‘Never mind.’
I contemplated asking if there were any cups but due to our current communication difficulties I elected not to and made our drinks in two mugs instead. Perhaps I could gently prompt her to obtain some cups.
She was not finished though, ‘I just can’t see how anyone would actually wanna drink tea that didn’t smell, well, like tea should,’ she said.
Fighting my disappointment and slight indignation I said ‘It tastes better with Lemon.’
‘I hate Lemons, its bad enough it smells like flowers. Making it smell like a fruit n veg stall just doesn’t float my boat I’m afraid.’
Point made. I had to admit I was surprised that she had even tried it. Not liking it was odd but her comparison to a fruit and veg shop was quite frankly insane in my opinion.
Stacy allowed me check my email in box, it was still empty apart from some further automatic out of office replies and a message telling me I was owed a large sum of compensation from “my accident”. I was not aware that I had been in an accident, other than my life in general metaphorically speaking.
In my classroom there was a small pile of papers containing the information on the young people I was due to teach the following week as well as some course materials. As I was looking through the course work Dan appeared.
‘Hello Dan, how are you?’
He walked over to me and made a fist, as we touched he said ‘Fist pump.’
‘Fist pump indeed,’ I replied, unable to keep the smile from my face.
‘This is for you,’ he said. Producing a bus timetable and placing it on my desk.
At that moment I was incapable of a response, I still had some underlying guilt from the day before and was not expecting him to have been overly enthusiastic about talking to me, let alone go out of his way to obtain me a timetable, a gift essentially.
‘Dan, thanks. I’m very….touched.’
This was true; I had a range of conflicting emotions as I sat back and watched him walk away, I was genuinely beginning to develop a feeling of, what? I couldn’t put my finger on it but I was quite taken aback by Dan’s thoughtfulness. I spent the next hour or so organising myself for my teaching debut, eventually Stacy appeared with the tea trolley.
‘Tea and biccies time!’ she announced.
I could feel a palpable sense of dread rising when she placed the mug in front of me; however it was immediately obvious that she had made me Earl Grey. With a theatrical flourish she produced a small dish from underneath the trolley which contained a slice of Lemon.
‘The Lemon’s from Yu.’
As pleased as I was at the Earl Grey, I had to correct her appalling grammar.
‘You mean for you?’
‘No dipstick, it’s from Yu! The Cook!’
‘Oh, of course. Sorry.’
‘Your blushing!’ she exclaimed with a grin.
Alas this was almost certainly true as I was feeling very embarrassed at my latest verbal blunder.
‘Anyway, she has also made you breakfast. C’mon.’
I had engrossed myself in my teaching preparation so much that I had forgotten about how hungry I was. As we ate yet another Full English I was able to find out that my ‘group’ next week was made up of local young people who were unemployed.
‘They may give you a bit of a hard time at first but just stay strong, be the boss. I hope they want their jobseekers allowance enough to toe the line.’
‘If they don’t?’
‘Well I’ll back you up, but essentially they don’t get the job seekers if they don’t attend or get kicked off so they can’t push it too far.’
‘I see. I’m sure it will be fine,’ although I had to admit I was starting to feel slightly nervous about the whole thing.
‘Great, listen can you do me a favour?’
‘I will certainly try.’
‘Can you take Dan to the shop? We need more milk and he likes to go but I get worried, sometimes he has had a hard time from some of the locals.’
‘Of course, no problem,’ at least I could be doing something for Dan; this might help me address my feelings of guilt.
‘Thanks, we can couch it so that he is showing you where the shop is. He’ll like that.’
‘That’s fine.’
So Dan and I set off for the local shop, I actually already knew where it was as I passed it twice a day during my commute to the centre and back. In fact it was within sight of the centre and as I glanced back I could see Stacy surreptitiously watching from a window. I decided not to let Dan know that I already knew where the shop was as he was obviously taking his tour guide job very seriously.
