by Katy Lilley
‘How was it?’
There was no sign of Liz.
‘Gone to the loo,’ Pam said when she noticed Maisie glancing around. ‘To refresh the lippy no doubt.’
Maisie grinned. Liz’s very red lips had made an impact. ‘Ah well, each to their own. I couldn’t cope with all the retouch and refresh stuff. Anyway, it’s over to you now.’
Pam bit her lip. ‘Between us? I know fine well I’m not quite ready for a headship, but I put in for it to annoy Liz. She was so full of the fact that she should be the obvious choice, I decided I’d apply. If nothing else it will be good experience for when I am ready, and it annoyed her good and proper. She even told me not to bother.’ She grinned. ‘I told her it was too late; I’d gone and done it.’
‘You might surprise yourself,’ Maisie said. She could get to like Pam, and reckoned she’d be a good asset to any school. ‘Go slay em.’
Pam giggled. ‘I can just imagine the furore if I did.’ Footsteps sounded outside the room. Not the clack-clack of heels but the measured tread of Terry Piltman. Pam swallowed and went pale. ‘Is it worth it?’
‘Of course, it is,’ Maisie said in a fierce undertone. ‘Even if you suck, which you will not, you don’t need to tell Liz that do you? You can come out at the end, head held high and go. ‘Ohh, that went ever so well, they were very impressed. That’ll get her going.’
‘I like it.’ Pam regained her colour, just as the door opened. ‘Here we go.’
She waited until Terry did his ‘will you follow me’ chat and stood up. Maisie watched them leave and sat back in her chair. There was tea and coffee along with biscuits on a side table, but she didn’t want anything, except to go to the loo. Luckily the ladies had been pointed out to her, and if Liz was still titivating herself, she’d have to put up with Maisie having a wee. Somethings were now, not later, and weeing, Maisie decided was one of the now things.
In the event she approached the door just as Liz emerged. The other woman narrowed her eyes. ‘Just out?’
Maisie smiled and nodded. ‘Just now. It went really well. They seemed to approve of my ideas for moving forward.’
Bitchy but it was worth it, she decided, just to see Liz’s glare get even more, well, glarier, if that was a word. ‘Excuse me,’ Maisie added in a pleasant voice. ‘I need the loo.’
By the time she got back to the staff room she regretted her cattiness. If, and it was a big if, she got the job, and Liz was her deputy they’d have to work together in reasonable harmony. Backbiting and antagonism wouldn’t help. Not that she was the sort of person to moan about someone behind their back. Maisie would much prefer to say what she thought to the person concerned. As her mum used to say, she’d rather speak to the organ grinder, not the monkey.
However, not in a bitchy way. Unless it was deserved.
Mind made up, that from now on she’d be courteous and sweetness and light—unless severely provoked - Maisie re-entered the staff room. Liz glanced up from her phone but didn’t speak.
Over to me then. Maisie walked to the kettle. ‘I’m making a coffee,’ she said pleasantly. ‘Would you like one?’
Liz shook her head. ‘I never drink caffeine, I don’t need stimulants, artificial or otherwise.’
That’s me told then. ‘Fine.’ Maisie made herself a cup and walked to sit on the opposite side of the room. It was probably just as well. She didn’t want Liz to think she was being poisoned and Maisie well knew, her coffee took a lot of getting used to. If you ever did. The recent sessions with Bryony had highlighted that.
Chapter Three
Maisie sipped the coffee and looked around. The room wasn’t overlarge, but if there were only four members of staff, then it didn’t need to be. It had all the necessities. Mind you, she ruminated, as the clock made its stentorian ticking noise with the odd groan and missed tick, she’d been told if they admitted five more children they’d be entitled to another teacher. That sounded fine in theory, but the necessity of rearranging classes, and working out which classes would be composite, which might not be and who would have the most diverse age group would cause headaches. However, if she got the job, and if it happened, that would be the time to worry, not now.
For now, she’d enjoy her coffee, and wait to see what happened.
What happened was Pam came out and slumped into a chair. ‘Phew.’
‘Tough, was it?’ Liz said in a nasty smug, well what did you expect voice. ‘Well, that’s to be expected. Experience is what they are looking for.’
