The Ghost of her Smile

The Ghost of her Smile

Her name was Susan Moore, but everyone called her “the weird girl of class D.” Class 12 D was the only class in Liberty High School that had the section D. Liberty high school was one of the most recommended and the most prestigious school in the country and  Mrs. Pritchard; the principal was a perfectionist and was an addict of order. The 20 acre of school was always spotless and in perfect order and Mrs. Pritchard would accept only a certain number of students. She would look for students who were not only smart but who could also afford to attend the school.  It was that year that the school administrator had a miscalculation of the admission of the new students. More students than the usual expected number was admitted to the school, so to Mrs. Pritchard utter disappointment one of the empty storage room had to be changed into a new classroom for the incoming new third years. Class D stuck out like a sore thumb in the school especially when the assembly conducted every Wednesday. While students of first and second year were lined up in a neat three lines, the third years had four lines and Class D was placed on the far end of the hall.

Class D didn’t belong to the school, it was not meant to be there and so was Susan Moore. Susan was different from her fellow mates. The students would come in the best tailored uniform while Susan wore an old and faded one.  More or less all the students knew each other’s family status based on Finance, but Susan never talked to anyone. While the other students gossiped and bragged about the new gadgets, jewelries and the exotic places that they have been too, Susan smiled. She always smiled as if she knew a hidden secret she wasn’t allowed to tell. No one knew her family and presumed that she was neither brainy nor rich and so, she was a social outcast.

 The girls would snide on her about how she was humiliating the school and everywhere that she went she would hear cruel comments on her hair, her dress and her smile. They would call her awful names but she would not say anything and would keep on smiling every day.

The other students of Class D hated Susan as they blamed her for their class being a reject. Not only did they have problem about their class but having a strange girl with them made it worse.

One day, Katy Donne, daughter of one of the famous surgeon, who was also a student of class D came up with a solution to ease the class burden. She suggested driving Susan away from the school by giving her a hard time, most of the student agreed to this sinister plan as most of them were snobs and status was what they treasured. They were already angry having to attend a class that was created out of inconvenience, but having humiliated by having a ‘nobody’ in their class was crossing the line for them.

The next day at school when Susan opened her locker, she found all her books dripping with blue paint. She looked around her and found no one there who looked suspicious or anyone who looked sympathetic; everyone ignored her and went on like she was invisible. Six of her class mates hid behind the locker at the end of the row, watching as their plans unfolded. They snickered at Susan’s horrified face as she tried to wipe off the paint off her books. After several unsuccessful tries she dumped her books in the garbage bin.

Susan was scolded the whole day by the teachers for not bringing her books and she only said “sorry sir” or “sorry Mam” over and over again in her timid voice. That day Susan lost a little of her smile but she did not give up coming to the school and neither did her classmates on torturing her.

Next as Susan was passing along the hall, the boys quickly poured a bucket full of water on her from the upper balcony and ran away laughing. Tears mixed with water ran down her cheeks. As she couldn’t go to the class wet, she stayed outside the whole day waiting for the sun to dry off her clothes. She got another scolding for tardiness from the teachers. Day by day the tricks grew worse, Susan lost a little of her smile bit by bit but she would come to the class every day no matter what.

Katy Donne and her gangs finally gave up and by that time Susan also gave up her smiles. When there was only two weeks for the annual exam, Susan was not sitting at her usual desk or the day after. Susan continued to miss classes and everyone assumed that she had quit school because of the jokes played on her. They forgot about Susan as all the student got ready for their annual exam.

It was after the exam that the Principal called onto the students and teachers for a special assembly. There was confusion in the hall as everybody tried to guess what the assembly was for until they saw Thomas Moore. Thomas Moore was the business tycoon running the T & S Company, the most successful business company in the country.

“He must be here to give us a special talk…….”

“It’s the first time I have seen him in person……..”

Whisper and talks filled the hall.

Mrs. Prichard got up the podium and addressed the mass; she looked critically through her half moon spectacle.

“Good morning students, first I would like to congratulate you all for successfully finishing your exam without any mishaps. Now everyone must be wondering why we are gathered here today. Some of you must be aware that a student, Susan Moore have not been attending Liberty and I regret to inform you that Miss Susan Moore passed away due to heart failure on the night of November 10th. It is a great tragedy to have hit this School and her father, Mr. Thomas is here on behalf of his daughter to share with you all what she might not have said.”

Mrs. Pritchard went aside; there was a whispered discussion as everyone tried to remember who Susan Moore was. As ‘ the weird girl of class D’ was mentioned everyone was swept away by mixed emotion, they were surprised that she was the daughter of a very successful and important person and they were also embarrassed remembering how they had treated her. They were sure that Mr. Moore was going to scold them for treating Susan badly but they couldn’t make out his expression as he was wearing a pair of Ray Ban sun glasses.

The hall grew silent as Mr. Moore approached the podium; he took off his glasses and looked up at the audience. What the crowd witnessed was the ghost of Susan’s smile.

“Dear student, as your principal had said I am here on behalf of my daughter who had recently passed away and she must have left things unsaid and I would like to deliver them...... Thank you very much…”

He paused for a moment to steady himself, confusion reflected on every face of the audience.

“Susan…Susan loved her school. She would come back every day from her school smiling and would tell me everything about her day. She was happy that she got a chance to attend the school that her late mother had once attended …… “he laughed slowly, ” she even insisted on wearing her mother’s old uniform. But she might have already told some of you that, she used to say that she had so many friends. I thank you for bringing her so much happiness. She might not have said anything about her disease; she doesn’t like it when others worry about her. She had a weak heart since she was young and the doctor advised her to stay home but it was her wish to attend Liberty. I remember her first day at school and she was excited but also nervous and she kept on asking “what should I do Dad? What should I do?” and I remember telling her to just be herself and smile. She left school with a beautiful smile on her face, I was so proud of her. Thank you for keeping that smile on her face.”