As we approached it a group of four young men were exiting, we stood back to allow them to pass when one of them noticed Dan.
‘Hey mate, nice cap!’ he said referring to Dan’s head gear. Dan beamed in response but before either of us could say anything the young man had snatched it from his head.
‘It’s cool. I think I am gonna keep it. You don’t have a problem with that do ya?’
There was a chorus of giggles from his friends standing behind him. This was what Stacy was worried about and why I was here.
‘Just give it him back,’ I said.
He looked at me for the first time and it obviously came as some surprise to him to find that I was accompanying Dan.
‘Or what?’ he said somewhat aggressively.
This was the type of “yobbish” behaviour that one could expect from idiots like this. When challenged he automatically resorted to aggression and plenty of it. However one thing history had shown was that intelligence always beats aggression and I had plenty of that, I felt.
‘Or you will be immersing yourself in ignominy.’
He quite clearly did not have clue how to respond, he just looked at me and then down at the cap he was still holding in his hands.
‘What, you mean you can catch it?’ he asked.
Oh good grief! Did this Neanderthal seriously think that Down’s syndrome was infectious?
‘If by “catch it” you mean a portion of Dan’s humanity and compassion? Then yes I certainly hope so.’
He held the hat out to Dan as if it might explode.
‘Here mate, take it back.’
‘You can have it,’ Dan said.
Neither of us was expecting Dan to say that and we looked at each other, both of us unsure how to respond. I did not want to upset Dan by refusing to allow him his act of kindness but I also did not want him to be taken advantage of.
‘Kurt man, chuck it at him. You don’t wanna catch being a spacker!’ one of his cronies called out from behind him. To my surprise he did not throw it, he turned still holding the cap and glared at the person who had made the comment, the group fell silent. There was no doubt that Kurt was the Alpha male in this pack.
He turned back to Dan and said, ‘No listen mate, it’s your cap, you should have it,’ as he held it out. Dan stepped forward and took the cap from him.
‘Ok,’ Dan said. Then before I had time to realise what he was going to do next and stop him, he kissed Kurt on the cheek. I froze, surely if ever there was a catalyst for Kurt to become violent that was just it? I stared at Kurt, Kurt stared at Dan and Dan calmly put his cap back on.
There was more laughter from behind, ‘Kurt’s pulled!’, ‘Got a new boyfriend Kurt?’ The laughter continued as well as some inexplicable hand gestures which appeared to be attempts to remove something unpleasant from their fingers by flicking their wrists towards the ground.
Kurt’s expression hardened and I was anticipating an aggressive response directed at Dan, instinctively I stepped between them. Kurt glared at me.
‘Oh yeah?’ he challenged. ‘What you gonna do, bore me to death?’
I did not respond, not because I was attempting to outstare or intimidate him but simply because I had no idea what to say or do next.
‘Don’t get in my face man!’ he threatened me.
I still had no idea what to do
next.
‘Alright hard man, I’ll let it go this time. But don’t be fronting up to me less you want some grief, got it?’ I still said nothing.
He turned back towards his group who were still giggling and making inane comments about Dan, ‘What? What? You got something to say?’ he challenged. Getting no response he continued, ‘C’mon say it now! No? Well shut up then!’
Facing us again the hard expression slowly dissolved, ‘Why did he do that?’ he asked me.
I was taken aback by Kurt’s sudden change in demeanour, a few seconds before he was threatening me now he wanted my advice. None of this encounter made any sense.
‘His name is Dan,’ I said and relishing the moment added, ‘Why don’t you ask him?’
Dan had moved around me so that he could see what was going on.
‘Dan mate, why did you do that?’ Kurt asked.
‘Cos we are friends now.’
‘Ok mate, friends, yeah. With you though,’ he added glaring at me again. I assumed this was to reinforce to me that I was not going to win a popularity contest with him. Oh what a tragic loss! I thought to myself.
