Spelldown

4 persnickety1: fussy about small details2: requiring great precision3: FASTIDIOUS "Desi, will you please spellbuccinator?" Mrs. Helms, the Giver of Words, says into the microphone. Desi sighs and clenches his fists. "May I have the definition, please?" "A thin, flat muscle that forms the wall of the cheek, assisting in chewing and in blowing wind instruments," she says. Desi grits his teeth, flexing his buccinators, the twangy odor of fear coming through his pores. It's Friday afternoon, the first week of October. Out of twenty contestants, only Andrea, Desi, and I remain in the Red Clover Junior High Spelling Bee. And I'm sweating like a piglet. Every time I fidget, my chair squeaks. There's a crowd of about a hundred seated on the bleachers. Mainly teachers, honor-roll students, and parents of the spellers. "Mr. Sistare -- will you please spell the word?" Madame Blah-blah-blah's acting all stoical, sitting at the table with the principal, but she's wearing a low-cut gray silk shirt that shows off her wrinkly cleavage. My sense of humor irritates the pee out of her. "Yes ma'am." Desi pronounces the word, then spellsb-u-c-k-i-n-a-t-o-r. "I'm sorry, Desi, that is incorrect," Mrs. Helms says in her flat voice. At least we don't have to hear an obnoxious bell ring like we do at the county spelling bee. Desi walks over, climbs the bleachers, and sits beside Mrs. Harrison. "Now, will our final two contestants please stand for the final round?" Mrs. Helms says. We both stand up. "Andrea, will you please spellbuccinator?" Andrea smoothes out her red plaid skirt, pronounces the word, and spellsb-u-c-c-i-n-a-t-o-r. "That is correct, Andrea." "Karlene, will you please spellcontumacious?" I know the definition, but want to stall. My eyes wander over to Daddy. He's sitting on the bottom row of the bleachers with his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands, as if he's watching a basketball game. He looks sober and handsome in his clean work clothes. "May I hear the definition, please?" "Contumacious means stubbornly disobedient or rebellious." In a clear voice, I say the word, then spellc-o-n-t-u-m-a-c-i-o-u-s. "That is correct. Now, Andrea, will you please spellhierarchy?" Mrs. Helms pronounces ithigh-ar-ky. Andrea makes a wimpy sound like a balloon going flat. "Will you say the word again, please?" Mrs. Helms mispronounces it again. My heart skips a few beats for Andrea. Andrea clears her throat. "May I have a definition, please?" "It's an organization whose members are arranged in ranks according to power and seniority." Andrea mispronounces it, then spellsh-i-g-h-a-r-c-h-y. "I'm sorry, Andrea, that's incorrect." Andrea gives me a weak smile and walks away, pulling her kneesocks up along the way. I can't believe she didn't know that word. The Giver of Words ought to be able to pronounce the words, or else give up the job. "Karlene, will . . ." Mrs. Helms is talking, but I'm not paying attention. I breathe deeply, trying to oxygenate my sludgy blood, so that I can remember the contest rules about pronunciation.The judges may not disqualify a speller for asking a question. "Excuse me, Mrs. Helms, but I'm concerned about that last word. Is it possible for you to check the pronunciation before we proceed?" She gives me a double shot of the evil eye. "Pardon me?" Not a soul in the gym moves. A sharp pain spirals through my temples. She's the only teacher I've ever had who I can't get close to, not even a little bit. I always try to show her respect like I've been taught, but sometimes it's difficult. She's pretty ignorant for a teacher. I fire the second stone from my slingshot. "Ma'am, in my dictLuddy, Karon is the author of 'Spelldown ', published 2007 under ISBN 9781416916109 and ISBN 1416916105.