“Throw A Rock At Connie!” (Part 2 of 2)

Mr. Holmes, the principal, was close to retirement. He always spoke softly, except for the few times when he was really mad. Well I stood before Mr. Holmes. He spoke softly to me. (That was a relief.) “Billy, it is very dangerous to throw rocks at people. You could have taken out that girl’s eye.”
“I know,” I said, my head hung in shame.
“Don’t you ever do this again.”
“Yes, Mr. Holmes.”
Then he told the safety patrol kids to release me, but to make sure
I got back to my class.
They walked me to my class muttering to themselves that I should have gotten a harsher treatment. We got to my class and they escorted me to Mrs. Yeager’s desk. She said to the boys, “Thank you. I’ll take care of him now.”
I was glad the safety patrol was gone, but now I had to face Mrs. Yeager.
Mrs. Yeager was in her last year of teaching. She also spoke softly. She sat me in a chair by her desk. I didn’t dare look at the rest of the class. I knew they were probably hating me with their eyes.
Mrs. Yeager asked me, although she knew, “What did you do, Billy?”
“I threw a rock at Connie.”
“Why did you do that.”
“Alan told me.” I thought that would get me off the hook.
“Do you do everything Alan tells you to do?” If I wanted Alan to get the blame I had to say yes.
“Yes,” I said a bit defiantly.
Mrs. Yeager knew how to handle that kind of answer. “If Alan told you to chop off your head, would you do it?”
I paused a moment. She got me on that one.
“No,” I said, hanging my head in shame.
“I think you better tell Connie that you’re sorry for what you did. Don’t you?”
“Yes.”
The years have gone by and though I had many chances to tell Connie I was sorry, I have never told her so. Where ever you are now, Connie, I am sorry.

Coming Tomorrow: Sunrise Service