CATALYST D

a story by

Dan Georgakas

The three men entered and sat behind the table directly in front of him: Mr. Martin from the Board of Education, Mr. Shaw from the Teachers' Federation, and Mr. Andrews from The Education Association. Martin began, "Mr. Farley, we regret some of the questions we'll be forced to ask, but you can be assured you'll receive every opportunity to clarify your conduct. Do you have any questions before we begin?"

"No."

"Don't be aggressive with them," Randolph Burns had counselled the night before. "Answer quietly and rapidly. It's better to make a mistake in details than to appear as if you're lying."

"Would you tell us how you first became acquainted with the boy?"

"I had seen Dwayne walking through the halls looking rather forlorn and helpless. One day I stopped him and asked if he would drop by my office after school."

"Is this customary, Mr. Farley?"

"That's rather difficult to answer. It's true most teachers wouldn't bother to do this sort of thing, but I've taken a special interest in that direction and I frequently ask students to come for conferences even if I don't see them in classes."

"Boys or girls, Mr. Farley?"

"Retain your poise," Randolph Burns had advised. "When they start the questions about women keep your voice at the same level as before."

"Both."

"Go on, please."

"Dwayne told me that he was living with foster parents and that after his graduation he wasn't sure what he was going to do. He said he wished to go to college but didn't have the money. He expressed feelings of loneliness and I detected a general air of insecurity in his speech."

"Did you report this interview to the boy's counselor?"

"Not at this time."

"What followed?"

I spent the next days checking on the boy's mental rating, his scholastic achievement, and his over all conduct since he's been in our system. I found nothing unusual. He was bright without being brilliant and there was nothing abnormal in his record anywhere. I decided to try to find a scholarship for him.' "Was this the total extent of your contact?"