Called on in Class

On Friday afternoon, Trent DeWhite approaches his last class with dread. Every remaining student must deliver an oral report, and Trent is certain that Mrs. Nichu will call his name. His classmate Brenda eagerly volunteers because she believes public speaking runs in her family, but her confidence reminds Trent of a far less encouraging family story.

Trent's great-great-grandfather, Abel McAlister, had once been sent to warn a western town that a dam was failing. When he faced the crowd, fear silenced him. The townspeople tried to guess his message, but the dam broke before they understood. Everyone survived because they could swim, though the flood destroyed possessions they might have saved with an earlier warning.

Ever since hearing that tale, Trent has feared that Abel's freezing panic is hereditary. As Brenda confidently explains osmosis, Trent imagines Mrs. Nichu mocking his report, inviting younger children and school officials to watch, and even allowing the governor to condemn his performance. None of it is real, but each ridiculous picture makes his terror feel more certain.

When Mrs. Nichu's eyes turn toward his name, Trent asks for a bathroom pass. Alone, he remembers Abel's failed attempt to apologize to the town a year after the flood. Abel again struggled to speak before a crowd and barely forced out an apology, apparently confirming the family curse.

Trent considers every possible escape from class. He imagines digging a tunnel with Marvin, hiding behind a papier-mâché toilet, fleeing guards and searchlights, pretending to faint, or even damaging the roof. Each fantasy collapses, and Mrs. Nichu calls through the bathroom door to ask why he has been gone so long.

With no excuses left, Trent returns as Marvin finishes a successful report on the history of drum sets. Mrs. Nichu calls Trent last. The ticking clock, his own breathing, and every movement in the room seem enormous as he slowly walks to the front.

Just before beginning, Trent remembers that Abel's history did not end with failure. He tries to recall the rest, then honestly tells the class that he may stutter, shake, or turn pale because nervous public speaking runs in his family. His classmates laugh with him rather than at him, and their friendly response breaks the power of his fear.

Trent is ready at last, but the dismissal bell rings before he can begin. Instead of feeling rescued, he is frustrated that he must wait the entire weekend. He now knows that standing before the class is possible and even enjoyable.

The missing end of Abel's story returns to him. Years later, Abel had become a strong public speaker and delivered a stirring campaign speech while running for mayor of Odyssey. He explained that raising fourteen children had given him constant practice speaking to a crowd, proving that fear had not determined the rest of his life.

When class resumes, Trent sets aside his planned report on the skeletal system and tells the story of Abel and his own fear instead. He explains that ordinary conversations with family and friends are forms of public speaking too, and that the unknown is often more frightening than the real event. By facing the class, Trent ends the family curse he imagined and gives a report his classmates admire.