Short stories series #5

The Beast is laid to rest

"But at my back I always hear,
Time’s winged chariot hurrying near;"
(Andrew Marvell {1621-1678} To His Coy Mistress)


Miss Cruella Richardson was the principal of an all-girls mission school for 22 proud years before she retired at age 55, on 7 July 2001. During that period, she was mistress of all she surveyed. She was the queen as she had always thought of the school as her own, a kingdom she had built singlehandedly. She held sway over the lives of her worthless subjects. All of a sudden, her world had been reduced to nothingness, due to her retirement from public service. How could life suck up all the sweetness of your youth and then spit out the bitter remnants in your old age?
These days, Miss Richardson feels unappreciated, “lecturing” the English language at a little unknown private college, for a pittance, as compared to the lucrative income and allowances she used to receive. She is a “nobody” now and is expected to follow all orders, no matter how ridiculous. She now knows how her teachers used to feel, being treated inhumanely, stripped of their dignity and pride. She used to enjoy trampling on their sense of self-worth!
In her heyday, Miss Richardson could make young and not-so-young teachers, both non-graduates and graduates cringe and cry and could drive some to the brink of madness. Some had felt like they were working under seige, dreading to hear their names being called over the public-address system. In 1999, the teachers and students had worked so hard raising funds, purportedly for a computer laboratory. However, she spent about RM7, 000 of their hard-earned money on a lousy public-address system, which she had used to intimidate students and teachers alike. If your name were announced the whole school would know that you would be getting a shelling from her. Seldom was it otherwise.
She had enjoyed tremendously the power she wielded – she had the power to “brutalise” a teacher as she saw fit. Isn’t that a lot of power? “Nobody should be allowed so much power,” she used to think gleefully. “It makes me feel like one of those Greek gods. They created humans for their amusement, laughing at their misfortunes and rendering them helpless against fate. I am not unlike them.”
Being a six-footer and with her arms swinging about, the “ranting and raving” Miss Richardson was indeed a fearful sight to behold. She would yell at and scold teachers in the presence of students and parents and would find it gratifying when the teachers broke down in their presence. Even when she broke an ankle she would be hobbering around on a crutch, screaming her head off at everybody and everything and nobody dared to let her know what a spectacle she made of herself.
. She clearly exercised the caste system in her administration. She had a private toilet built for herself next to her office so she did not have to use the teachers’ toilets. School workers were never allowed to eat with the teachers. Since her office had a door to the teachers’ room, the moment it opened a defeaning silence would fall and you could hear teachers scampering to their seats. It’s sad to know that people had to stoop to this to earn an honest living.
Since she would normally skip work on Saturdays and would come late two or three mornings a week, her strategy was to be “soft” with students while pretending to sound strict. This was because she was afraid of the parents so she was wise not to offend them. She was afraid they would go to the department of education to expose her “indiscretions”. The girls could get away with any misdemeanour, even cheating during school examinations. She would always blame the teachers. Children learn fast that which is bad, so many of them became very unruly, both in speech and in deeds. She would take much pride that the girls at her school could all speak English but she didn’t know how badly they spoke. Their written English was much worse. Besides, their behaviour was not something a normal person would be proud of.
She employed the Machiavellian approach in handling the teachers to ensure her absolute power. She would make it a point to check out the backgrounds of all teachers joining the school and then grill them if she were to hear some “negative” story about a teacher. She would “threaten” such teachers and would even go to the extent of lying to them that she would “embarrass” them with the students. Her interrogative style would put any teacher into a panic attack. She would attack them from all directions in her office and few would be able to leave her office “whole”. She had reduced some to nervous wrecks. Only the emotionally strong could withstand her unethical approach.
She had devoted her best years to the school, marrying in her late forties to an old, retired widower. As a result of her late marriage, there are no children in the “happy” union. It wasn’t a very smart move on her part as she is now burdened with her husband’s retarded child, one of several children he had with his first wife. This could be her retribution for 22 years of treating her staff harshly. However, she had always believed herself to be a good Christian, going faithfully to church every Sunday. Till today, she still attends the same church at Jalan Raja, Kuala Lumpur. She honestly thinks of herself as a “holy” Christian. In fact, she would pray each morning for her students and staff before leaving for school. It’s as if one is “holy” simply by attending church and praying for others.
At the college where she’s now teaching she hardly has friends and most of her titled and high-society “friends” have abandoned her after her loss of social position. She used to walk among the elite. She’s now a lonely and bitter old woman, stuck with a dependent step-child and an aging husband. Luckily she has her pension. Why didn’t she wise-up to the realities of old age earlier? It’s too late to turn back the clock now! She just can’t believe how time flies. Tempest Fugid! If only she had been brave enough to show a little of her human side, things might have been a little better for her today. She might be receiving warm phone calls, caring e-mails, greeting cards with lovely messages and invitations for high tea or lunch. Ah well, few look beyond the ecstasy of the moment.
It’s indeed surprising that none of the teachers who had served under her went “cuckoo” despite being subjected to such cruelty day in and day out. It’s also a wonder how some of them could simply carry on for years and would simply forgive her all her trespasses against them. Why did they not get a transfer out? It’s not unlike the case of the abused wife. In the case of the abused wife at least it was understandable as there might be children to consider. The days of the abusive head of department are over with the timely retirement of Miss Cruella Richardson. If given a chance to turn back the clock, would she have acted differently? We are left to wonder. And wonder, indeed, we would.