Wind Across the Playground

by Ross Richdale

  Howard Tremaine stared at the principal. "You are doing this on purpose!" he snorted.

  Noel glanced at Roger and saw the twinkle in the elderly man's eyes. He was enjoying himself.

  "Come now, Mr. Tremaine, surely you see our situation. February is the hottest month of the year; we have no swimming pool and only a small asphalt area that will be almost too hot to walk on in the summer heat. Without a grass area where can our children play? "

  "So you won't open the valve?" Tremaine snorted.

  Noel shrugged and glanced at Roger. "Could we open it a little, Mr. Innes?" he asked.

  "It's your decision, Mr. Overworth." The caretaker stroked his chin as if deep in thought. "I wouldn't advise it, though. We don't want our new lawn to burn off before it even gets established."

  "You bastards," Tremaine hissed again. "I know you dirty little game. We'll sue!"

  "Go ahead," Noel said in a soft voice. "It'll take six months at least to come to court, probably longer. You're lucky you're getting any water at all."

  His eyes caught those of his visitor and held. The man squirmed and glanced away.

  "What do you want?" he hissed.

  "Access to this side of the park, including those large shady trees," Noel snapped. "We will keep well away from your main pitch."

  "And in exchange?"

  "Well, our lawns won't be quite so important then, will they, Mr. Tremaine?"

  "It's blackmail," the man grumbled.

  "Is it?" Noel flashed back. "I think of it as a civil duty. The welfare of our children are important, Mr. Tremaine. We need playground facilities."

  "I'll need to talk to my committee." Tremaine whispered and stood up. "And I shall still be talking to the club's lawyers."

  "That is your democratic right, Mr. Tremaine," Noel said and held out his hand, "Thank you for coming."

  The man reluctantly shook his hand and stalked out.

  THREE DAYS LATER, THE Seaview Cricket Club relented and allowed Kent Drive School the use of all the park except a roped off central area where the main cricket infield was. The valve was turned on fill and, as Roger noted, it didn't affect their own water supply for the lawns one little bit.

  "I may have made a miscalculation there, Noel," Roger declared but that mischievous twinkle was still in the old grey eyes.

  "Nobody's perfect," the principal replied with a shrug.

  "True," Roger grunted.

  Noel was glad he'd chosen Roger as their caretaker and was sure the man would be an asset to the school.

  IN HER USUAL FORTHRIGHT manner, Kate decided to approach Wendy and ask her why she applied for the position. She found her younger colleague at the other end of the block and came straight to the point. Wendy sucked on her lip and held Kate's gaze after the question was thrust upon her.

  "It's not what you think, Kate." She replied so quietly that she was hardly heard. "In fact, my reasons are really quite boring."

  "And what are they?" Kate replied bluntly.

  "Security, I guess," Wendy replied. "Oh I admit I had a crush on Noel when I was at school and after Miss Woolstone died so tragically I felt so sorry for him." Her eyes remained on her companion. "I suppose you were the same."

  "Yes." Kate nodded.

  "It was no fun at home, you know. Mum was okay but my father was so strict and remote I couldn't relate to him at all." She grimaced. "I still can't. You know, we went to church every Sunday, my parents never smoked or drank and any sort of social contact was frowned upon, away from the church that is.

  I spent four years at Southland Girls and quite enjoyed it but I looked forward to Noel's and your letters more than those from Mum. Dad never wrote, not once." She hesitated and stared out the classroom window before continuing. "Even though I never saw either of you for years, you became my substitute parents but I guess I was living a bit of a fantasy world.

  I went to Dunedin Teachers' College and my parent's ingrained values, more or less stuck with me. While my friends went out socializing and drinking, I stayed home and just did my college work. I did well but, in hindsight, it was at a cost. I was pretty lonely at times."

  "I was a little like that, too," Kate replied in a softer voice. "My parents were also strict Presbyterians and actually put me off religion. We were pretty conservative down south, weren't we?"

