Domestic Interior

Private School

Private School To snub anyone effectively,one must have him within range. F. Scott Fitzgerald,“A Freeze Out” The mothers’ wait Is a time to visit, chat. Over there She reigns, because she is delightful, trim, astute, kind, volunteers to feed the poor, she comes in her riding pants and riding boots, she arrives and a flock of wannabes flock around; (She lives on the most exclusive street in town) The snack today was brought by Bernard, who comes from another country, a rich one, full of zillionaires And he has brought two plates, an artfully cut-up mélange of fruit, another plate of finger sandwiches, all made at the Farmers Market Deli Carried by the maid (or is she a nanny?) who is from another country too, theThirdWorld down the street. She brings the plate, signs her name in the space under Sally Fate,Marisa LeBray, which confirms she’s dropped the kid off: Maria. The volunteer today wears Hermès. She crashed the truck in Santa Fe! What a weekend getaway!! Oh my God! Oh no! offer her loyal foes . . . She is married to Fame and sometimes shows her belly button in too-tight clothes Trophy for the famous prize— Her husband, who never smiles, never. Everyone wants to volunteer, even the Dads Who are thoughtful, kind, respectful, polite, adorable, greedy, luxurious, glad-handing, varsity-level wearing the subtlest sportswear in vibration. Their skin is creamy, dreamy. 5 Are you going to golf today? Another mother asks the other Dad. But he has already!That’s great, Etcetera, etcetera. The kid (he says good-bye to his kid) is special special Better than normalAnd this school is a special place I don’t know just filled with . . . do you know? Of course each child is—innocent and soul-filled, sincere . . . Everyone is special And I think I am tired of that most of all: special though probably the monthlong discussion of the marble wine-bottle holder was what did me in Every day! Every day! Every day! There is an auction where we must bid in the $600s, the $700s for some kid’s Mom’s creation— for the classroom contribution, I mean: A basket of Gourmet, a blanket of cachet, a squirming basket of squid under a lid— It’s for a good cause, this spending, she says, the organizer who calls me calls me calls me Don’t forget! She has to talk to me, for the cause. Otherwise she might snub me like her friends. You gotta show your gottalottabux and if you don’t have them you have to Pretend. I’ll think about it, I said, the tickets, the auction. I’ll think about it. But I yanked my kid And I hung my head in shame And had to walk the other way:Adieu!At mid-semester, Forbidden now to return, cast out— I failed,I failed for us at private school ...! I said to myself, but not to my kid. I did not say, A mother needs to be a powerful player, O child. Endure. Beware. No one plays fair. 6 ...