Chapter 4: Welcoming Death

It was still early morning, just after nine o’clock when Ella and her mother return home from her school in Forthsea. And now, they were both back in their community of Duckens Field. And as the crammed vehicle which mother and daughter traveled in stopped, Ella jumped from the minivan with lighting speed, began running as if, she had lost her marbles after forcing her fare into the driver’s hands.

Frighten to see this young girl strange reaction, the driver shouted out at her; “Miss, what’s the matter with you?”

But Ella didn’t stop to look back and explain her predicament to the driver; because there was no time for that, plus, danger was very near… coming through the front door of the vehicle. Because, she was absolutely certain that her mother was going to give her a fine ass whopping on the side of the streets just as soon as she exited the vehicle.

“How long do you think you are going to run for; forever?”

Ms. Nella shouted after she too had paid her fare to the driver and had eased down to pick up two large stones from off the ground. Stones which she wouldn’t release from her hands until after she had arrive to her house and set both feet on the little wooden veranda. Because, by then, there was no point in hunting down Ella for a spanking, since it was time for her to leave out for work… work which she was already quite late for, because she had to attend the meeting at Ella’s school.

However, the swearing a cussing didn’t completely stop until Ms. Nella had gotten herself dressed into her working uniform and out the door of her house for work. But before leaving the house for work, Ms. Nella did blow the alarm out to Ella’s hearing that she wasn’t done with her as yet.

Hiding against the scanty set of shrubs beside the fence and leading towards the riverside, Ella watched her mother until she left out of the house. And as she began walking to the opposite side of the yard taking her towards the main road in the direction of where her workplace was located, Ella made her way back into the yard and got herself undressed out of her school clothing.

Her plan was to do as much as she could around the house before her father return home from work which he was already pulling a double shift. Once again, hoping that such would ease the bicycle brakes from her ass when her parents returned home from work. She already knew that her father would be home by around eleven o’clock, twelve o’clock the latest. Therefore, she needed to get as much work done around the house as soon as possible, so she could find someplace quiet, comfortable and less detecting to hide herself when the entire family had returned home from work or school. Although, her father would be home before everyone else.

And as Ella did the washing of the dishes, the cleaning of the floors, the folding of the laundry, and also the sweeping for the yard; a very big year at that, and she also carried out the cooking for the entire family. Meanwhile doing all this work, she started contemplating about where in the yard it was very safe for her to hide and stay secured when her parents were home from work.

Standing in the boiling sun she washed all the dishes using the bar of acid soap which usually strip the skin from her hands and leave large gaps of open wounds on her hands. Because, the harsh effects of the acid soap was much easier on her hands now, because she had come up with an invention to rectify the problem of this soap damaging her hands. So with both her hands bounded with pieces of cloth and tied into old plastic bags that were previously used for storing bread, sugar or rice. Ella lathered each plate, utensil and pots and also their covers with the brown piece of acid soap, rinse them off into fresh water and carefully place them for draining and drying.

Finishing with the dishes and the pots, she then went to focus her attention on the floors. Kneeling down on both knees, sometimes one and wiping away the heavy dirt from the entire floors before polishing it with the red Jeannie Wax Polish which came into a square plastic bag which gave of a squeaky sound. And as soon as Jeanie was partially dry, Ella would stuff a piece of cloth under both knees and manually scrub each piece of wood with her coconut brush until they were all bright as a sun dial.

The same efforts Ella had given to the floors of her mother’s house were the same exact efforts she had given to the entire yard as well. Sweeping all four counters of the yard and removing all the debris and dragging them close to the dispenser for burning. Completing her task with the cleaning of the yard, she was now onto the dirty laundry and the clean ones as well. Folding and packing away whatever was already clean and scrubbing clean with her bare hands all those clothes that were dirty and waiting to be washed.