  "Sure were," Wendy replied. "My PA year was in Balclutha so I went back home last year. It was the worst thing I could have done. Poor Mum tried so hard but Dad was as unbending as ever. Half way through the year we had a blazing row and he merely grunted at me the rest of the time."

  "And your social life?"

  Wendy laughed. "Oh, I went out with a few boys. A couple were really quite nice but I guess the ones who asked me out were as quiet as myself and quite boring. The one different guy I went out with was all over me and God, was I terrified?"

  Kate smiled.

  "Anyhow," Wendy continued, "I had to get away from down there and saw the vacancies at this school come up. Here was someone I knew and I wouldn't be totally alone so I applied for a position here as well as a couple of dozen others around the North Island. I won three, actually; one in Wellington and another in Hawke's Bay but accepted this one." She stopped and pouted. "As I said, a really boring life."

  Kate flushed and warmed towards her younger friend. "I think you'll enjoy it here, Wendy and you are welcome. Alexia has quite taken to you, you know."

  "She's a great kid," Wendy replied. "You can both be proud of her."

  "We are," Kate replied and lapsed into her own thoughts for a moment before standing and looking around C4, Block C, Alcove 4, Wendy's home space. "I like your charts...." The conversation turned to school things as the pair chatted away like old friends, which is what they really were.

  THE HOLIDAYS PROGRESSED at far too great a speed with Noel and Kate really working right through until mid January when they forced themselves to have a week's break and rent a cabin at a small beach in Northland. It was a lazy time of swimming and sunshine, Alexia swam with her father in pounding waves that Kate refused to go in. At night there were campfires on the beach with burnt sausages to eat. Sand went everywhere, in hair and food. Insects insisted on biting any bare skin available but it was fun and a typical New Zealand holiday.

  At the end of the week, it was back to the city. The evening was hot and shadows long as the principal walked around his domain accompanied by his wife. Between them both was a sunburned little girl holding both their hands. Blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail above dancing eyes.

  During their week away a lot had been completed at school. Concrete paths had been laid and an area as large as a double tennis court asphalted. The lawn grass was beginning to green but still couldn't be walked on and Roger had completed a fence along the roadside boundary. At the rear, a temporary wooden walkway had been built across the lawn to Kent Park with its lush green grass and row of shady trees. Everything was like before opening night of a grand opera. The new school was about to become a living identity of teachers and pupils, parents and support staff; a world of social action and a new beginning for the Overworth family.

  Everything was ready and waiting.

  CHAPTER 15

  In his first role as a principal who did not also have to also teach a class, Noel vowed to take a hands off approach and let his senior teachers instil their own values on their area of the school. He did though, tell his staff that everything would be reviewed in a month.

  After the Monday Teachers Only Day, when time was spent setting out the broad aims and encouraging a feedback from all the staff, Tuesday arrived and, with it, the children. Hundreds of them milled around or followed the signs pointing to where the various classes were situated. The Year 1 teacher, a quiet young woman named Yvonne Webber and Caroline Bolton were allocated the single classrooms in the prefab but were included in the middle syndicate under Glenda Coxon's guidance. This was the area of greatest numbers with a hundred and sixty pupils and five teachers
.

  At nine thirty, after a brief school assembly on the asphalt area where the staff was introduced and brief rules about playground usage read out, the children were sent off to the open plan blocks.

  Fifteen minutes later, Noel strolled through the buildings and differences were immediately apparent. Kate and her two assistants had discussed their procedures the day earlier and the five and six-year-old children were already placed in their three home alcoves under guidance of their teachers. Ninety children sat on the new carpet with little heads listening to their teachers while fifteen or more parents, who wanted to stay with their children, were given seats around the walls. Kate caught Noel's eyes and smiled at him.

  In Block B, the prefab children were sitting with the others in the central space while Glenda held up a colourful chart and was explaining syndicate rules.

