The Betrayal of Bindy Mackenzie (15 page)

A Memo from Bindy Mackenzie

 

Dear Try,
Thank you for your note full of ‘hope'. I didn't think it was ‘corny' or ‘lame' at all. I think it was kind of you to write it, and beyond the call of duty.

I'm very sorry but I'd prefer not to come to your FAD classes again. It's not that I don't want to give the FAD group a ‘second chance'. It's just that I think you and the others will get along much better without me!

If I am technically required to continue taking the course, perhaps I could do it by correspondence?

Yours sincerely,
Bindy Mackenzie

NOTE FOR BINDY MACKENZIE FROM MRS LILYDALE
Hi Bindy,
So sorry—had to rush off at the last minute so can't be here to meet you as planned. I wanted to see you so I could talk about debating. It starts in the third week after
the
break, so decision time! Listen, I'm sure you've heard that Emily T. was a hit in the oratory contest? (Winner at district level but knocked out at the next round—not bad!) And she's been going great guns with moot court! Her Legal Studies teacher raves about her! You know, her parents are both successful
lawyers, too . . . So shall we assume you're happy, after all, to have her on your team? Back on track? A team player again? We need you, Bindy! The team needs you!

Have fun on your break!

So long!
Mrs Lilydale

The Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie
Friday, 1.47 pm (by a window in the Year 11 wing)
If a teacher can be absent from a meeting, can a student then be absent from a class? Perhaps the student should have left a note at the classroom door: ‘Hi Mr Patel, So sorry—had to rush off at the last minute so can't be here for your Economics class as planned.'

The Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie
1.49
pm
Of course, Mr Botherit
was
there at
his
meeting. Does he cancel Mrs Lilydale out?

The Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie
1.50 pm
Now, there is a question. Does Mr Botherit cancel Mrs Lilydale out? A Year Co-ordinator like Mrs Lilydale! I used to knock on her door last year, and she would trill, ‘Ah-hah! A Bindy viewpoint!', beckon me into the office, offer a cup of tea,
and sit back, happily, waiting for my viewpoint. (I had viewpoints on many things last year: my teachers, global dimming, Iraq, reality tv and the associated decline of civilisation, alcohol abuse among teenagers . . .) Today, I climbed to the top balcony, knocked on Mr Botherit's door, and he glanced up from a spilling pile of paper. ‘Oh!' he said in surprise.

The Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie
1.54
pm
‘Oh!' he exclaimed, and he gathered his papers together, and gave me a thoughtful frown. ‘Sit down, sit down!' he remembered himself, and I sat. There is a window behind his head, filled with bright sunlight. It was difficult to look at him.

‘Bindy,' he said, ‘yes, I asked you to come and see me, didn't I?' And he began to spill papers again.

(It is worth pointing out that this is Mr Botherit's first year as Year Co-ordinator. He joined our school two years ago as an English teacher, and has stirred up controversy in the past—he started a penpal scheme with the wayward students of a nearby school. As far as I can see, the only step he has taken towards embracing his new role, as Year Co-ordinator, is the ‘rousing' speeches he gives at our weekly assemblies.)

‘Now,' he said, finding the paper he wanted. ‘Ah yes, I wanted to see you. Looks like you've been busy writing letters to the Board!'

The Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie
1.58
pm
Betrayal!

The Board of Studies had contacted him! That ridiculous Student Liaison Officer! He had replied to my letters in a manner which suggested he must have failed Primary Comprehension. He had replied to my letters without
actually
responding to a single word that I said. (His replies, quite frankly, made me despair for the future of this State.)
Meanwhile,
secretly, he had contacted Mr Botherit to pass on my complaints! He had contacted Mr Botherit to say:
what shall we do about this girl?

The Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie
2.03
pm
Well! I could not believe it.

While I was not believing it, Mr Botherit wasted several minutes of my life gently suggesting that I come to
him
in the future if I have any concerns about my school. No need, he reasoned, to go straight to the Board! He wondered why I hadn't come to him first on this occasion? (It didn't seem right to point out his inexperience as a Year Co-ordinator, nor his errors of judgement in the past—so I simply smiled enigmatically.) More minutes passed as he explained the
multitude
of benefits of FAD. He could see exactly why I doubted that I needed it, but he was sure my group would bring me around.

‘And your group,' he said, earnestly,‘—I looked it up— and they seem like a fine group, as far as . . .' He turned to his computer.

And something extraordinary happened.

The Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie
2.08
pm
He turned, as I said, to his computer.

He squinted at it. Turned with irritation to the window behind him which was obviously lighting up his screen. He hit a few keys. ‘FAD, FAD,' he muttered to himself. ‘This new-fangled software,' he apologised. ‘We seem to be doing a trial run with some tricky new software, and
I
can't get the hang of—hang on, here we go. Yes, here's your FAD group. You're in with a great bunch of people! Terence Brickhill, Sky Morrell, Ernst von Schmerz—he's a friend of yours, isn't he? Oh, look, and you've got Ashlee, she's a great girl!' He faced me again, smiling broadly and I simply stared.

The Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie
2.12
pm
I'd been attending the wrong FAD group all this time.