Shannen and the Dream for a School by Janet Wilson
Author:Janet Wilson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Second Story Press
Published: 2011-10-15T00:00:00+00:00
This is the meeting room where the group met the minister.
Jonahâs jaw dropped to the floor. Chrisâs eyebrows hit the ceiling. They didnât dare catch each otherâs eye for fear of cracking up.
Shannenâs bold move gave them courage.
âNow,â the minister said, getting down to business, âI understand that you young people want to talk to me about your school.â
Chris stepped forward and handed over the jar of smelly soil. The minister thanked Chris and placed it, unopened, on his desk.
Then Jonah spoke. âCan you make us a promiseâ?â
The minister interrupted. âNo, son, Iâm afraid that I canât make any promises,â he said, shaking his head.
It was so sudden. Jonah looked as if he had been slapped. Annabella gently placed her hand on his shoulder.
Shannen looked at her friend helplessly. What does he mean he canât make promises? Of course he can make promises! Shannenâs cheeks flamed. Nothing seemed right. She felt like a train hurled off its tracks.
The Mushkegowuk Chief stepped forward, âMinister, the children want to knowâ¦â
Shannen could not listen. She backed her way to the door, slowly, so no one would notice. She couldnât let them see her cry. Then Shannen slipped out of the office and into her motherâs waiting arms.
âMoonaneh, gawenah mateh,â her mother whispered. âDonât give up now, my daughter.â
âRemember the Seven Grandfathers. One is Bravery, Shannen!â said her father. Then he gave his daughter something she found impossible to resistâhis smile. She tried her best to offer a smile in return. Then she picked herself up and walked back into the meeting.
Chris and Jonah were so full of anger, that they had not even noticed Shannen leave. Chris looked about to scream. Instead, he swallowed and said, âWe invite you to come to our community to understand our living situation.â Shannen thought her father would be proud.
The minister shook his head again. âIâm afraid thatâs not possible, either. I have a very busy schedule. I do get reports from my staff, because I canât be everywhere at one time.â The minister turned to the elders. âI admit that there is a lot to do in your community, I admit that, and I do not claim that itâs all done. All these things are expensive. Theyâve got to be done and weâre working through a list of priorities.â Then he addressed the students again. âThese portables, I admit, are not ideal. The easy thing for me to do is to promise you a new school. But there are thirty to forty other schools that have more pressing needs.â He sounded apologetic. âWe simply do not have the money at this time.â
Annabella spoke a few words in Cree. Shannen was relieved that everyone at the table was respectfully silent. Chief Hall translated her words. âCan you tell me when our children will get their new school?â
The minister replied, âTo be honest, it will most likely be another fifteen years.â Annabella pulled out a tissue and dabbed her eyes without looking up. Then, abruptly, the minister finished by saying, âThank you for coming.
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