  "There are a lot of us here, children so we must all learn to speak very quietly," she said. "Think what it would be like if everyone talked in a big loud voice. " She made her voice loud and the children giggled.

  Noel sat at the rear for a couple of moments before he moved out and across to Block A. The senior block was crowded with just over a hundred Form One and Twos, the eleven to thirteen year-old pupils.

  He could hear the commotion before he walked in. It sounded like a sports field. The children were, more or less, sitting on the carpet in the main assembly area but some boys leaned against the back wall, a few were standing and at least quarter of the pupils appeared to be fooling around. George Trinder stood at the front talking in a loud voice while the two assistant teachers sat behind him looking self-conscious.

  Noel glowered. He was not going to pull rank on his staff but there was no way he would allow this. He walked up, stood behind George with tight lips and swung his eyes around the room. Pupils at the front caught his eye and several girls dug others in the ribs and nodded to each other. More noticed and finally George realized Noel was there and stopped talking.

  Noel said nothing but waited until even the boys lounging at the back stopped chatting and silence finally settled over the open plan.

  "Excuse me, Mr. Trinder," Noel said in a quiet calm voice. "I wish to speak to the children."

  George almost looked relieved and nodded.

  Noel still waited and fixed his eyes on the boys at the rear. They caught his eye and moved away from the wall. Pupils standing sat and the fidgeting ceased.

  "You will face me," Noel said, his voice like granite. It took a few seconds with some boys still grinning at their neighbours but they eventually did.

  "Without one sound, you will all stand," Noel commanded.

  The hundred children stood but at least a quarter started to chatter again.

  Noel waited. "That is ten minutes off your lunch hour," he said, again with his volume little above a whisper. "If you wish to waste my time, you can also use up your own. Sit again." He turned to George and the two other staff to say something but stopped mid sentence as a monstrous boy in the middle of the room sniggered at his neighbour.

  Noel was angry now but he maintained his stance. Without a word, he walked down the gap in the centre of the room and stood beside the boy. Though large, the youth was still smaller than he was. Noel had lost his scraggly youthful appearance of Ashleyvale days and was a tall, powerfully built man.

  "Get out!" he said in a whisper that the whole room heard.

  The boy flushed.

  "I said get out," Noel repeated. "Go to my office. I shall talk to you later."

  "But," the boy protested. With a hundred pair of eyes on him he didn't look too brave.

  "My office, now!" Noel directed. His eyes bore into the boy.

  The room was now hushed as the pupils watched the boy walk out with his eyes downcast.

  "Now," Noel said to the assembly. "If you want to do this at lunchtime, talk. However, if you do not wish to spend your lunch hour learning to behave the way I expect, you will be absolutely quiet." He waited for his words to sink in before continuing. "Stand!"

  This time only the scuffle of shoes on wood could be heard as the embarrassed children rose to their feet.

  "You will all file out to the asphalt area where you assembled at nine o'clock. Nobody will talk, push or show their ignorance. Please file out."

  Outside, the hundred children assembled without a sound.

  "That was good," Noel said and smiled for the first time. "When you go inside this time, the girls will sit on the left-hand side of the centre aisle and the boys will go to the right. You will full up the front area first and sit on the carpet without talking."

  Five minutes later, the senior children were sitting without a sound. "Very good," Noel replied. "That is what I expect from the senior pupils at Kent Drive School. Mr. Trinder, will you please take over."

  Noel left, but only when he was out of sight did he show his emotion, "Bugger," he swore. Everything he had intended to be went wrong. He should not have pulled rank on his deputy principal but what else should he have done? The senior open plan was a shambles and he couldn't let it continue that way.

  He stormed into the administration block and almost tripped over the boy there.

  "Go in." he said and followed the boy into the office.

  "Your name, lad?" he asked.

  "Gary Lockhart," the boy muttered.

