130 - Mr. Baker

*Be brave. Hold your head high, keep your facts straight, be polite but firm. And don’t ever let anyone make you feel small. - Sid*

A few minutes into the class, as Mitch was going through introducing the Uittenbroek family, the door opened, and Mr. Baker slipped into the back of the room. Mitch paused on one of the city names and looked at Camille. She mouthed the name, and he nodded his head as he mouthed it himself. He smiled and then said it once, before saying it with more confidence and moved forward with his report.

Mitch went through the invasion dates, and then explained what happened when Ilse’s older brother, Adrianus, was arrested. The class listened with rapt attention and even Mr. Baker sat down to listen to the report.

As he explained how the family worked with the various organizations that comprised what was now known as the Dutch Resistance, Miss Prentiss stood up.

“Okay, I’m sorry,” the teacher said, and Camille placed a hand on Darkness’ arm.

Mitch looked at Camille who gave him a smile and a small nod. He nodded and looked at the teacher with innocent, wide eyes. “Yes, ma’am. Did you have a question, Miss Prentiss?”

“You want me to believe that you’re going to tell me that your *new* adoptive mother just happens to have family that was part of the Dutch Resistance? That seems awfully convenient for you.”

“Well, I don’t know what to say, Miss Prentiss. For my biological father’s side of the family, I interviewed my father and uncle’s grandmother. She worked at the Higgins Industries factory. They made the landing crafts that were used not only in the invasions of Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal and Tarawa but also to land soldiers and Marines on the beaches including Omaha and Utah.”

“But because my family were factory workers, shipbuilders and farmers, that was not good enough for you. But without the shipbuilders who made the Liberty Ships, the D-Day invasion would not have happened. Without the factory workers who made the planes, bombs and other apparatus including Willy’s Jeeps, Garand guns and K-Bar knives, the war might not have ended the way it had.”

“And without the farmers, ranchers and sharecroppers, all of which received service waivers, the military would not have made past the first year. Even as far back as Rome, it was known that the army marched on its stomach.”

“Now that I have come back with information that I myself just learned about, that involved not one but multiple family members in the European theater, this too is not good enough for you.”

Although Camille could not see the woman’s face, she could tell that the teacher was angry. Camille could feel the anger rolling off of Darkness as he sat next to her. She was trying to keep him calm and let Mitch handle it. They had discussed the possibility that Miss Prentiss would not believe him. They reviewed the facts related to the Higgins Landing Craft Vehicles, or LCV, and the other ancillary support.

Yesterday afternoon, Mitch had gotten Camille’s encyclopedia about World War Two and did additional research. He had then used her computer and made his own notes. Camille was proud of him and knew that she would not have been that calm. She would have either curled into herself or attacked the woman with her sharp tongue.

“Maybe you should not make up such bullshit lies –“

Camille swore loudly in Dutch and the entire class turned to look at her. Miss Prentiss continued to glare at Mitch.

“You know –“

Camille fell silent at the warm hand that landed on her shoulder. She turned and looked at Mr. Baker who shook his head.

“Mr. Johnson,” the principal said and the teacher’s back straightened before she slowly turned to look at the small group at the back at the classroom. “It appears that you have put a lot of work into the project that you have been presenting to the class. I find it very interesting and would love to hear more about your family. please continue.”

“Mr. Baker, I do not think that we should encourage this line of imagination and fiction.”

“Miss Prentiss,” the principal said harshly, “are you aware of the roles that Audrey Hepburn, Heddy Lamar and Elizabeth Windsor played in World War Two?”

“I am a history teacher; I know that Queen Elizabeth served in the Royal Army.”

“But are you aware that Heddy Lamar helped create what is now used in Bluetooth technology?” he pressed. The teacher remained silent. “I advise, Miss Prentiss, that we both listen to the rest of the report. We both might learn something.”

Camille gave the teacher a smirk that told her to take that and shove it up her ass. The teacher sat back down, and Darkness let out a deep breath.

“Please, sir, continue with what you were saying before you were oh so very rudely interrupted.”

Mitch smiled at the principal and resumed his report. When he was done, he asked if there were any questions and almost every hand shot up into the air. Mitch answered most of the questions that were thrown at him. A few were fielded to Camille who answered them easily. After all, she had heard these stories her entire life.

“Oh!” Mitch looked at Camille. “The cake.”

With a nod, Camille opened the first loaf box and was grateful that the bakery had sliced the loafs. She had not thought about that and did not bring a knife. Placing the slices on the small plates with the Dutch flag, she handed the first slice to Mr. Baker. Surprising her, he stood up and delivered it to one of the students.

Delivering the second third slices, he asked, “Is this Oon bite cook?”

Looking up in surprise, she nodded. “Ontbijtkoek, yes,” she grinned, amused at how he sounded out the word.

“It’s like a type of gingerbread, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Camille confirmed. “It’s a very common breakfast item and is often simply called a breakfast cake. My mom always made it for special occasions.”

He smiled as he delivered two more slices of cake, “My grandfather was part of the Canadian First Army that liberated Otterlo. He married a wonderful woman, my own Oma. I remember my Oma’s house smelling like gingerbread.”

Camille nodded, “A few years back, my oldest sister had her brother-in-law make our mom some traditional wooden cookie molds.” She gave a small laugh as she shook her head, thinking about that Christmas morning. “The rest of us are still opening presents and my mother is in the kitchen making Ontbijtkoek.”

Shortly after that exchange, the bell rang ending the class. Mitch helped the rest of his family gather up the pictures and throw away the plates and napkins. Because they were all still there, they witnessed the hushed yet heated discussion between Miss Prentiss and Mr. Baker.

The principal’s voice raised enough for them to hear his final warning before he left the classroom.

“… filing an official complaint. One more and you will be suspended.”

Smirking, Darkness ushered his family out of the room.