Big Ben

I read in the local obits that Ben Pillitary recently passed away.  It brought back a memory from Junior High School.  It was the early to mid seventies.  I don't remember what grade - perhaps 9th.  I remember sitting in Ms. Trussel's class.  I had a desk near the chalk board along the right wall of the room. I was leaning up against the chalkboard daydreaming.  I had no idea what the lesson was that day.  I was in another world.

I remember her calling out my name in a stern voice.  I guess I snapped-to the second time around. She was telling me to quit talking.  I told her politely that I wasn't talking.  She was convinced that I had been the one and insisted that I did.  I told her a second time that I wasn't talking.  No one around me was taking credit for the chatter and I had no defense.  Ms. Trussel, who was usually a very nice lady, got angry and said that I was lying.  I remained calm (but nervous) and replied that I wasn't lying.

"Yes you are David.  Come up here."

"I don't lie ma'am." I said as I stood up and approached her desk.

"Just be quiet and bend over my desk." she ordered.

All I could do at that moment was comply.  I leaned over her desk with the back of my blue jeans facing the class.  She took the wood paddle from her desk.  It was a paddle made by Mr. Bynum - the shop class instructor.  I believe he made the paddles for all teachers of General Forrest. It had holes drilled into it to assure a nice sting at impact.  Mr. Trussel gave me three solid whacks.

The bell started ringing as I straightened myself up.  I wasn't hurt as much by the sting as much as I was hurt by her not believing that I didn't lie to her.  I would've admitted to her that I was talking if I had actually been talking.  I felt unjustly accused and sentenced for something I knew I didn't do ~ and then called a liar to boot.

My classmates were still evacuating the room, headed to their next class. Another teacher walked into the room as the bell rang and started talking to Ms. Trussel.  Ms. Trussel started talking to her associate with her back turned to me.  I also saw that she had already placed the paddle back down on her desk.  I looked at the paddle and then at her prominent posterior.  Then without giving it much thought or of the consequences that would follow...I picked up her paddle gave her three solid wacks.

I placed the paddle on her desk and took off like Lee Harvey Oswald.  I briskly moved down the hall to my locker and then to my science class.  I chuckled at first, as I briskly moved down the hall.  The smile faded as the adrenaline rush ebbed and I started to think about what I had just done.  I began to sit there with an impending dread.  I sat waiting at my desk as student trickled in - eyes fixed at the loudspeaker over Ms. Cole's desk.

I knew that I was soon going to face the justice of Mr. Ben Pillitary.  Ms. Cole entered the room about the time my name blared over the intercom system.  My heart started pounding as I walked out of the classroom.  The pounding  seemed to get louder as I walked down the long dark hall to Mr. Pillitary's office.

I was nervous as hell.  I knocked on the door and I heard him firmly say "Come in."

Mr. Pillitary was sitting behind his desk giving me direct eye contact as I walked to the door and toward his desk.  Ms. Trussel stood behind Ben with her arms crossed and daggers coming out of her eyes.  I was scared and simply couldn't bear approaching the desk too close.  I could feel a lot of heat coming my way.  A reckoning was inevitable.

Ben wanted to know what happened. "Why did you HIT your teacher!"

"Well, I didn't 'hit' Mrs. Trussel.  I 'spanked' her."  I didn't say it sarcastically or in anger.  I was too scared to be angry.  I knew I was guilty.

He said, "NO. You HIT your teacher" 

"Yes sir." I replied.

"Why did you hit her?"

I told him the story.  I knew I was being honest about not lying to her and I knew that I deserved whatever punishment he had in store for me.

Ms. Trussel remained ensconced behind Mr. Pillitary - daggers still flying.

After I told my story he just looked at me for a minute in silence.  He was weighing the situation I suppose.  I didn't think there was anything at the moment to weigh.  I was waiting for him to pick up his paddle and tell me to bend over his desk.

He surprised me.

He swiveled his chair around and looked back to my angered teacher, "Mrs. Trussel, I've never known David to be dishonest.  I've never known him to be trouble maker.  I believe that he was trying to tell you the truth."
Ms. Trussel fixed glare on me turned to Mr. Pillitary in disbelief.  The Assistant Principal took the student's side.  I was still nervous and awaiting the paddle for 'hitting' my teacher.  Good old Mr. Ben Pillitary.  He told me to go back to class and don't ever do anything like that again.

I told Ms. Trussel that I was sorry but she remained silent.  Perhaps she was in shock.  I was also shocked. I apologized to Mr. Pillitary too.  I walked out the door and felt my legs shaking as I closed the door behind me and walk back down that long hall.  I was still shaking as I sat down at my desk.

I really deserved punishment that day - but I was given a reprieve.  The incident showed me that Ben was a good guy who could get to the bottom of the matter without necessarily using a paddle.

I have a great deal of respect for that man.

Thank you Ben. God speed.