Jacob Ross - Pynter Bender

‘Good. I’ll make you fire yourself then. You finish your business with me?’

‘No, sir.’ The man slipped his hand into his case and eased out a green notebook. He studied it for a moment. ‘Truancy is a punishable offence in, er, the, er,’ the notebook moved closer to his face, ‘in the case where parents have been informed and they persist in, er, withholding the subject of the enquiry from going to school.’

His father laughed. ‘Tell me, Bostin, what is de definition of truancy?’

‘Pardon me?’ Bostin wiped his brow.

‘Define truancy fo’ me.’ Manuel Forsyth was directing a kindly gaze in his direction.

Bostin folded the handerkerchief and dropped it on his lap. ‘I don’ wan’ no argument, sah! I jus’ doin my job, okay? Is confusion I tryin to avoid right now.’

‘Truancy occur in instances where – you lissenin?’

Missa Bostin nodded, sourly.

‘He lissenin, Pa,’ Pynter cut in gently.

‘Good! Truancy is when a child, for any kind o’ reason, decide not to go to school. An act of will on de part o’ de child. It imply an unwillingness to learn on the part o’ de child – a voluntary act of self-deprivation. You agree?’

‘I hearin you.’

‘Well, let me inform you that Pynter don’t need to go to no school. It is I who decide not to send ’im.’

‘Can you say that again?’

‘Pa, he writing down what you say in a lil green book.’

‘Let ’im write! I got a lot more for Mister Bostin to write down. I hope your book big enough. Tell dem fools who send you that de purpose of schoolin is to learn – to be educated. It don’t have no other reason for goin to school. Now once I kin prove dat Pynter here is not missing out on his education, you don’t have no case in a court of law against me. In fact, I would like for you to take me to court so’z I kin make a fool of every single one of you. Then I will take y’all to court for taking me to court and causing me a whole heap of stress I didn ask for. You out of place to come here in my house and call my child a truant. What I really want to know is who report me to you. Who do it?’

‘I cannot expose that, sir.’

‘I hope to God dat is not who I think it is. Pynter, get me the Bible. You a believer, Bostin?’

‘A regular churchgoer and a family man, sir.’

‘Well, listen to the boy read and be blessed at de same time. C’mon, Pynter – Matthew, chapter uh, lemme see, seven. Yep! Matthew, chapter seven – start from verse three.’

Pynter took the book and threw the man a sympathetic glance. He began to read. ‘“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?”’

‘Skip verse four,’ his father said. ‘Jump to five and six.’

‘“Thou hypocrite,”’ Pynter continued, ‘“first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.”’

‘Good.’ Manuel Forsyth smacked his lips. ‘You see my boy can read and with feeling besides.’

Mister Bostin pulled out his handkerchief and sopped his forehead. He gave Pynter a hard sideways glance. ‘You numerate?’

‘Yes, he kin count,’ Manuel Forsyth said.

Mister Bostin turned the back of his right hand towards his face and examined his fingers. The nails were cut very low, except the little finger, which sprouted a long and curving outgrowth that he was clearly proud of.

‘Well, I’m reasonably satisfied that he’s doing something. I must refer the matter, though. A daily diet of the Bible may be just the, er, thing – morally, that is – but to school the boy must go. That’s what my job dictate.’

‘You mean, I waste all this time arguing with you?’

The man got up. For the first time he smiled. Pynter was surprised at the brightness of it. ‘That’s for you to decide, sir.’

‘I’ll fight every one o’ you in court.’

‘You’ll hear from me, Mister Forsyth. Follow me, boy.’

‘Half-edicated jackass.’

Pynter looked quickly at the man and then back at his father. His lips were moving angrily. Bostin paused as if he were about to say something. He thought better of it and tiptoed out of the bedroom.

The man turned to face Pynter on the steps. His voice was almost a whisper. ‘Talk the truth now, lil fella, you really want to go on like that? The truth!’

‘For now.’

‘You sure?’

‘Yup.’

‘How come?’

‘Iz all he got right now.’

The man nodded. ‘How old you say you is?’

‘I didn say how old I is. I almos’ ten.’

‘Ten?’

‘Almos’.’

‘Ten, you say?’

‘Yup, ten. Almos’.’

‘Look, son, it have a lot more, er, there is much more to school than reading books and counting fingers. You got to go to school, y’unnerstan?’

‘Pa say I don’t have to.’

‘What you going to do when he gone?’

‘He not going nowhere.’

‘Everybody got to go somewhere. He ought to be preparing you for that.’

‘Don’ unnerstan.’

‘S’all right. Tell me, where’s your modder?’

‘Home.’

‘Home where?’

‘Where she live.’

He pulled a page out of his notebook and wrote quickly.

‘Give this to her. It got my name, place of employ and the name of the person – Miss Lucas, the headmistress in Saint Divine Catholic School. Come September, I want her to take you to that school and give this paper to her. It got to be September. Or you’ll miss your chance.’

‘What chance?’

‘The one I would have given my eye teeth for. Promise me you going give her.’

‘Okay.’

‘Come September, I’ll be checking up on you pussnally.’

‘Who call you to come here – Miss Maddie?’

Mister Bostin rested puzzled eyes on him. ‘S’far as I could tell, ’twasn’t a woman. He say that you his uncle.’

Department of Education Division of the Ministry of Internal and Related Affairs San Andrews 12th July 1965

Mr. Manuel Forsyth

Upper Old Hope

Parish of Old Hope San Andrews

Dear Sir, This is to confirm our conversation at your residence on May 15th of this year in which you stated your decision to keep your son and minor …

‘Pa, what minor mean?’

‘Go on, read the letter.’

… your son and minor Pynter Bender from school. After much deliberation I have decided …

‘He decide! Who he think he is?’

I have decided that it is not in the best interest of the child in question to be exposed solely to the literature available at your residence .

‘He goin to burn in hell fo’ that. Condemning God word!’

In view of the above observation and consistent with the powers vested in me, Jonathan Uriah Bostin, Schools Inspector, San Andrews Division of the Associated State and its environs …

‘If fancy title was money, he would be a rich man. Read that part again fo’ me!’

‘It long!’

‘Read it, boy!’

In view of the above observation …

‘Pure wind! Fart – that’s what it is. Read de rest fo’ me.’

… I have agreed with the relevant authority to enrol the minor, Pynter Bender …

‘Pa, what’s a minor?’

‘You.’

‘What it mean?’

‘A lil boy.’

‘And how you call a lil girl?’

‘A minor. Finish de letter, child!’

… to enrol the minor, Pynter Bender, in the Saint Divine Catholic …