School always finds a way to screw you

Six years ago when I was in Grade 12 I received an award in high school. It was for a piece of art work that I made during art class, a hand-carved soap stone sculpture of a mother polar bear and her cub. For the award, I received $150 for the school to display my work for 5 years. Although it was one of my favourite pieces of art, it was on loan and knowing it would be in my possession later on, I felt comfortable with letting the school rent it. We had a custom 3-foot wooden stand made for the piece and it sat on top of a stone slab and was encased on a plexiglass box. Anyhow, a year past due, I went back to my school to pick it up. I saw a lot of teachers that taught while I was there and many that didn't. I didn't exactly say hi to many of them because, whoops, I forgot their names. I wish this post could be more about my visit back to my high school and the memories that I had there but instead this trip took a turn for the worst.

As I approached the place where my artwork stood for the last 6 years, I noticed something very strange. The stone slab was broken into two pieces and the sculpture was absent from the casing. I could see the darkened circles where the feet of the polar bears used to be glued down. I thought to myself, well maybe the head of the art department had it removed when she knew I was coming to pick it up. However, the broken slab was an ominous sight.

I waited for 20 minutes for this teacher meet me in the office and to help me dismantle my piece. Finally when she came, she says "Hi, you must be Lesley, sorry for keeping you. So show me where this art piece of yours is." What? You mean she doesn't even know what it is or where it was? Not good. So I take her to where my prized piece used to sit, just an empty box with some broken stone in it. And I said, "this is not my sculpture." Totally shocked as I realized that something was not right, I examined the box further, only to find that the plexiglass had been ripped from the stand, broken at the points where the screws used to secure it to the wood. Fuck. That looked way too easy.

There were about 3 janitors/carpenters hanging around the area when realization set in. Somebody stole my art work, something that took me hours to create and something I ultimately loved. All the past winners' pieces were hanging daintily on the walls, mostly paintings of people, looking pitifully at me as I was surrounded by strangers who couldn't console me. It didn't make me feel any better to know that the art teacher was oblivious to this award and that my work even existed despite a plaque on which my name was engraved was blatantly tacked to the wall above this stupid empty stand. One of the carpenters plucked the plaque from the wall to give to me and had the balls to say this "well the nice thing about the nails sticking out the back is that when you place it on a flat surface, the plaque can be propped up," to which I snapped "I HAVE NOTHING TO SHOW IT WITH!" Ok I felt like a bitch for taking it out on him, but I was really pissed. And then tears started to form.

Pretty soon it was a fountain coming out of my eyes. Grrrrrr! And I hate crying in public too!! The art teacher, who never taught me, did her best to make me feel better and to get to the bottom of this. And all this time I used to think she was a really mean person. Well finally she talks to the principal. He told her that it had been stolen a couple of years ago, which I don't think is true because I was there last year and I remember seeing it. But that's not the point. Why the hell did nobody do anything then? Why wasn't I contacted? The school has video cameras for god's sake!! Something is not right. Nobody cares. I'm really bitter about my old school. Screwing with me again. The only thing good that came out of it was my friends. I should have picked it up sooner.

Some people say I should take it as a compliment that they stole my sculpture. As in it was worth stealing. I think it might have been damaged though. That is no consolation, I will never get it back. I don't think I can be consoled.

Sure I can make a replica, but replicas are just that, not the original.

Only give responsibilities to people you trust. Only trust the people you love. Damn I am bitter.