It was not close to twelve o’clock in the afternoon, and Ella knew that her father would be stepping inside their house any moment now. She also knew, he hadn’t receive the news of her misbehaving and being suspended from her school as yet. And he wouldn’t obtained such information until her mother returned home from work and brief him on such. Therefore, there was no need for her to dodge and hide from him just now. But she hoped that he would see her good deeds – her work around the house and pardon her, for what she knew, he was capable of doing to her.

Rocking her brain, trying to figure out what she could do next to make her punishment lighter, Ella decided to put the pot on the fire and start cooking dinner for the entire family. And with her father being in the house any minute now, he would be one of the first to taste her hand, after coming home from work doing a triple shift and bone tired.

“He will appreciate a hot meal and some cool lemonade after stepping inside this house!”

Ella thought.

Soon, she place the large dinner pot on the stove, half it with water, and fired up the stove to start with her cooking.

Observing the water boiling, Ella place all the food kind such as yam, dumplings and other ground provision into the boiling water for cooking. And moments later, she was stripping down dry fish, cutting and dicing onions, tomatoes, and garlic to create a stew… a stew that neither her mother nor father would ever forget about; she thought.

And just as she was about to slice the limes into half for making the lemonade, the dangling of a bell went off in the air. It was the bell from her father’s bicycle which had startled Ella for a moment.

“Holy Jerusalem, he is home already!”

Ella mumbled to herself as she try making the lemonade before he entered into the house.

Her father Christopher was still fumbling around outside with the shrubs, the banana suckers; probably counting them, and the weak areas of the fencing.

Quickly, Ella began checking the pot of food once again, to see if they were already cooked. And from the look of things, they were. Because the bubbling hot water seem quite creamy from the starch.

Now, the two most important person’s plate had to be filled with food and their cups with cold sweet lemonade, according to Ella’s plan. Even thought, her mother wouldn’t be coming home from work anytime soon.

Not even taking notice of the sparkling shine floors, Ella’s father stepped into the house with his muddy shoe; leaving clumps of mud on the floors she had clean moments ago. An undertaking which had made Ella squirm inside, but she knew what she was up against so with a pleasant face, she kept her mouth shut.

“Good afternoon, Dada!”

Ella said; not happily or sadly, but somewhere in between.

And especially since the bicycle brakes was a constant reminder of fixing and finding solution to any and every problem, much smiling wasn’t encouraged in or around the Bradshaw household.

He wasn’t expecting to see her or anyone else inside the home, so instead of responding to her greetings her father ask with a serious face;

“I thought you were supposed to be at school this hour of the day?”

Ella’s heart leaped inside her chest, as she tried thinking of a quick lie to tell her father.

Nervous, sweating and fumbling for words, she finally spoke.

“Teacher said I should take the day off!”

Ella replied.

“Your teacher tell you to take the day off!”

Her father retorted sternly.

“Well, it’s must be that you are too duns and not taking learning or you have catch a belly, for your teacher to tell you to take the day off from school! But if you catch a belly, just know that it won’t be raising up inside this house!”

Ella’s father grumbled while turning the key into his bedroom door and entering it.

The beating in Ella’s heart grew stronger and stronger. And now she wasn’t quite sure, if she should run and hide, or stick around until her mother came home from work and indulge her father with shameful and frightening news.

Finding courage from some unknown place within herself, her soul, her mind, Ella walked to the doorway of her father’s bedroom and boldly spoke to him. It was a boldness she didn’t realize was within her nor had she spoken it intentionally. But, her father recognize that it wasn’t the normal tone in which his daughter usually spoke to him or her mother; as she said to him.

“Dada, I have cooked and dish out your plate, so when you’re ready, you can come and eat if you want to.”

Ella statement had her father pausing for a moment, and gazing at her eye to eye as turn to make her way back into the kitchen.

But, were Ella’s words said to be offensive to her father, or was her voice tone just maturing?

The poor young girl was now in a state of shock and confused as she listened to her own father talking to himself, about how he was going to be knocking out her teeth from her mouth and disfiguring her face.

