(no subject)
Shufti carefully reads the instruction letter, trying to find out what to expect. She half wishes she'd brought CJ, but since she only found this letter in Jack's pocket this morning, someone had to stay home with the kids.
"Mrs Johnson?" A tall, thin, grim-looking woman approaches.
"It's Mrs Manickle-Johnson." Shufti says.
The woman frowns slightly, introduces herself as the deputy principal, then ushers her through. Shufti follows. This seems very formal for a Parent Teacher Conferance, not that she's been to one before. But the other parents seem to be waiting for the same thing.
Jack's teacher is behind the desk, also looking grim. Uh oh. Shufti shakes her hand and sits down.
"So, how's Jack doing?" she asks, looking from one teacher to the other.
"He's a smart boy." his teacher says. "But that is all I can say in his favour. His work is careless, he's rude, disruptive, bullies smaller kids and tells lies."
Shufti stares for a moment, mildly horrified. Sure, Jack's been a bit cheeky lately, but she hadn't been expecting this.
"Are you sure we're talking about my Jack?"
"Yes."
Shufti takes a deep breath and sighs.
"All right, his father and I will do whatever it takes to help with this. He's not like that at home. Can you give some examples please?"
"This morning, when I told him off for lying, he called me a 'Lying fart-breathed old bat'."
Shufti winces. "What was he lying about?"
"I asked the children to draw a picture of what their family did at the weekend, and he drew 'The demon monkey biting Mommy's arm'."
Shufti hesitates, then rolls up her sleeve to reveal the bandage. The teacher stares as she unwraps it to reveal a bite mark.
"I was actually bitten by a monkey, just not a demon one." Beat. "I think it escaped from somewhere. What else?"
"When I asked them to draw a planet, he drew this." She holds up a picture of a round, flat world on the back of four elephants on a turtle.
"I think he saw that on television. Perhaps he didn't realise it had to be a real planet?" Shufti suggests.
"He then called me a 'Stupid moron'."
"I'll definitely be tackling him about the name-calling." Shufti says firmly.
"In the playground yesterday, he told the smallest boy in his kindergarton class that he was going to 'Bring in Mom's crossbow and shoot his head off'. Do you have a crossbow, Mrs Johnson?"
"Strictly ornamental." Shufti says. "I'll have stern words with Jack, so will his father. If there's any more problems, please tell me."
She goes home feeling a little dispirited. And then gets on the warpath, telling CJ; then they both sit Jack down for a stern talking to.
"You mustn't tell anyone about the bar." Shufti says when she finishes. "It's very important. And I don't want to hear of you ever threatening little kids or speaking to your teacher like that again."
"She is a liar." Jack grumbles, as she takes him upstairs to get ready for bed. "She said I was making stuff up."
"Because she doesn't know any better." Shufti says.
"And when we did body colours she said that everyone is half Mom and half Dad."
"Well they are." Shufti says.
"Then why am I blonde when you and Dad and Leah have dark hair?"
Something inside Shufti freezes up. Shit. It never occurred to her that Jack wouldn't remember meeting his biological father. CJ has been his real Dad since he was less than a year old.
"I don't know sweetheart, I think it's one of those things." she says casually. "The important thing is you have lovely hair, and that you mustn't call your teacher a liar."
"Mrs Johnson?" A tall, thin, grim-looking woman approaches.
"It's Mrs Manickle-Johnson." Shufti says.
The woman frowns slightly, introduces herself as the deputy principal, then ushers her through. Shufti follows. This seems very formal for a Parent Teacher Conferance, not that she's been to one before. But the other parents seem to be waiting for the same thing.
Jack's teacher is behind the desk, also looking grim. Uh oh. Shufti shakes her hand and sits down.
"So, how's Jack doing?" she asks, looking from one teacher to the other.
"He's a smart boy." his teacher says. "But that is all I can say in his favour. His work is careless, he's rude, disruptive, bullies smaller kids and tells lies."
Shufti stares for a moment, mildly horrified. Sure, Jack's been a bit cheeky lately, but she hadn't been expecting this.
"Are you sure we're talking about my Jack?"
"Yes."
Shufti takes a deep breath and sighs.
"All right, his father and I will do whatever it takes to help with this. He's not like that at home. Can you give some examples please?"
"This morning, when I told him off for lying, he called me a 'Lying fart-breathed old bat'."
Shufti winces. "What was he lying about?"
"I asked the children to draw a picture of what their family did at the weekend, and he drew 'The demon monkey biting Mommy's arm'."
Shufti hesitates, then rolls up her sleeve to reveal the bandage. The teacher stares as she unwraps it to reveal a bite mark.
"I was actually bitten by a monkey, just not a demon one." Beat. "I think it escaped from somewhere. What else?"
"When I asked them to draw a planet, he drew this." She holds up a picture of a round, flat world on the back of four elephants on a turtle.
"I think he saw that on television. Perhaps he didn't realise it had to be a real planet?" Shufti suggests.
"He then called me a 'Stupid moron'."
"I'll definitely be tackling him about the name-calling." Shufti says firmly.
"In the playground yesterday, he told the smallest boy in his kindergarton class that he was going to 'Bring in Mom's crossbow and shoot his head off'. Do you have a crossbow, Mrs Johnson?"
"Strictly ornamental." Shufti says. "I'll have stern words with Jack, so will his father. If there's any more problems, please tell me."
She goes home feeling a little dispirited. And then gets on the warpath, telling CJ; then they both sit Jack down for a stern talking to.
"You mustn't tell anyone about the bar." Shufti says when she finishes. "It's very important. And I don't want to hear of you ever threatening little kids or speaking to your teacher like that again."
"She is a liar." Jack grumbles, as she takes him upstairs to get ready for bed. "She said I was making stuff up."
"Because she doesn't know any better." Shufti says.
"And when we did body colours she said that everyone is half Mom and half Dad."
"Well they are." Shufti says.
"Then why am I blonde when you and Dad and Leah have dark hair?"
Something inside Shufti freezes up. Shit. It never occurred to her that Jack wouldn't remember meeting his biological father. CJ has been his real Dad since he was less than a year old.
"I don't know sweetheart, I think it's one of those things." she says casually. "The important thing is you have lovely hair, and that you mustn't call your teacher a liar."