‘Tough?’ Pam winked at Maisie. ‘Not tough, just fair. It went extremely well, but now I need a coffee.’
Liz harrumphed.
‘Want me to make it?’ Maisie asked. ‘I’ll warn you though, I make awful coffee. I like it but no one else does. My best mate calls it Maisie’s sludge-fest.’
‘I’ll take you up on a cup, please,’ Pam said. ‘It can’t be any worse than mine. We could do a ‘my coffee is worse than your coffee thing’, like kids and the ‘my dad is bigger than your dad stuff’. Any idea how long it will be before we’re put out of our misery?’
Maisie shrugged. ‘Not a clue. Depends if there’s a lot of disagreement, I guess.’ She made Pam’s coffee and handed it over. ‘I won’t be embarrassed if you decided to tip it away.’
Pam took a sip. ‘Tip it away? Never, you’re streets ahead of me. No need to do a brag after all.’
‘That’s not difficult,’ Liz said. ‘You just don’t take care.’ She took out her lipstick and a mirror and re-coloured her already well coloured lips. ‘Take make up for instance. With a little more thought, you could do a reasonable job.’ She snapped the mirror shut. ‘Presentation counts.’
Pam opened her mouth and shut it. ‘You’re probably right,’ she said at last. ‘It just depends on what presentation a person decides is necessary. Hello. I hear footsteps. Is this where I say prepare to meet thy doom?’
Maisie laughed. Pam had a lovely dry sense of humour. Liz scowled. She really had a good line in scowls. ‘Really, Pamela. This is no time for a childish attitude.’
‘Ohh, Pamela, you sound like my gran. What’s childish about doom?’ Pam said. ‘Scary if you ask me.’
‘Well, you obviously didn’t do as well as you thought you did,’ Liz snapped.
Oops, claws out.
Pam sniggered. ‘Liz, your claws are showing.’ She obviously agreed with Maisie’s summing up. ‘I did exactly as well as I thought I did. I have no false illusions.’
Maisie sat back and wondered what Liz’s comeback would be. She didn’t have time to find out as Terry Piltman once more entered the room. He must get mighty fed up of crossing those same few yards so often.
‘Ladies, thank you for your patience. Miss Loftus, would you come through again.’
‘Obviously telling those who have no chance first,’ Liz said in such a smug voice, Maisie wanted to slap her. ‘Get the unpleasantness over and done with.’
Maisie smiled non committally. She had no idea how they would go about things. She thought they would call the candidate chosen in first in case they had changed their mind and the committee would need to change theirs. Then if that person confirmed they were happy to accept the offer, and take up the position, they’d inform the unsuccessful candidates, but how would she know? Her last interview had been years before, and she had no idea how things had changed. Or indeed if they had.
She didn’t have long to find out. Pam reappeared a few seconds later and shook her head. ‘Not me,’ she said. ‘May the best other woman win.’
‘It’s not a lottery,’ Liz snapped. ‘This is a serious business. You need to understand and respect that.’ No wonder you weren’t selected, her tone inferred.
When Maisie heard Terry clear his throat and ask her to accompany him, she reckoned Liz had the way of it.
She entered the room and Dario winked briefly.
‘Now, Miss MacLean,’ Terry began. ‘We’d like to thank you for attending once more and assure you Mr Monk
had no part in making this decision.’
Maisie smiled, ready to act the gracious loser. She didn’t need to. She was offered the job.
Strangely enough, now the time had come she had no qualms about accepting, with, she thought privately, the proviso Stanley understood and they worked out what would happen. He sounded so positive about her applying she couldn’t see him now saying no, don’t go, but even so… If he did she’d have to renege.
As requested by Terry, she didn’t return to the staff room immediately but waited in a nearby classroom until Liz had been called in. It seemed an unusual way of doing things but who was she to know? Presumably they wanted to tell Liz she was unsuccessful before she saw Maisie.
Maisie went back to find her bag, and saw Pam still there, albeit ready to leave, her handbag over her arm and her jacket in her hand.