“What have I said that was wrong or disrespectful to him?”

Ella questioned herself.

Now her worrying began growing stronger and all that she wanted to do was to find a quiet place to rest her mind and body; fearing that she was becoming delusional. Because, she was very clueless about what in her words were triggering her father’s response. A response that was warning her to watch her damn mouth whenever speaking to him.

Barely eating anything form the pot, she had just cooked, Ella, went and barricade herself under the bed she and the rest of her sibling were sleeping on each night. Scooting herself all the way to the walls of the house, placing three of the large washing pan in front of her; so she wouldn’t be easily detected by anyone searching for her. Whether it was for sending her to the store since it was Friday evening and she was often requested to do such. Or, the moment had come for giving her that acrimonious flagging on her beautiful caramel skin.

Lying on the floors under the bed went on for hours. All of the other Bradshaw children came home from school, eaten the dinner their sister had cooked for them, took their wash under the shower and gotten themselves dress for bed. And yet still, there were no signs of Ella in the company of her brothers or sister. But her return of their mother from work that Friday evening shed the light on why their sister was totally absent from the living room or available for her mother to send her grocery shopping.

“Chris, you’re the one who had done the cooking?”

Ms. Nella asked her common-law husband.

“No, I wasn’t the one who had done the cooking, it was the one Miss Ella!”

Christopher replied.

The mention of Ella’s name had caused a stirring of vexation on Ms. Nella face and now she was ready to divulge to her father what had transpired at the school with her today. While still biting into the dumplings that Ella’s hand had kneeled and cooked for the entire family.

The dumplings and the stew salt-fish, poking at one side of her jaw, Ms. Ella spoke, ready to tell her Ella’s father of her wrong deeds.

“Mr. Christopher!” Ms. Nella said angrily, “You will have to do something about that pickny name, Ella. You understand me!?”

The words of his common-law wife had jolted Christopher from his state of dosing off, and had him displaying seriousness upon his face, as his eyes pop wide open while he began inquiring about what their child had done wrong.

“What did she do?”

Ella’s father asked.

“She gave me a letter of suspension from the school yesterday, and when I went there early this morning, both the principal and the vice principal informed me that she is misbehaving at the school every single day. And not only that! When they gave her a letter two days ago, she brought some chines man at the school and telling them that he is her uncle and my brother… me who is black like a pork skillet and don’t have an ounce of chines in my blood!”

Ms. Nella divulge while chewing into more of the ground foods that Ella had so nicely prepared.

“I can bet you, when I box out all the teeth from her mouth and she starts walking around looking like a toothless Adahsa, she will stop with her foolishness and start behaving her damn self!”

Ella’s father commented angrily.

“Why are we bothering to send her to school anyways? She should be at home cooking, washing and cleaning for the entire household, so when she reach of age for a man, she will know how to do those things… wash, cook and clean for whomever the man who take her up! Because, she is not learning not one single thing at the school and all that money spent for sending her there, is only going to damn waste!”

Ella’s father continued to rant.

“Do you really think in these days, any man wants a woman for only her domestic skills... washing cooking, ironing his clothing and keeping his house spick and spank?”

Ms. Nella lashed out, almost choking, while still biting and chewing at her evening meal.

“You can continue to waste your money on her, but I won’t! Not even a single of my hard working penny is going towards her!”

Christopher Bradshaw spoke condemningly.

Soon Ms. Nella reflected on the conversation that had taken place inside of the principal office and somehow realize that they hadn’t really tell her what Ella had done wrong, away from bringing this Chines Rasta Man to the school and claiming him to be her uncle. Because, if being late for school was the wrong Ella had done, then she wasn’t the only one walking through those gates of the school few minutes after the recommended time. And as far as she could tell, the other students who were late for school weren’t getting any punishment or being suspended for being unpunctual.

