. The solicitor was holding a pad ready to take notes.

Burton Syminton rose to his feet and said it was very inconvenient for his son to attend this meeting tonight.

“Do you care to make a statement at this time Miss Croiner?”

”No, nothing whatsoever seeing that the defendant isn’t present.

Burton Syminton said, “I’m here to represent my son and in no way do I have a feeling of guilt, but what concerns a lot of us is we don’t like to see any disruption in our schools, and I think this minor scuffle between two pupils is blown out of proportions.  It is just a storm in a teapot. I think that we all appreciate the tranquility of our community. If there is any way I can contribute financially to this board to maintain its good reputation just say so.”

 The board was taken by surprise at this unexpected gesture. Dell and Nancy, sitting near the back row of seats, were nudging each other, each observing that Syminton was trying to corner Phoebe. The board chairman said that we should shelve Mr. Syminton’s benevolent gesture and deal with it at a later date. 

Mrs. E. Sproule, a member of the school board and also an office manager in Syminton’s entreprises, said, “We should deal with Mr. Syminton’s offer at this time as Mr. Syminton was trying to put an end to all this drivel of small talk that was prevalent at this time. Talking to our solicitor, he informs me that all claims made against this board may not be in the insurance policy. As we all know, Miss Croiner was injured on school property and this would be a good gesture to have this settled for once and for all.”

 The school solicitor got to his feet and said that is would be a long and complicated procedure for compensation to be paid to the recipient in this way.  The fastest and simplest manner that this could be done is that the recipient to deal directly with the donor.

Dell was nearly on the edge of his seat. He thought, what a cover up or whitewash. Mrs. Sproule asked Phoebe what did she think of this method of compensation.

“Mrs. Sproule, who brought up this topic of compensation anyway?”

“Well, Miss Croiner, if you were injured on school property wouldn’t you expect some compensation?”

“If my type of injury wasn’t in the insurance policy, then what?”

“You are right, it could depend.  It could be a slip on ice or a bad fall or maybe caused by another pupil.”

“Would you have any idea, Mrs. Sproule, who the pupil was that caused my injury?”

Mrs. Sproule didn’t answer. She just said, “Mr. Chairman, you carry on.” In a low voice as she took her seat, hardly audible, she said, “Well, it was worth a try.”

Phoebe went on, “You speak of compensation for me.  How about compensation for the other pupil that was involved in this confrontation? You also speak of expulsion. If I’m expelled, do I still collect compensation?”

The chairman said, “Miss Croiner, this is not the time to discuss expulsion.”

Nobody knew, but for some unknown reason, Hector Syminton, probably for a ten dollar bill to the janitor, was able to get access to the anteroom, with a bouquet of roses, not large, about half dozen or so. Through a small, partly open window, in his seclusion, he could hear and see all that was happening on the floor opposite platform where the school board were assembled. He could plainly see that money was not doing the talking that his father had expected.

Burton Syminton rose to his feet and addressed the chairman. “Sir, as representive here of my son, he has decided to drop charges of injury against Miss Croiner. I would suggest now that we bring this minor incident to an end and I’m prepared to contribute financially if there is any reason or cause.

Dell whisphered into Nancy’s ear, “It’s a shame that she gave up so easily.”

Phoebe rose to her feet and faced Syminton with that determined and courageous expression that only Phoebe Croiner could express.

“ I suppose, Mr. Syminton, this is the time that I fall on my knees and be thankful to you for all your small mercies.”  Phoebe closed her fist and banged on the platform. “Mr. Syminton, it seems to me that you have been putting a lot of faith in your money doing the talking this evening. Well, let me tell you, I wasn’t listening.  All the money that you could muster could never erase the pain or injury that your phony son has caused to my family and me. The humility and physical pain has been very embarrassing to us and we are not accepting ransom until your son comes face to face with me and publicly apologizes to me for his dishonourable behavior.  If not here, there are ways and means and places that he will.”

Hector, in the back ground, had been following the proceedings from his concealed position. He made up his mind to bite the bullet and save his father from further embarrassment. When the door of the anteroom opened and Hecter Syminton , clutching a bouquet of roses, appeared, there was an unusual hush as he made his way past the school board, descending three steps from the platform to the floor level where most of the dignitaries were seated, including the county school inspector, the village reeve, the village columnist, a small delegation that would be demanding that the school keep the pupils on school property during school hours, as they were disturbing senior citizens at the seniors home a block west of the school. Burton Syminton was seated at east end of the seats. On the other end was Phoebe’s father, Dan Croiner.

Hecter Syminton made his way towards Phoebe. She was flabbergasted. Would she smack him on the face with his bouquet it or what?   Her   better   judgment overcame her and she decided to keep her cool. Hecter  advanced towards her with a sheepish grin and head partly drooped. He handed Phoebe   the bouquet and said. “I’m awful sorry for what I did to you. You win, Phoebe.” 

It was short and sweet. Then he went and took a seat beside his father. Phoebe seemed to be stumped for words. She looked up at the school board then turned and looked at her father. She came to the conclusion that she had to reply in some shape or form.

 In a somewhat tone of restrained voice she held her head high, still clutching to the bouquet. She seemed thwarted and baffled as she looked up at the school board. She slowly turned around and looked at her father.  

“This,” she said,”could be the end of a confrontation between two pupils.” This eased a lot of tension in Burton Symintons mind. “I’ve heard briefly earlier in this meeting how a pupil could be expelled from school if that pupil caused property damage to the school or attacked and caused injury to another pupil without provocation. Well, Mr. board chairman, the word ‘attack’ to me has a wide spectrum. We all know that Germany attacked Paris with its Big Bertha guns and failed.  They also attacked the Vimy Ridge and failed badly. Therefore, Mr Chairman, it’s my calculation that any attack that fails, to me the word ‘attack’ is null and void. In your findings in my case, I would prefer that you deleted the word ‘attack’. In my own defense, I have always calculated that this was a premeditated assault on me that failed badly.”

Phoebe’s voice began to quiver as she turned the bouquet upside down with blossoms pointing to the floor. She now could see a wrist watch fastened to the stems. She slowly made her way over to the Symintons and handed the bouquet back to Hecter Syminton still upside down. In a quivering voice she looked Syminton senior right in the eye and said, “My body is still not for sale. “

Turning around, she pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and went over to her father, sobbing.

Dan Crioiner put his arm around her and said, “Never mind, darling. Let us all thank the Lord that this is over.”

Trustee, Mrs. Sproule, rose to her feet and said, “I make a motion that this order of business be discussed later on in this meeting or even be delegated to our next regular meeting.”

Trustee Cairns seconded the motion. The chairman said,  “All in favour, raise your hands.”,

After a pause, the chairman declared the motion carried.