I wouldn’t go as far to say that Matilda’s mum smiled at Dad, but as the principal started talking by saying, ‘We’ve had a conflict this morning that we hope we as a school and family can learn from,’ she gave him this look that I think she hoped embodied all of the things the parents at the school think that the school is, like calm and progressive. I wondered if Matilda’s mum realised that her daughter is racist. I could tell that Matilda’s parents were surprised by the way Dad looked, how his tanned skin fitted their stereotype of how an Aboriginal person should look. I imagined Matilda telling them about the girl in her class who thought she was Aboriginal even though she wasn’t black.

And then after the principal explained that Matilda had commented on me not being cold because of being Aboriginal, Matilda’s mum said, ‘Well that’s a perfectly normal assumption to make, isn’t it? Aboriginal people are with the earth and lived without clothes for thousands of years before we arrived.’

My jaw hit the ground.

Dad leaned forwards. ‘Aboriginal people weren’t wearing Birkenstocks and tie-dye, but they were wearing clothes in cold climates,’ he said.

Matilda’s dad smirked, which made me say, ‘Doesn’t anyone even realise what’s racist about her statement?’

Everyone looked at me, even the principal, and I wondered if she even knew.

‘Would you like to explain?’ the principal asked. It sure become apparent that she wasn’t going to explain, so I guess I had to.

‘The statement suggests that I’m – we – that Aboriginal people aren’t human. That we’re like animals; that we don’t have feelings; that we don’t feel things.’ I turned to Matilda. ‘I’m sorry that I hurt you, but what you said – the things you’ve said since I’ve come to this school – have really hurt me.’

Matilda started crying and her mum started crying too, and her dad positioned himself between them and hugged them both. The principal leaned in and patted Matilda on the shoulder and I sat there feeling like I’d done something wrong. Had I done something wrong? Was I supposed to just accept these things? Was I supposed to sit quietly?

The principal said, ‘I think I can safely say that Matilda has high regard for all of her peers and wouldn’t have tried to hurt you deliberately—’

‘That’s a completely inappropriate thing to say in this situation,’ Dad interrupted and I thought, Go Dad!

‘Pardon?’ the principal asked.