But like most of the parents in those days, with the basic education or no form of learning at all, Ms. Nella saw teachers or anyone working in any official position as little lords. And whatever they uttered, whether it be wrong or right, they would be held on high esteem or place on favorable grounds.

Now that Ella’s father was strongly threatening to stop spending money on her for an education, her mother knew that she had to say something positive on Ella’s behalf which would put her in the smallest amount of favor with her father once more. And playing the hypocrite she cleared her throat and spoke.

“I really don’t understand what Ella had done wrong at school away from bringing that Rasta Man and saying the he is her uncle… not of the principals had told me what had cause them to give her the very first letter before she brought the Rasta Man there!”

Ms. Nella spoke loudly for her common-law husband to hear.

Both parents were now baffling with thoughts with what Ella had actually done wrong at her school warranting her a suspension.

Few minutes later, her father asked;

“Did you ask Ella, what had transpired at the school for them to kick her out until you show up there?”

“I threw stones at her today until my hands hurt and I was tired. And she kept on crying and saying, she didn’t misbehave… she hadn’t done anything wrong!”

Ms. Nella replied.

Still under the bed hiding, anticipating what would be her final beat-down taking her home to glory, Ella keenly listed to everything both her parents were saying to each other. Much of it had startled her almost to death and had her heart pumping into her throat while some of what they were conversing about had granted her a little hope of returning to school. Since, she recognized that her heartless mother was soon picking sense out of nonsense.

But would Ella Bradshaw ever escape this constant badgering being carried out by these school officials and the physical abuse being done by her own parents?

Where could Ella possible run for help in such a remote place where her professors, parents and protectors were her abusers?

However, still consumed with fear, Ella spent the rest of the entire night under the bed with the washing pans used as a barrier to any intruders or for alerting her that danger was upon her.

True to her suspicious feelings, bright and early Saturday morning, after awaking from his night of sleeping, Christopher went into the children’s bedroom and began turning over the bed like he was a stark lunatic. Angrily looking for Ella, ready to change her beautiful caramel skin into dark unpasteurized – untreated molasses. Not finding her under the bed where the girls lay their heads to rest, her father began moving around the bed that the boys slept on. And when he hadn’t found her there, he grew even madder and began spilling out swearing words which had everyone inside the house filled with fear and trembling. Including his common-law wife, Ms. Nella.

Christopher filled with rage, was now out in the backyard searching for Ella at every place that he possible thought that she could be hiding. Somehow, keen in her wit and wisdom, Ella had gotten from under the bed where she was hiding very early, before the dust of dawn. She then went to finish the rest of her night’s sleep, in the out-house at the far end of the property; hoping that it would take quite a while before anyone ever detected that she was there. And just after searching high and low, and unable to find his daughter, Christopher Bradshaw finally made long strides towards the out-house, with all intentions of finding her there.

Yanking the wooden door several times, he realized that it was lock from the inside. Which had caused his anger to have grown worse. And now, Christopher practically began breaking down the strips of wood making up the door of the toilet, creating much needed privacy to its users. But, Ella was fast asleep. A deep sleep which allowed her to hear very little of the loud commotion that was taking place few steps away from her.

The doors to the, out-house, were completely gone now. And Ella was now being exposed to the eyes of man and that of nature. There she laid in the corner of the out-house, curled up like a cold puppy, on a large pile of old pieces of clothing that weren’t fit for wearing any longer, but which her mother had stored in the shit-house out in the backyard.

Her cheeks resting on clasps hands while her knees were bent; folding up to her chest and her eyes closed, looking like an innocent angelic creature fast asleep. Seeing the beauty of her resting there peacefully, would tell any kind heart and souls that this moment she wouldn’t desire to be disturbed. But not the man who held the bicycle brakes into his dominant hand and began whacking at her with all his might while spewing out words that he wanted to knock out the teeth she had fasten into her gum.

