Getting back to that tree planting thing, one of the men was clearly not obeying me, choosing instead to post himself at the entrance where the primary school kids came in. I went back to him, signaling for him to plant. He wasn't having on it. I said in English, "C'mon, let's go!" and he answered back, looking full in the eyes in the local language and indicating that he was staying right there.
Well, I went off and got the thing planted. But I didn't forget. Just as soon as the thing was planted I went off and called him into the office for a local teacher to translate for us. I felt that I had been disobeyed and disrespected. I was ticked.
The teacher said that he was supposed to be where he was, something about a rotating shift. The translation was not perfect, I suspected, but still I was not appeased.
I dismissed him and went off to the school's director, explained the situation, and - in so many words - demanded satisfaction. A pound of flesh would do nicely.
The school director promptly called him on the carpet and this time, she spoke with him. Their department's head was there too. Well, the director told me that standing instruction were that an OB was to be present at that time to help any arriving students with their bags as they alighted from the cars. That his refusal to help was due to those instructions and not intended to disobey a summons for help. This explanation I had to accept but did not buy. What I did buy was that this time he was visibly deflated, that he was genuinely aware he was on the carpet. That was what I needed to let the matter slide.
It was later that day I realized just how petty and proud I had been. It was so embarrassing to come to that realization. But there it was. What a jerk I had been!
One Week Later
Today, something of a similar nature happened.
Rewind: One of the school's major shareholders called me a month ago suggesting the services of her beloved nephew who she said was very good at debate and could help me develop a debate team for the school. As there was a Book Day coming where a debate competition could be help, his knowledge might come in useful, or so she said. Where was his salary coming from and what were his rates? The school director didn't know, and neither did the school principal. Enter the doting aunt. She calls me, asks me to please not let the boy know that she was paying his salary.
The first week, the precocious fair-haired boy comes in. Initially deferential. Second week comes, the classes are held in a different classroom, some students do not show up. He seems surprised but game. Finally, today comes.
The kids are different again. Some can't make it, some are coming from other regular activities, some have gone home and aren't interested. Now he's talking with the school director and now he's visibly upset. Why are we moving around classrooms so? Why aren't "his" students ready and waiting? In so many words but what he's really asking is for me to account to him. This so-and-so pup is demanding that I have run around and rolled out the rest carpet for him!
I finally have to tell him to his face that his is an ad hoc class, that he was not expected to be here for the rest of the term and on that basis did not need to be concerned with other school matters. The dear boy will not be thwarted. "Would it not have saved him the trouble of repeating his lesson if he had been advised beforehand of present circumstance?" (What circumstances? That the kids were - as usual - doing a thousand and one things and so were we teachers?). I shot back, "what had I withheld from him that prevented him from teaching today what he had been hired to do?" He persisted and tried to follow the argument that he could have been more effective if blah blah blah... to which I replied "I repeat myself, yours is an ad hoc class and talk of what might have been and might be is moot.
But what really got my goat was this whippersnapper had the gall to point his finger at my chest why he was venting!
The class finally got going and the kids were sent on their way. That's when I had him to myself and told him he'd best not point his finger at me again because I resented it. I also told him to take that talk about him staying on with a grain of salt because the matter was still to be decided.
It's early in the evening now and the day's dust has settled. Still when I think back about it, I realize that I have been - today - in the shoes I put that OB in. And come back at the Jerk in exactly the same way.
And so the world goes around. Ha!