‘Fist pump,’ Dan announced offering his fist. Kurt looked down at it and then gave his now silent group another glare before touching fists. ‘Ok mate.’ ‘See you later,’ he said to Dan.
Kurt then glared at me one final time for good measure, turned and walked away. As he did so I heard him say to his group ‘Anyone touches him they are dead, got it?’ There were some mummers in response but no one in the group seemed to wish to challenge him.
He then added for my benefit, ‘That only applies to Dan though,’ grinning at me as he said it.
‘Yeah, sorted,’ one of his group responded. ‘You better watch your back pal!’ the idiot called out to me.
‘Delightful people,’ I muttered to myself.
I noticed that Stacy was standing across the road; she must have witnessed the scene unfolding from the window and had come out to help. I felt quite touched by her concern but also quite proud to have dealt with the potential conflict myself as well as relieved to have lived through it.
She mouthed ‘Ok?’ at me. I just nodded and entered the shop with Dan, making sure she could not see the grin that was spreading across my face.
‘What happened there then?’ Stacy asked as we returned to the centre.
‘Oh, we bought some milk,’ I offered.
In truth I had been expecting to be questioned and was paraphrasing the encounter with the shop keeper who had asked me ‘What was going on?’ Dan had answered ‘We are buying milk,’ on my behalf, it amused me and on the spur of the moment I decided to repeat it for Stacy’s benefit.
‘Alright smarty pants! What really happened?’
What had happened? I could simply relay the encounter but I was sure there was a deeper significance to the interaction. Dan had yet again shown incredible kindness, Kurt had looked like he had been affected by the whole thing as well and me? Well I felt quite proud of myself at having been able to manage the situation; as long as my group were not as bad as those boys I would be fine.
‘The reason I am asking,’ Stacy continued. ‘Is because you just met your group.
Chapter 6.
‘You have got to be kidding!’ The sudden anger I felt towards Stacy was unexpected, confusing and to be truthful very unusual for me.
‘Why, what’s up?’ she said frowning.
‘What’s up? You knew there was a chance that those hooligans could accost Dan and you are still inviting them into the centre, his centre!’
‘Well everyone deserves a chance,’ she said quietly.
‘Really? What about Dan? Will he have much of a chance once they are here!? Or even me? They basically threatened me with physical harm and now you expect me to teach them!’ I was nearly shouting.
‘Well if you don’t think you can cope now is the time to say!’ she fired back.
What on earth was wrong with her, could she not see that she was in the wrong? It was a simple enough notion.
‘Cope? You don’t cope with that you survive it! It’s not only me I am worried about, what about Dan?
‘If that’s the case then maybe this is an opportunity to help those boys? Kurt is basically a good lad; he just hides behind his bravado. Maybe you can teach him about leadership?’ She was challenging me now but I was not playing.
‘Leadership? For god’s sake! He thought you could catch Down’s Syndrome!’
‘Exactly! He leads that group but has no idea how to do it. He saw you as a challenge and responded the only way he knows how.’
‘He is an idiot!’
‘Well teach him then!’ she snapped.
We both turned and walked in opposite directions.
What an infuriating woman! How could she be so blind as to actually invite trouble in? Yes everyone deserves a chance but there must be more deserving cases out there surely? I spent the rest of the morning preparing for Monday. Why was I wasting my time? There was no point in even trying to teach Kurt and his gang. What about poor old Dan. How would he cope? What about me?
A short time later I heard ‘Peace offering?’ and looked up from my desk. Stacy had brought me another cup of Earl Grey and a slice of Lemon. Well at last she had seen some sense and had obviously come to apologise not only for her outburst but for her error of judgement I assumed.
‘I err, I had a normal brew,’ she said.
‘Well that’s for the best.’
‘Ok….. Can we talk?’
What did she think we were doing? ‘We already are aren’t we?’
‘I mean about what happened before?’
‘Yes perhaps we should.’
There was a longish pause before she said ‘Can I sit down?’