Many of her sibling sadly watching their own father, flagging their sister repeatedly with tremendous force, thought she was already dead. But it was around the seven whip across her face that she began twirling and shifting in her deep and sweet sleep. And with one blow down on her face opening up her lip, Ella eyes open and she realized what was actually happening to her. Severely beating his own child like Jesus before crucifying him to the cross, so were Ella’s gruesome treatment by her father’s hands.

Opening her eyes to blood and feeling one punch of pain coming at her, one after the other, Ella lay still under the whip and welcomed death.

It was the loud, boisterous and terrifying screams of passers-by that helped saved Ella. These strong hands of robust men who boldly intervene, kick-dropping her father and forcefully pining him to the ground while one of them scoop up Ella from off the floors of the small toilet and carried her to one of the neighbor’s house for safety. Because, no one knew what would have happen to her if her father broke from the hands restraining him.

So dreadful and frightening was the atmosphere that her own five siblings were still standing there in total shock, too dumbstruck to open their mouths and say a word. Not even “Papa stop!” could have come from their trembling lips. Because, they were so very fearful that this extreme punishment would be their fate as well, if they yelled for their father to cease from hitting their sister.

“For heaven’s sake, why did he have to do her like that?” Was the cry of one man; “The child is only a teenager and just trying to know herself.”

“If he can do this to his beautiful daughter, what would he do to mine, who doesn’t take talking not even from God?”

Another man said as he gazed down at Ella’s father under the feet of approximately four or five men.

“He is too wicked… father or not, his ass should be thrown into jail!”

A woman uttered vexingly.

Crowd was gathering in the backyard to carry out what seems like a fair dose of jungle justice.

Seeing the heated temperature of the crowd quickly gathering in the back of her yard, Ms. Nella panic and began crying out for help to save her common-law husband. But, her attempt to save him was quickly rebutted by the unsympathetic ears of bold women, young and old, who wanted her to face some of the whip-lashing as her husband was about to receive.

And just like Ms. Nella had played the hypocrite game few hours ago, to get her husband to have some interest in seeing Ella return to school. She was now playing that same hypocritical game to save him.

“Who is going to feed my six hungry belly pickny, when their father is dead and gone?”

Ms. Nella bawl, whale and yell!

“You don’t know how that picky name Ella is bad… she curse off the teachers at her school and brought a chines man there, and telling the teachers that he is her uncle… look at me; do I look like chines to any of you here?”

She continued proclaiming seeking the crowd’s mercy.

Couple more moments of diminishing and defaming the reputation of her daughter Ella. Ms. Nella, began receiving the compassion, consideration and caring heart and minds that she was nervously seeking after by most persons who were standing in the middle of her backyard.

Nonetheless, quite a few persons still believed and hope for her to get a brutal and proper beat-down.

“How can she stand by and let the child father do something like this to her… beating her to a pulp?”

One woman murmured.

“What if we hadn’t come by here and intervene; that child would be dead and then what would they have to tell the law?”

Another complained.

Shortly afterwards, the men holding Christopher forcefully to the ground began removing themselves from top of him one by one. And now he was much calmer than before and looking all around him as though he was a fish out of water… totally confused.

Being liberated from the physical pressure that he was under by the five stranger and receiving the looks of disdain from one person’s face to the next, made him realize what terrible deed he had done to his own daughter. And now he was unsure of what the angry mob standing in his own backyard was going to do to him, he began showing much remorse and sorrow on his face, but not a single tear came from his eyes. Because, this was just his temperament, and he could not stop himself from viciously beating any of his children, boy or girl, once he gotten a hold on them, unless or until, someone intervene.

Cautiously, Christopher made his way into his house through the backdoor with his eyes dancing at the crowd waiting in and around his yard, anticipating that someone might just take a leap forward and attack him. Thankfully, he had only received the blunt of their gazes, and so slowly, he took several backward steps into his house hoping to make it inside there alive.