‘I have to know what’s happened,’ Pam said. ‘They very kindly told me I needed more experience and if the chosen person decided not to take the job, they still felt I wasn’t ready for it, which was fair enough, and I agree. So, am I to have dear Liz bossing me around next term without a real reason to do so?’
Maisie shook her head. ‘Nope, you’ll have me to do that. And only if there is a real reason. I prefer not to boss but discuss and reason.’
Pam’s eyes opened wide and she high fived. ‘Well, what a pleasant turn up for the books. Congratulations. I’ll look forward to seeing you then. Now, I’m off PDQ before Liz comes out breathing fire and so on. She’s not a good loser. You? Off I mean, not the loser bit.’
‘For today, and most people aren’t. Good losers. Though I guess in the main they try not to show it. Tomorrow you’ll see me again. I’m back to chat to the governors and get another tour round the school.’ She didn’t say any more. There wasn’t much else she could say except if ‘Liz has a go at me life is going to be interesting’, and that wouldn’t help the situation—if it arose.
They left together. Pam went towards a Mini parked outside. ‘Do you want a lift?’
Maisie shook her head. ‘I’m fine, thanks. I’ll walk and think about what I need to do and ask tomorrow.’
‘We’re not a bad bunch, honestly,’ Pam said earnestly. ‘Okay, Liz thinks she should be head, but she’s had a lot of extra work this term with one thing and another and I guess it’s natural to think that if you can do something temporarily why not do it permanently. However, she does go about stuff like a bull in a china shop sometimes. And before you think that’s me bad mouthing her,’ Pam said hastily. ‘I’m not, she says that herself. Last year we all had to do a mini bio about ourselves and she said that in it.’
‘Ha, ha, okay. What did you say about you?’
‘I talk too much,’ Pam replied and laughed. ‘Seriously, Liz will be fine once everything settles down next term. And she’s a wiz at timetabling.’
‘Good, I’m not sure I am. See you.’ Maisie wasn’t sure she agreed with everything Pam said, but then only time would tell. Nor was she satisfied she’d hand over such an important job as timetabling to someone else before she got to know everyone’s strengths and weaknesses. She could well imagine her attempts to be fair and open translated as unable to do her job properly. Oh, the potential pitfalls.
Deep in thought, Maisie made her way back down the hill to the track that led towards Dario and Bryony’s house. Had she done the correct thing? Should she have asked for time to think it over? Once again, she wondered what Stanley would say? Yes, he’d been incredibly supportive, but hadn’t mentioned where he came into things. With hindsight, she was more and more certain she should she have asked him before she accepted. However, would it have made a difference? Somehow, she doubted it. What if she’d told the interviewers she needed time and talked it over with him? It might well have shown her in a detrimental light. As a ‘can’t make her mind up’ sort of person. Which generally, she wasn’t. She scrabbled in her bag, found a mint and sucked it as she pondered over everything that had happened. She’d text Stanley when she got back to Bryony’s.
The half hour walk would give her a chance to sort out some of the myriad of thing that occupied her mind. At least the problem of where to live was resolved, if she chose it to be. Terry had informed her a local resident had offered a house in the village for rent, and she could go and see it the following day if she wished. Even though she knew there was always a room for her with Bryony and Dario, she liked the idea of her own space. Somewhere for Stanley to stay with me when he visits or whatever. Somewhere to rant, swear, and rail. Not that she actually understood the rail bit, but rant and swear seemed eminently sensible under certain circumstances.
Just before she reached the top of the track, Dario drew up beside her in his all singing, all dancing four by four. ‘Want a lift, lady?’ he drawled. ‘Ahs’a gowhin’ yo’ way.’
Maisie laughed at the silly over-the-top southern USA accent. ‘Aw, you put it so nicely. Shucks and lordy, Sir, sahnds good to me.’ She got into the passenger seat and fastened the seatbelt as the car began to dodge the worst of the ruts.
‘I must see about getting this re-graded,’ Dario muttered as one deep and unmissable rut set the vehicle rocking. ‘It’s not all up to me, but I guess if I don’t set the ball rolling no one else will.’
‘Maybe leave it in case Bry goes over her due date and you need to get labour started,’ Maisie suggested. ‘Mind you, if she has short a time as she did with Theo, maybe not, and they do say a second child comes faster. But don’t take my word as gospel. I honestly have no idea if that is true or not.’
