‘Martin. Do you know what freedom is?’
Miss Price watched the boy over her round rimmed spectacles, her foot tapping on the lectern’s step. Her mouth puckered expectantly and her nostrils flared. Miss Price was of slight build with features that resembled a bird, her nose long and thin and eyes too close together. Her dark hair was clipped into a neat bob.
Martin hunched over his desk chewing the end of his pencil. The rest of the class were silent, their eyes downcast in case they should meet their teacher’s questioning glare.
‘Not having to go to school Miss.’ A smile dimpled his cheeks as he looked around the classroom waiting for applause but none came. The children put hands over their mouths to silence giggles.
‘Yes, but there is more.’ Miss Price said, her foot tapping faster.
An arm shot up from the back of the room. Sylvia had suddenly received divine intervention, her rear end leaving the seat with a bobbing sense of impatience.
‘Sylvia?’
‘Being able to say what you want Miss.’
Miss Price looked at the girl’s tousled hair and unkempt appearance reflecting a tomboy of the highest order. Her pale violet eyes danced and glowed beneath a fringe of auburn curls.
‘And what is it you would want to say Sylvia?’
‘Oh I didn’t mean me Miss. I just want to write.’ Sylvia’s face was red. She sat on her hands, her shoulders hunched up to her ears. The girl sitting in front of her turned, a grin spreading across her face.
‘Annie! Face the front.’ Annie spun round in her seat throwing Miss Price a defiant glare. Miss Price ignored the challenge knowing that this rebellious streak would one day be the girl’s salvation. ‘What else could freedom give us Annie?’
‘Having the same rights as everybody else Miss. Nobody’s going to treat me any different to anyone else. And I’ll tell ’em straight to their face I will!’ She crossed her arms in defiance, giving them a final shrug; her brow furrowed and her cheeks blown out with indignation.
The girl sitting next to Annie shuffled in her seat, she knew it would be her turn next.
‘Christabel?’
‘I think it would mean having choices Miss.’
Miss Price nodded.
A small girl sat at the back of the class. Her dainty frame almost swallowed up by her chair, her vulnerability apparent. Miss Price had never seen such beauty shine from within one so young. Her sleek hair glistened like the blue black of a raven’s plumage. It was tied off her face and fell like a sheet of satin down her back. Piercing dark eyes stared back at her teacher. She was ready.
‘Agnes.’ Miss Price’s voice softened. ‘What do you think of when you hear the word freedom?’
Agnes lowered her head and whispered; ‘Freedom from sickness and poverty Miss.’ Agnes looked directly at her teacher and Miss Price saw the child’s eyes fill with tears. ‘There is so much sadness and pain Miss. I would like it all to go away.’ The class was silent. Miss Price was silent.
‘Madiba. What would you do with freedom?’
The boy sitting on the front row smiled. He relaxed into his seat. He didn’t feel nervous. He knew what his answer was going to be.
‘Freedom to me Miss will be to fulfil my destiny and to be able to live with my conscience.’ Nodding his head he was still smiling. The rest of the class looked to him for more of an explanation. They whispered amongst themselves, “What did he mean?” Miss Price tapped her pencil on the lectern.
‘Quiet please.’ The class fell silent. ‘Madiba has given us his understanding of the word freedom. We can ask no more of him. One day you will each use your conscience without question to fulfil your destiny, please allow him to do the same.’
Miss Price looked around at her charges. Rosa sat twisting her hands together and beside her, Harriet was pulling at her curls. The girls had been a delight to care for. They were both bright and well-mannered and always plotting ways to have fun.
‘Well girls, what about this word freedom, what does it mean to you?’
‘Free rights Miss,’ both girls shouted in unison; giggling at their bravery.
‘I can see you two have had your heads together,’ Miss Price said, smiling.
She turned to see the young boy at the end of the row. His gaunt face and spiky hair exaggerated a pair of very large ears.
‘Abraham. Your turn my dear.’ Poor boy, Miss Price thought. A distant soul, his tall stature and his chin almost skyward make him seem quite aloof.
‘There doesn’t seem to be much left to say Miss, except, to break the chains. That is all I can say.’
‘Thank you Abraham.’
The gangly girl sitting behind Martin had her head down, hiding beneath a floppy fringe. Miss Price waited in silence until she saw those beautiful blue eyes flicker upward.
‘Yes it’s your turn my shy little one. Is there anything else you can think of that can bring freedom?’