Luckily for Ella, she was still breathing and receiving good care by the hands of her neighbor who had warmed water on her stove for bathing the swelling on her face and busted lip. Soon afterwards she fed her with bread dipped into warm milk sweetened with sugar and encouraged her to get some rest shortly after she was done.

Peacefully resting inside the house of her neighbor’s which Ella was extremely grateful for, she still was overcome with worry. And there she remain for the next five to six days recuperating from some of the bruises and soreness she was experiencing all over her body. But after the pasting of one week and Ella started feeling better, her mother showed up at the neighbor’s door steps, simply to remind her daughter that she should get into her school uniform and return to school. And although badly bruised, wearing a distorted facial structure and still in pain, Ella obeyed.

But upon missing from the grounds of her school for a week, would this poor and innocent young girl, still be antagonized – be provoke by the school’s vice principal?

Having eyes cocked, twisted and looking like an image of some badly disease eye. Face slanted, skin filled with whales, bruises, and black and blue, Ella showed up to her Forthsea Secondary School to attend her eight grade classes. And not long after, stepping onto her school compound of the learning institution, bright and early Monday morning, Mrs. Crassman, like a black monkey, soon started climbing onto Ella Bradshaw’s back. And not only was she climbing on the back of this student, she was also pulling at every strand of hair on the top of her head.

“Ella Bradshaw, you have missed one week of school… now make it snappy and get to class!”

The vice principal lashed out at the wounded student.

Ella was in total fear and thought that Mrs. Crassman was going to reprimand her once again for being late for school, although she was quite early for the devotional session.

Her harassment was coming from the very top and other teachers seeing Ella being constantly demeaned by this figure of authority would often turn a blind eye to the matter, because this very mean spirited vice principal was their boss as well. Experiencing trouble both at home and at her place of schooling, Ella kept silent about the matter.

Would someone ever jump in and stand up for Ella?

Few months past and Ella Bradshaw tried her very best to reach school and all of her classes early every morning, during this time. Although, Mrs. Crassman, made it a point of her duty throughout this period, to find something hurtful to say to Ella Bradshaw that would sometimes crush her spirit for an entire day and at other times, even for a week.

But she was feeling stronger now and the annual sport function for the school was around the bend. And just like the devil working on Ella’s behalf, her and Mrs. Crassman was placed inside the very same house that formed their sport team at the school. And even with that knowledge, no kindness was granted to the student who remained quiet throughout her abusive ordeals.

The sport teams were gathering in one of the very large classroom on the second floor of the school premises to discuss strategic plans and vision for the team.

Students talking over each other and giggling while entering the large auditorium.

Ella knowing her luck kept her lips sealed together the entire time as she slowly made her way into the very large room where all the students were gathering.

And there at the wide open doors of the auditorium where students were rushing to get inside and find themselves a comfortable seat, stood Mrs. Crass with her whipping cane looking for something unpleasant to say to Ella Bradshaw.

But neither was she the only one standing there.

Her husband, Mr. Crassman, a wonderful teacher of music and religious education was standing there as well.

Ella was a student of his and did very well in his class, and she also brought home the musical festival trophy for folk songs which was conducted and taught by him.

And while standing at the doors of the auditorium waiting her turn to enter, Ella Bradshaw and Mrs. Crassman eyes met four; and she spared no moment to inject the young student with her poisonous words. But as soon as Mrs. Crossman opened her mouth to throw her words of affliction on Ella, her husband quickly jumped in and sack it to her… shut her up!

He was pissed and probably she had never seen her husband this annoyed by her before. And even though, he was also a reverent at one of the largest Baptist Churches in town and considered to be a very quiet and holy man, his wife’s constant badgering of his bright innocent student, Ella Bradshaw, had made him lose his cool and decent character. Probably, he even had forgotten where exactly he was or the very important occupation he held. Because, he began addressing his wife by her first name and uttering many profanities in front of all the students standing there and other of his teaching colleagues as well.