Dario went pale. ‘I’m getting it done tomorrow,’ he said. ‘Re-graded, tarmac, grit boxes, hell, a snow plough for the ride on lawn mower, the lot. Driving to hospital for Theo’s birth was bloody scary, and I’m not going through that again. They ran Bry’s trolley down the corridor, telling her to pant not push. The doctor was trying to gown up as they ran and I was thrown a gown, cap and overshoes and told not to go into the delivery room without them. We made it, just, but it was touch and go. I’ve threatened to rent a flat in the same street as the hospital for the last two months of this pregnancy. Bry says not if I value my body as it is. Shit, if she had her way it would be a home birth. I’m shaking at the thought. I’d be incapable, incoherent, insane, and any other in you can think of.’
Maisie grinned, although she could sympathise with him. Theo’s labour had been short and evidently not sweet. ‘Incontinent? Incapacitated? Incognito? In a blue funk?’
‘All of them.’
‘What’s wrong with a home birth?’
‘Everything, nothing, who knows?’ Dario navigated the entrance to his and Bryony’s garden. ‘Theo had her cord around her neck, I was glad we were where they have everything available if needed. I’d like that again, the availability not the cord. That was one of the worst moments of my life. And it’s two anyway, she’s been told it’s got to be a hospital birth and I’m all in favour.’
‘Ah well, no doubt the midwife will advise what’s needed,’ Maisie said. ‘And you’ve a few months to think about it first. For now, I want to pick your brains. Where’s this house I can rent?’
Dario pulled up on the gravel drive outside the garage. ‘Daps Cottage? It’s the once next to Bry’s shop.’
‘I thought that was called Iris or something? And belonged to you two?’
Dario laughed. ‘It was, and it does. However, when it was offered to be used for a new head teacher if need be, it was renamed Daps after the local slang for plimmies. Plimsolls as worn by the kids for PE. Apt for a head teacher’s home, we thought.’
‘And was it always on offer?’ Maisie asked. ‘Or only when you knew who the new head was?’
Dario smiled. ‘Well let’s face it, if you hadn’t got the job it wouldn’t be needed. Pam lives across the river with her parents and Liz lives in Great Bristow with her husband and kids. You three were the remains of the shortlist. Mind you, if you’d not got the job it would have been re-advertised and maybe the off
er of accommodation rescinded, who knows. But you got it on your own merit, so…’
‘So, thank you,’ Maisie said. ‘It’s appreciated.’
‘There would always be room for you with us,’ Dario said. ‘But Bry and I thought you’d prefer your own space.’
‘And it’s great then for you to take your godchild overnight for some one-to-one bonding.’ Bryony had come up to the car, unnoticed. ‘Though I promise not until she’s stopped feeding and teething.’
Maisie did a theatrical over the top brow wiping action. ‘Phew, I’d not be any help with the first, and not sure about the second unless it’s whisky on the gums. Or is that for toothache?’
‘My gran used to swear that tobacco should be put on a toothache,’ Dario said as he took Theo from Bryony and snuggled his daughter close. ‘But that’s very non pc these days. I seem to remember it made me feel sick and took my mind off the pain, so perhaps that was why she recommended it.’
‘Cold teething rings are the best I can think of, and cuddles of course,’ Bryony said. ‘Rusks are too messy and anyway, Theo hates them.’
‘Cuddles I could manage,’ Maisie said. ‘You’d have to provide the teething ring. I’m guessing you know my news?’
‘Well,’ Bryony replied and grinned. ‘I did demand a text from my beloved when we knew, so I could chill the fizz. For celebration. After all my phone was deafening in its silence. And all he said was champagne needed with a smiley emoji, so I took that as good news, not bad.’
‘Yeah, sorry, a lot to take in. What if I hadn’t got it? Or asked for time to consider?’
‘I’d still have chilled it, but for commiseration for the first, and plied you with drink with regards to the second so you’d say yes anyway.’
‘Fair enough. But you can’t have any and it would be sacrilege to soda fizz down, somehow it doesn’t seem right.’