The girl shuffled uncomfortably on her seat. ‘Reaching people’s hearts Miss. To open them up; then you can let freedom in.’
‘Thank you for sharing that with us Diana.’ The girl reddened and lowered her head even further.
‘Mohandas! A more stubborn boy I have yet to meet; but you have a twinkle in your eye my Bapoo. What does freedom mean to you?’
The young boy was smiling, a warm, caring, secretive smile and he turned to look at the boys and girls around him. ‘If I could make people love instead of hate and make them all want to become the change they want to see; then I believe that is all that would be necessary for freedom Miss. I know this from the bottom of my heart.’
Miss Price felt such pride and knew that her work was done. She quietly addressed her class.
‘When your names are called you will leave this place and wait for your time. Your destiny is decided and you will be given guidance along the way.’
One by one the children were called.
‘Martin. You will belong to a family where love is always present. You will become an outstanding student following in your family’s tradition of religious ministry. You will do good things Martin, but you must be brave as you stand up for righteousness and for truth. You will become a leader for civil rights. But most of all Martin Luther King you will become a symbol of hope for your fellow men.
Sylvia. You will be a writer. But you will also go through much suffering to become a pioneer for the rights of women. You will fight against racism and imperialism. Your name will be the least recognised of the Pankhurst family, but you will achieve more than they or you ever dreamed.
Christabel. Come, join your sister. You talked about choices. You will make the most difficult choices together with your little friend Annie.’
Annie Kenny came forward to join the two sisters. Miss Price smiled at the two little spirits of innocence.
‘Annie, you will get your chance to; tell it to their faces. You and Christabel will endure terrible suffering to gain rights for women. You will fight long and hard but it will not be in vain.
Agnes my dear little one come here.’ The child came forward, holding her head high. ‘You will become a teacher and work among suffering and poverty. At eighteen years old you will join the Sisters of Loreto and your work; The Missionaries of Charity, will spread to over forty countries. You will work amongst the poorest in the slums of Calcutta and you will be known as Teresa.
Madiba of the Tembu tribe. You will be born into royalty using your status to gain the power to help your people. You will sacrifice twenty eight years of your life to bring democracy and a free society where your people can live in harmony and with equal opportunities. People throughout the world will know you as Nelson Mandela.
Rosa and Harriet; what mischief you get up to. You will become an inspiration to those who are oppressed and deprived. Rosa, you will become known as the Mother of Freedom, and your action will change the course of a nation and raise international awareness for civil rights. Harriet, you will be born into slavery but you will overcome this and help hundreds of slaves escape. Your nickname will be Moses.
Rosa Parks and Harriet Tubman you have such bravery and courage ahead of you.
Abraham. Though you will be born in a log cabin and work in a grocer’s store; you will be president of the most powerful country in the world and a champion for human liberty. You will end slavery Abraham Lincoln. You will break those chains.
Diana. Head up and shoulders back; for you are going to be born into a privileged life. You will use your power to change attitudes, give understanding and reduce the stigma of suffering. You will bring about peoples freedom from prejudice and you will open people’s hearts. Diana Spencer you will leave a memorable legacy.
Mohandas. You will offer the world a way out of madness. Sadly the world will not see it Mohandas and you will go through much suffering to lead your country to freedom. But you will go down in history Mahatma Gandhi as a spokesman for the humanity of mankind.’
Miss Price took one last look at her little souls who would bring freedom to the world. She was honoured to have been a part of their beginnings and humbled to have been in their presence.
–
(c) 2024 Lillian Bradbury.
In this poignant short story, we follow a group of children as they explore the concept of freedom through the eyes of their teacher, Miss Price. The narrative unfolds in a classroom setting, where students from various backgrounds share their unique perspectives on what freedom means to them. From Martin’s cheeky response about not having to go to school, to Madiba’s profound statement about fulfilling one’s destiny, each child’s answer reveals a different facet of this complex idea. The story beautifully captures the innocence and wisdom of youth, while also touching on deeper themes of social justice, personal growth, and the human spirit.
This thought-provoking tale is part of Lillian Bradbury’s collection “Welcome to my World,” a delightful anthology of short stories and poems inspired by life in the picturesque Yorkshire town of Pickering. Bradbury’s writing style is both whimsical and profound, offering readers a unique glimpse into her world and the deeper fantasies of what might have been. If you’re looking for a book that will make you laugh, reflect, and perhaps see the world a little differently, why not give “Welcome to my World” a try? It’s the perfect companion for a cozy afternoon with a cup of tea.
