C10 The Principal

“MAK Sir, M. Sc., M.Ed., Principal”. The name plate pronounced to the world in front of the principal’s chamber. The Peon sat on a stool beside the door looking bored. He stopped Mamatha as she was about to enter the chamber.

“I need to see the principal.” She said reining in her anger.

“Your name and reason?” he took out a note pad from his pocket and produced a pen. “Write it down.” She found his lack of manners very irritating but complied with his instructions. Since when did parents have to be ushered into the principal’s chamber? The peon went into the chamber and returned after five minutes.

“Wait there. Sir will see you in a few minutes.” He pointed to the chairs in the lobby. She sat in one of the hard, metal chairs assuming that the principal might be busy. The minutes turned into a few hours and yet, the principal was finding it difficult to see her. When the clock struck one, she couldn’t take it anymore.

She barged into the chamber fuming only to see no one there. She was shocked beyond belief. How could the principal vanish? She looked around to find a second exit. Obviously, he had used it to go out while she was waiting like a fool in the lobby. The peon was nowhere to be seen.

Had she come to the right school? She went around and couldn’t believe her eyes. There was not a single woman in the school except herself. What had happened to the female staff? Every class had a male teacher. Even the ladies staff room had been turned into a staff recreation room.

As she turned the corner to come back to the entrance, she saw the principal entering the lobby. He looked at her as if he were seeing her for the first time which was true. He raised his eyebrow as if questioning her presence in the school.

“I came to speak with you in the morning.”

“Mrs. Mamatha?”

“Yes.”

“Come with me.” He led her to his chamber again. “Sit.” He made himself comfortable in his chair. “Now tell me. Why did you want to see me?” the phone screamed like a man on fire. “Just a minute.” He lifted the phone and spoke for a few minutes while Mamatha sat wondering why he wasn’t cutting short his conversation.

“You see I have a lot of things to take care of.” He said in a patronizing tone which pissed her off.

“But definitely not so much that you can’t even listen to a parent!” she fumed.

“That is why I made time to see you. Tell me.” She was about to open her mouth when the peon came in with a slip. “Send them in.”

Two sturdy males came into the room and greeted the principal who returned the greeting very warmly. Perhaps they were relatives of his or VVIPs he couldn’t afford to offend. Mamatha forced herself to be patient as he spoke with the new guests on mundane matters totally ignoring her. Even the newcomers had not given any indication that they had seen her. It was as if she didn’t exist.

After half an hour he finally saw them off walking them till their car. He then disappeared into the school making her wait. By the time he was back in his seat had already been waiting for an hour. It was the most humiliating experience for her that she was facing for the first time in her life. The previous principal never wasted the time of the parents like this.

“Yes. You were saying something?” he asked as if nothing had happened. She finally burst out.

“Do you know how demeaning your attitude is? I can understand being busy but making a parent wait for hours? Its’ plain ridiculous!”

“What would a woman understand about men’s work? I ....”

“Stop patronizing me!”

“Send in your husband. I do not speak with females.”

“What!”

He pressed the buzzer. “Send her out!” he ordered the peon who had come in. “And next time tell that I will see only the male parents.” The peon looked at a red faced Mamatha. When he placed his hand on her shoulder, she slapped him. “How dare you touch me!” she got up and turned to the stunned peon. “Never touch a female parent ever again!” she warned him each word striking him like a bullet.

She suddenly felt her posterior burning. She turned back to see the principal pulling up the sleeves of his shirt getting ready to – to – was she imagining things, or did he really intend to do what she thought he would do?

Her questions were answered by a strong whack on her bottom from the principal’s hand leaving her butt on fire. To add to her discomfort, he pinned her down on his table and started spanking her like a five-year-old.

Tears of pain, humiliation, anger, helplessness etc., gushed from her eyes at the disgusting situation she found herself in.

“NEVER – EVER – MANHANDLE – MY – MEN. IS – THAT- UNDERSTOOD?” He screamed at her making her wince. “OR PERHAPS YOU WANT AN ALL-BARE SPANKING?”

“NOOOOO!” She shouted. “You will pay the price for this you asshole! Just you wait!” that brought a thunderous laughter from the monster who was in charge of an educational institution.

He released her and he looked at her in ridicule. “Ooooohhhh! I am soooo scared!!!” he said mocking her. “I am scared of a woman! Hahahahahaa! Did you hear that!” he fell on the floor rolling in mirth.

“Vinaasakaale vipareetha buddhi! (When the end is near, the brain stops working.)” She muttered as she walked out of the room. “Just you wait till you bite the dust you moron!”

She drove back to the girl's school, picked up her daughter, and drove back home. She didn’t speak a word till she had reached home. Even Sri Latha was quiet as she realized that her mom was in a murderous mood. She felt afraid of her mother for the first time in her life.