NEW FICTION

There was no qualified teacher to give him the assistance he needed. Even if there had been, his parents were adamant that he stay in the mainstream classroom. Teachers now expected even less of him than they had before. He was treated in exactly the same way as the other students, but in terms of learning, he may as well have not been there. His parents were happy as long as he went to school each day, hair brushed, shirt tucked in and name badge correctly fastened. They expected him to continue through each grade and graduate from high school at the same time as his age peers.

"Sumimasen, what did you say?", Mariko asked Yukiko.
"I said that Matsubara, you know that disruptive boy in class 2:5, put his urine sample in Masuda's drink flask after classes on Saturday."
Mariko remembered that it was "health check" week and each student had been required to bring to school a urine and faeces sample for laboratory analysis.
"And let me guess," Mariko responded, "Masuda drank from the flask and got sick?"
"Well, yes, he did drink it, but luckily he's not sick. The worst part of it is that he knew immediately what he was drinking, and so did all the other boys."
"Where did this happen? Weren't we trying to keep Matsubara and Masuda apart?" Mariko's voice was rising with each question.

She couldn't help recalling the last time the two boys had come into conflict over a broken pencil, which resulted in both boys needing stitches. Parents had been called to the school over the incident, and at the time, Mariko had half wondered if perhaps Matsubara, another low achiever, also needed extra academic help. At the time, there'd been enough to deal with, so Mariko had let the whole thing slip. She had managed to ensure that in the new school year, the boys were in separate classes.

Yukiko answered, "It happened during the break at rugby practice. They may be in different classes, but they're both in the Rugby Club".

Mariko felt ill herself just thinking about it. Drinking urine was so humiliating. It was a violation somehow.

Yukiko continued, "Of course, both boys' parents have been notified and Matsubara has already apologised to Masuda. But the Kyoto-sensei felt that such a serious crime deserved a stronger punishment. A lunchtime meeting has been called for all Ni-nen-sai teachers. We'll decide what to do then."

Mariko nodded absently, deep in her own thoughts, as they both went their separate ways. All through the next lesson, Mariko couldn't stop thinking what a disgusting, low-down trick Matsubara had played on Masuda. It was bullying at its worst. For weeks the newspapers had been full of little else. Every second day, students as young as eight were jumping from trains, setting themselves alight, or hanging themselves. Their suicide notes, in childish hiragana, blamed their classmates for merciless bullying.

Mariko and her friend Lucy, an exchange teacher from Australia, had often discussed the problem, but they were rarely able to come to any consensus regarding solutions. Lucy used phrases like "social responsibility" and "complicity". Meaningless terms rendered no more meaningful by consultation with the dictionary. Mariko intuitively felt that the answer was simple. The bullies must be stopped. They must be made to realise that there were repercussions for their actions. Similarly, those students who constantly found themselves the target of bullying needed to be counselled so that they stopped drawing attention to themselves. Although Mariko would never say it directly to Lucy, she felt that "ijime" was the result of western influences. Too much emphasis on the individual and not enough respect for the group.

With these thoughts in mind, Mariko was determined to resolve the Matsubara/Masuda situation. As lunchtime approached, she felt herself growing more and more agitated. Mariko could easily imagine the horror on Masuda's face after he'd swallowed that first mouthful of urine. She could visualise Matsubara and the other thugs in the rugby club guffawing and laughing. She knew without being told that Masuda would've lashed out at anything and everything, probably causing more amusement for his tormentors. By the time she walked into the Meeting Room, Mariko was full of barely suppressed rage.

After very little discussion, it was agreed that Matsubara should be sent for. His name was announced over the school sound system and he sauntered in a few minutes later with his chin stuck out defiantly. He went to sit down, but the chair was immediately removed. Each of the assembled teachers stood up and started to crowd in on him. As if it had all been agreed on in advance, each teacher took turns verbally abusing the bully. One by one they approached him. Some whispered and hissed their accusations; others spoke with a tired, disappointed voice; the men invariably shouted in varying degrees of volume; some prodded or poked him in the chest; one teacher slapped his face from side to side. Not too hard. Not hard enough to do any damage; but hard enough to make the slap-slapping sound of flesh on flesh, and to leave a distinct red mark.

The head that had been held so obstinately, sank, sank, sank until it seemed pinned to his chest. His shoulders sagged. His eyes and nose ran. He tried to wipe his face ineffectually with the sleeve of his uniform jacket, but the teachers kept knocking his hands back down. The hissing and barking accusations centered on two main themes, the first being that Matsubara was bad, deep down bad. He could do nothing to redeem himself. He didn't deserve to be a student at the school. The second was that he should be ashamed. He should beg the forgiveness of everyone at the school. He should daily apologise to Masuda. He should be punished. He should punish himself.

Finally it was Mariko's turn. "Matsubara-kun," she whispered, up close to his face, "Why did you do such a thing? Don't you like Masuda?"

Matsubara looked momentarily confused at Mariko's gentle voice. "I, I , eto... Shiranai (I don't know)".

"Did Masuda do something to make you angry?" Mariko touched Matsubara gently on the arm. Matsubara looked up. "Ah, yes, he's so, so ...ah...stupid sometimes. He's always getting upset at Rugby, and everyone has to stop and help him...and he cries...and eto ne...he just gets on my nerves sometimes..." Matsubara had stopped sniffling and looked almost directly at Mariko.

"So," Mariko's voice began to lose its soft edge, "You think Masuda is stupid, do you? And he gets on your nerves, eh?" Matsubara's eyes dropped to the floor.

"Well, what I mean is..."

"Yes, I know very well what you mean. You think he's stupid and you thought it would be a lot of fun to make him feel even more stupid. Isn't that right?" There was no mistaking Mariko's intentions now. Her voice was rising with each word, and now she was almost spitting the words out in Matsubara's face.

Matsubara didn't speak. Mariko continued, "And it made you feel like a big, tough guy to make such a fool of him, didn't it?" Still, Matsubara didn't speak. Mariko shouted, "Didn't it?! I want to tell you something, Matsubara, you are lower than the dirt on the ground. You are worse than an animal. Only a disgusting, filthy animal would do what you have done. Do you hear me?" Mariko had been circling around and around the boy as she shouted her accusations. Now, she shook him, hard. "Do you hear me, Matsubara?"

"Yes," he whispered hoarsely.

"What? What did you say, you pathetic creature?" Mariko held his arm tightly in a vice-like grip. "Did I hear you say yes, you are a disgusting, filthy animal?"

Matsubara shook his head.

"What? You don't think you are a disgusting, filthy animal? Is that right? Well, why don't we just do a quick check to see if anyone else here agrees with you. Sumikawa-sensei, do you think Matsubara is a filthy, disgusting animal?"

"Ah, yes," he replied.

"And Takatsuji-sensei, do you think that Matsubara is a filthy, disgusting animal?"

"Yes, he is," she replied.

Mariko went around the room, asking the same question of each teacher. When she got to Lucy, she asked, "And what do you think, Lucy?"

"Um, well. Matsubara has made a terrible mistake. He..." Before she could finish, Mariko cut her off, "Thank you. So you see, there is not one person here on your side. You are an animal, not fit to be at this school. Tell me again, Matsubara, are you a disgusting, filthy animal?"

Matsubara nodded.

"Good, I'm glad you are seeing reason. Stay here until the end of the lunch period, and then report to me in the Teacher's Room. I'll expect a full apology then."

Mariko left the room with the other teachers. She felt high for the rest of the day. As long as she had any say in it, bullying would not be a part of her school.