TRANSCRIPT

GB - George Bell, interviewee / LR - Lyn Royce, interviewer

GB: But I didn't know what affect things had on me because I wouldn't look anybody in the eye when I was lookin' at them. When I went to St Nicholas School, Sister Henrietta kept me after school and every time she'd talk to me and I'd lower my eyes, she'd make me look up at her, because I was always in so much trouble you know... But in between that, you know how we sa... in the war they, they gathered stuff for the Red Cross, they did all this stuff; well, somebody set it on fire and the kids say, 'George Bell did it,' and the police come down to the school and said, 'Where were you the other day?' I said, 'Uh, I don't know where I was!' 'Oh, you set the Red Cross on fire.' Now I coulda gone to Reform School, because this is the 1 more thing, but I happened to be workin' with Mr Laughlin, for nothing, I was just helpin' him, I used to if he asked...

LR: Right...

GB: He paid me the next year. But he was watchin' it with me, that's the only way I escaped from, you know. I did it - the kids said I did it, so, "I did it." But I didn't realize... 1 day we were playin' ball, we had this black ball team, and the police come down 'cause somebody had robbed the bank, and they, it was, 'All in the car;' well, all these guys are happy, we're goin' in the car to the police station, and we're in the line up and they said, 'Whoever did that, step forward.' And do you know, my foot started goin' forward?! Because I was so trained, that everything that came in that school, when they said somebody did it, I knew I did it because they were sayin' I did it, and it had to be.

LR: Oh my gosh...

GB: And that's the way I was trained. But I think... [chuckle] I went to, I taught school last year they said... at, um... When was it? I can't remember the name of the school. Not Lady Fatima, that was a good one. But another school down by Port Weller, 'That black guy's not gonna teach in our school.' I never had so much trouble. The kids were wonderful, but the... I had great big meeting called everybody in, I called the teachers in with them, they were surprised about that. Um, they called everybody in, and the 1st thing a guy stood up and said, 'George Bell's the best thing that ever happened to this school.' And he's a big shot. The next person said, 'Uh, my daughter always pretended she was sick last year. Now she wants to come to school even when she is sick.' And then they all changed, and everything was good about it. And they said, uh, 'What have you got to say?' Well, I had them right where I want them. I said, 'If I knew I was this good of a teacher I'd have asked for more money.' And everybody smiled and left. But then I got a heart attack in [19]'88 and... That was [19]'85. I got a heart attack in [19]'88 and they let me out of the hospital for 3 hours so I could go see the graduation. And the kid who liked me the most, 'cause all the kids liked me I think the father was jealous, he comes up and says, 'Well, they learned in spite of you.' [disbelieving chuckles] They learned in spite of you, he says!

LR: Oh...

GB: And I thought: I am not going to hold this against him, because my offence to God is more than their offence to me. And if he forgives, me I forgive them. So, so I figure you can hate or you can love; I choose love.