“Christine, why the fuck you don’t stop harassing this child… every fucking day is the same thing with you and her!”

Mr. Crassman lashed out at his wife.

“She is standing right next to me and I don’t hear her open her mouth and say a word or had instigated any mischief; but yet still, you calling her name and telling her to be quiet!”

The vice principal husband continued.

Immediately, Mrs. Crassman placed a zip on her lips, drop her hand with the cane held tightly in it, and refrain from saying a word to Ella Bradshaw for the rest of the afternoon. But she had eyes, and constantly she would be seen using them to gaze upon this poor student with threatening and intimidated look and also with much disdain. While many of the teachers and other student hearing the vice principal’s husband proclamation, stood and stared in shock – in so much great disbelieve.

They just couldn’t believe what they were hearing coming from the mouth of the man whom everyone respected, looked up to, and greatly admired his sweet and gentle demeanor. Because, he was such a well-groomed man and very soft spoken at all times. Gentle and patient in his approach to every one of his students and always held the attention of approximately thirty students in a state of interest and the desire to know more of whatever he was teaching them.

The time had now shifted from afternoon to evening and the house meeting was now over and done with. And just as the hall was about to be emptied and many of the students were going through the wide open doors of the auditorium that Mrs. Crassman backed Ella into a corner of the room and said another word to her. To the same student whom she would continuously belittle and ridicule and had her husband losing his cool because of her persistent nagging and harassment of the young lady. Often times, in front of her peers and at other times, the entire school.

And while glancing from the corner of her eyes, making sure, her husband wasn’t in close range, the vice principal bellowed out these words to Ella Bradshaw.

“All these years since I have been married, my husband has never spoken to me like this before!” The Vice Principal said angrily; “And because of you, Ella Bradshaw, he has openly insulted me in front of my staff… other teachers, and your fellow students! But you let it be known right here and now, as long as I’m working here in this school as vice principal, I have nothing more to say to you, good or bad; you hear me! Not even good morning, I want to hear from you, Ella Bradshaw!”

Having those words expressed to this very impressionable teenage girl, Christine Crassman stayed truthful to those very words which she had just spoken to the student; never uttering another word to Ella Bradshaw again, for months.

Nonetheless, Mrs. Crassman evil behavior continued in a different manner. Continuously, she would be rolling her eyes and then cutting them at Ella, whenever they would encounter each other in any of the common areas around the school compound. Such as the canteen lines or walking the length of the corridors. A behavior which would made this student feel both sad and bad inside. But with the many frivolous and naughty comments from some of Ella’s friends and peers at the school, she soon began turning her sad and depressing emotions into laughter.

Especially, when and after, Frank Baily, a very tall handsome boy in Ella’s class whom she liked, stood up and openly said to the vice principal husband, Mr. Crassman;

“Hey, Teach, it’s time you stop quoting these scriptures to us and start paying more attention to banging your miserable wife, so she stop harassing and intimidating my girl Ella!”

It was a statement which no doubt had the entire classroom of teenagers, cracking up with laughter and put a smirk on the face of the sweet humble teacher; Mr. Crassman.

Still with a grin on his handsome face, appeasing his student, Mr. Grassman responded:

“I’ll do just that… a matter of fact, starting tonight!”

It was a response which had the entire classroom in an uproar of laughter and the high-fiving of many of the boys began. None of the students at all were expecting such a settling response from their religious education teacher. But were more looking forward to him becoming agitated, declaring a suspension or give some form of a disciplinary action or statement. Or, even throwing Frank Baily out of the classroom all together.

Needless-to-say, the outburst of laughter was quite refreshing for both students and teacher alike. Moments later, however, with much dignity and respect being displayed, Mr. Crassman resumed to teaching his students in an orderly manner. But outside of classrooms where life was more than cold, impiety, impishness and iniquity still lingered around in the life of sweet Ella Bradshaw.