363 – Madame Bitchy, by SheBee

She strode into the classroom, black cape flailing behind her, her jowls a-jiggling and her eyes screwed into a scowl.  Her wrinkled arms tightly held a stack of music books complete with notes and lyrics that I already was loathe to learn.

“WILL YOU ALL STAND UP AND GREET YOUR SUPERIOR, FOR GOODNESS SAKES!” she would holler in her rich yet disturbingly deep voice, followed by a soft underbreath mutter “The youth today…frightening, firghtening. Honestly”.  All of us, even the boys, would jump in fright and stand up immediately and in a chorus, would chime our greeting to the Head Mistress and also Choir Teacher.

She terrified me.  To the core of my bone, I knew exactly when she would walk into a room because the hairs on the back of my neck would stand up.  She commanded respect and excellence everywhere she went, and everyone she came across bent over backwards to give it to her. 

The lady’s name was Madame Bewtchy.  We called her Madame Bitchy, never in a fond way.  For some reason, she took one look at me on our first day in Choir practice and decided I was her pet.  Whenever my school mates needed anything I would charge them a buck to ask Madame Bitchy on their behalf, it was the only way things were permitted.  I cottoned on quite early in life how to make the best of a bad situation.

One morning we were mid-song and I, having the lead, was dared to sing out of tune by Tarryn.  Never one to back out of a challenge, I sang to the tune of Alanis’s Ironic whilst the rest of the choir carried on as if they heard no change.

Madame Bitchy sat upon her piano stool and placed her hands delicately into her lap, tilted her head and listened. I resisted the urge to giggle and ignored the pokes I was receiving in my sides from those around me, closed my eyes and sang some more.

I didn’t mean to at all, but before I realized what was happening the entire class had grown silent around me and I was doing a solo.  So lost was I that only when Madame Bitchy took me by my ear and pulled did I open one eye at a time to realize that I had an audience and they were all smiling at me encouragingly. 

The school play was two nights away and she put me in as the closing act of the drama club.  I was kitted out in Alanis clothes, mic and barefoot.  For the first time in my twelve year old life, I had an audience and I played to it with all my might. Every second of me being the centre of attention made me realize that there was something out there for me, a niche that had gone thus far untapped, and I opened myself up to it with both arms and all my vocal cords.

The woman was evil to everyone else, but a Saint to me.  For years to come she would privately voice train me, encourage me on auditions in plays and to focus more on my story telling than break times with boys.

I found a love of drama, performance & art through our biggest Witch.  So it is fitting to say that when I read in the newspaper that she had been found dead, decapitated & raped before being rolled up in a carpet, I think to myself that she deserved so much more credit than what we had given her at school, and in life as a human being.

She taught me how to respect myself and command respect from others.  I hope she is resting in peace.

~ by shebee on June 27, 2008.