  "I see. Okay Gary, if you wish to impress me, show me the good things you can do. In one week, you will bring me all your exercise books and show me the work you've done. If it is of a good standard, we will forget today's episode. You may go back to your class."

  "Yes Sir," the boy replied and walked to the door.

  "And Gary," Noel said.

  The boy turned.

  "Be a leader, not a fool,"

  The boy grinned. "Yes Sir," he replied and walked away.

  "Trouble?" Sarah said from the front office.

  "Just setting the standards, Sarah," Noel replied and grimaced. "Well, trying to. I've been here an hour and broken one rule I set for myself already."

  Sarah glanced around; saw there was nobody there and spoke. "George Trinder is a nice guy but I heard his last school was glad he left," she whispered.

  "Damn," Noel muttered. "I thought only Kate knew all the hot gossip."

  Sarah smiled. "It seems that..."

  Noel broke his second rule he had set himself. He had vowed not to listen to gossip but the news about George was interesting, to say the least.

  "So why didn't you tell me earlier," he said five minutes later. "We could have prevented an embarrassing situation."

  "And if I had, would you have taken any notice?" Sarah said.

  "Probably not," Noel replied. "I'm glad you're my office assistant, though. I have a feeling you're going to be a sounding board quite often."

  "I don't mind. Isn't that what ex-mother-in-laws are for?"

  "No," Noel corrected. "That's what friends are for."

  AT MORNING INTERVAL, Noel was still in his office doing administration work when there was a knock on the door and a very sheepish George stood there.

  "I came to apologize for letting you down," he said.

  Noel stood walked across the room and laid a hand affectionately on his deputy's shoulder. "You never let anyone down, George," he replied. "There is nothing to apologize for. We are professional people who are here to do a job and that includes helping each other. This is not a military hierarchy."

  George studied Noel and relaxed a little. "I appreciate that," he continued. "It's just that I'm not used to the older children. My last school only went to Standard Four and the children were easier to work with."

  "That's why we're having this trial month," Noel explained. "The newsletter going home today will explain it to the parents. We're all new here and most of us are strangers who need to get to know each other. As I said at yesterday's staff meeting, everyone has a part to play. If we are to succeed, we must pull together." He frowned. "Unfortunately, I broke my own rule and should be apo
logizing to you for taking over."

  He held his hand out and George shook it warmly.

  "You're different from the principals I've worked with, I'll tell you that much," the deputy principal said. "Thank you for being so tolerant of an old has been."

  Noel stood in silence as the older man walked away and thought of the gossip Sarah had told him about. It was destructive and judgmental. George could have ignored the situation but the fact he came and apologized showed he cared. Noel was not about to write the man off as a bad debt yet.

  He walked along to the staffroom and glanced around at the sea of faces. All had aspirations, needs and personalities. He reached for a cup of coffee and purposely went and sat beside the timid looking Year One teacher.

  "How's it going, Yvonne?" he asked.

  The girl looked across at him and smiled, "Great, Mr. Overworth," she said. "The children are all bubbling with enthusiasm."

  "Call me Noel," the principal replied.

  "Sure, Noel," Yvonne replied and he could see her physically relax.

  Across the room, Kate was chatting with two other women whose names he had forgotten and Sarah held Wendy in an earnest conversation. George sat by Roger who waved his hands around while something was explained. There were only three men in the room and over a dozen women but that was the trend in the New Zealand primary service. It was becoming more and more a female profession.

  The bell rang and Noel looked up to see Alexia waiting at the door for him.

  "Hi Sweetheart," he said as he walked out. "How was your morning?"

  Alexia beamed. "I'm in Mrs. Bolton's class, Dad and you know what?"

  "What?"

  "Half the class is from my old one from Summerhill Heights School."

  "So you're pleased to have Mrs. Bolton again?"

  "Sure am, Dad." Alexia laughed. "And I have Mrs. Coxon for reading and we're..." Her voice babbled on enthusiastically before she skipped away to class.