I became aware that for some inexplicable reason my manner was making her feel uncomfortable. Perhaps she realised she was in the wrong?
‘Of course,’ I said gesturing to a chair.
‘Right,’ she said as she sat. ‘I’m worried.’
‘So am I, those boys…..’
‘Not about the boys……. about you,’ she interrupted.
‘Look, I don’t like the idea of being attacked any more than you would, so maybe a few rules for them to follow before they start?’ I said.
‘That’s not the problem.’
What? Worried about me, what on earth could she have to be worried about other than my physical safety? I was after all essentially saving the centre; I had protected Dan, I even put up with drinking from mugs. What was the problem?
‘The problem is we have only known each other for two days and we are already arguing. That doesn’t seem right somehow. I am worried we won’t be able to work together.’ she continued.
‘I see,’ I was unsure about how to respond. I was used to being in charge and things being done my way. If someone disliked my methods they could leave, only it was me that would have to leave this time around.
‘I know you feel protective towards Dan, we all do. But I set this centre up to give those who need a chance exactly that, a chance.’
This was starting to come across as a pre-planned speech so I waited for her to continue.
‘I would never let anything bad happen to Dan or any of the members here, including you. But I really want to give those boys a chance too; I need to give them a chance in order to stay open…’
She was almost apologetic. I thought about my alternatives, and quickly realised that I did not have any so I elected to try and smooth things over. I was sure I could put up with things for a few weeks until I was sorted out.
‘I understand, but you need to understand also that I’m worried about it as well.’
‘Yes I get that, but are you just worried about Dan and Kurt, or is more about you and them?’
‘What does that mean?’ I snapped.
‘Ok, sorry. I didn’t mean that in the way it sounded. Are you worried that this type of teaching is not for you?’
Wel
l yes I was, but I was not letting on.
‘No, I just want to make sure Dan is ok,’ and I live through it I almost said.
‘Ok, well you’ve got a one hundred per cent Stacy guarantee.’
‘A what?’
She sighed, ‘I guarantee that Dan will be ok, alright? I or one of the volunteers will watch over him and you will watch over Kurt and Co knowing we have got your back. They need a good teacher to get the best out of them, someone who really knows what they are doing.’
‘I see,’ was she seriously doubting my abilities? I was not going to be the problem, they were.
‘So…’
‘So?’
‘Us?’
‘What about us?’
‘Are we gonna be able to work together?’
‘I should imagine so.’ After all I was not planning on being here long, I didn’t add.
She smiled and squeezed my hand, ‘I think we should agree that if we are having a difference of opinion we sort it out like this. Not yelling at each other in the corridor?’
‘Agreed,’ I said.
‘You were lucky we weren’t in the kitchen!’
‘Why?’
‘Yu is very protective of me and she has all sorts of things that can do you bodily harm in there….’
‘Maybe she should teach them? Cookery or something?’ I could help.’
She laughed although I was being serious.
‘Yu would kill them in a matter of minutes.’
She got up to leave, ‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘If we can use our energy positively rather than fight I am sure we can do good things here, perhaps even make it permanent at some point? A paying job maybe?’
I understood she was offering me an olive branch and just smiled at her. There may well be a job here in the future, but not for me. I finished off the day and said goodbye to everyone. Walking home I realised I had forgotten to check my emails; how on earth did I allow that to happen? Now I would not be able to do so again until Monday, a whole weekend away.
Using Dan’s timetable I elected to catch a bus to the supermarket rather than walk home. Once there I purchased enough food to get me through the weekend and some more Earl Grey. As I wandered the isles with my hand basket my mind was preoccupied with the events of the day and my frustration at not checking my emails. As a result I had been filling my basket in an absent minded manner. When I looked down at what I had selected to provide for myself for the weekend I realised I could not afford it. Smoked Salmon, steak and fresh vegetables did not equate to living on benefits.
It's Only Temporary Page 6