Wisps of Wisdom

by Ross Richdale

  "What?" Belinda gasped.

  "It was a choice between you and one of the other DPs here. After visiting your syndicate, Stuart decided you were the best person for the position and I support his choice."

  "Oh my God!" Belinda's eyes lit up in excitement. "For half of next year, too you say."

  "Yes. It'll be hard work for the school is quite run down. However, I have every faith in your ability. If you do well and I'm sure you will, you'll have an excellent chance of winning the permanent position there. Stuart will be staying next year as the Ministry aims at having a new board selected by Term Three so the new permanent principal and board will both start together."

  "And my new DP's position here?"

  "It will be held for you. We'll just move your senior teacher, Denise into your position for the time you're away."

  "And if I find it too difficult?"

  "You will be able to return here anytime. Stuart will write that into the contract he'll offer you."

  Belinda stared up at her and tears formed in her eyes. "Everything's happening at once," she whispered.

  "Why, what's wrong?"

  "Nothing. It's beyond my wildest dream, that's all. Both things are!"

  "Both?" Karla frowned.

  "Don't tell him I told you but Adrian wants to shift into Grandad's house with me. Well it's mine now but I still think of it as Grandad's place." She glanced up and wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. "We're already what I guess you'd call partners in the sexual way but it's a big step for Old Maid Me."

  "Wonderful!" Karla said. "I'm thrilled."

  "I kept wondering what Grandad would say if he was still alive."

  "I think he would also be thrilled. However, both decisions are is yours to make. As I said, Stuart will be offering you the position at Westview this afternoon but will give you a couple of weeks to make up your mind, if you need it."

  "What do you think, Karla?"

  "I think you should accept both offers. You know, Ryan and I lived together before we were married and look at our staff; half of them have partners rather than husbands or wives."

  "And look at you now," Belinda laughed. "If I do accept the job at Westfield, I'll need your help."

  "And you will have it. I plan to spend a morning a week there but Bubs here may have other ideas." She rubbed her tummy. "If I can't come, Stuart has promised to help. He was an intermediate principal for many years before he joined the ERO team so is pretty clued up."

  "Oh my God," Belinda said again. "I'm pretty certain I'll say yes but would like to let it sink in before I make a final decision."

  "Why don't you talk to Adrian about it?"

  "You wouldn't mind?"

  "No. That's what partners are for. The number of times I've gone home and poured my soul out to Ryan is uncountable."

  "You! You're always so confident."

  "Not always, Belinda. Sometimes it is a facade when things go wrong. I noticed that you are the same when dealing with students, annoying parents or teachers in your syndicate. Think of Westview as being two of our syndicates but without the Year 9 and 10s and you'll find it easy. It's only half our size with a roll of about five hundred or so."

  Belinda stood, stepped forward and gave Karla a tight hug before she smiled, thanked her and left the office. Karla watched as she walked down the stairs into the main foyer, turned, waved and headed in the direction of Tern Syndicate on the left.

  Vivian walked in a moment later. "One happy teacher but can I ask why?"

  "It's confidential," Karla said.

  "You offered her the principal's job over at Westview, didn't you?"

  "No comment," Karla replied but smiled at her administrative officer. "The grape vine is running red hot, isn't it?"

  "Yes both here and through the Westview Intermediate area. Heard that that commissionaire fired both Peter Niles and the DP, the Ministry of Education will close the school and make it a side school attached to us and it will be renamed Joseph Ward Junior High Southern Campus for Intermediate Students."

  "Long winded name," Karla said. "I can, though tell you that both scenarios are pure fantasy."

  "But not the one that you'll be running both schools from here?"

  "Oh sure," Karla laughed. "And why they're at it, they could add Joseph Ward Senior High, too."

  *

  What a difference one week made. With the help of two gigantic cranes, the new classroom block rose like a mushroom. The walls were all complete with insulation, all wiring containing New Zealand wall plugs and optic fibre, interior painted or wallpapered walls exactly as they had been selected and attached whiteboards, shelving, and pipes to attach to the school's central heating system, sewerage and water. Even the windows were intact, all packed between polystyrene and thick plastic sheets for protection. The two floors were assembled beside each other with Floor 1 attached to the concrete pad in its permanent position while Floor 2, complete with the roof was assembled near it. Afterwards, Floor 2 was hoisted high above the school, swung around and lowered onto the lower floor. Helmet clad builders, electricians, plumbers and foremen swarmed over the building with at one point, over thirty contractors doing their various jobs. Machinery roared and concrete trucks arrived to lay paths around and the builders cut through the old school outer wall to provide access from the rest of the school.

  Karla was one of the first to walk through and was impressed by Floor 2 where she began her inspection. The corridor ran along the rear of the two classrooms with large double glazed windows on the outside and frosted slightly smaller windows on the classroom side. Between the two classrooms were the toilet blocks that were large and built to New Zealand standards. On the roof above were a series of solar panels that provided both hot water and electricity to supplement that supplied by traditional means.

  The classrooms were again exactly how they had ordered but with numerous extras such as optic fibre and commuter and power connections in the central floor as well as the walls, electronically controlled whiteboards with one where a flat-screen monitor could be lowered to replace it. An electronic dimmer could even be activated within the windows to replace blinds to shield out direct sunlight. Ceiling lights were recessed and pin boards covered the walls for charts and work to be displayed. The whole place had that smell of newness.

  At the end of the second classroom, an internal stairwell went down like a squared shaped C to Floor 1 that was only different in that the outer classroom doors led out to the grounds rather than a balcony on the floor above. At the centre of this balcony, external stairs led down to the ground under a small roof.

  "I'm impressed," Karla said to Jon from the BOT. "And everything came a month early."

  "We have had several requests from other schools throughout the country to come and have a look at the block. I think the firm that built this will do well with future New Zealand orders. They have already placed photographs of our suggestions such as larger classroom windows on their website and accept New Zealand as well as US dollars in payment." Jon grinned. "The carpet layers will be coming next week and now the biggest job for our contractor will be converting those specialist rooms back into general classrooms for Shearwater and Gannet Syndicates and move the special facilities to the unneeded classrooms in Petrel and Tern Blocks. The contractor promised that they'd be completed before the new year. That local firm that won our contract have also proved to be excellent."

  "That's great," Karla replied. "It should stop the grumbles about us not supporting local industry."

  She headed off to chat to Denise, the senior teacher in Tern Syndicate who would become an Acting DP in charge there as Belinda had accepted the position offered to her at Westview Intermediate. Both positions would start from Monday. Belinda had also told her that Adrian would be shifting in with her from that weekend. With their own new appointments, Carol Dodunski, one other teacher from Westview and a woman from out of town had all accepted their appointments. Also, a male secondary school teacher graduat
e would be their new first year teacher. Everything had certainly happened quickly once the ball began rolling.

  *

  CHAPTER 15

  By the second week in November and one month before the end of the term and academic year, the Southern Hemisphere spring weather in Auckland was hot with occasional thunderstorms that would roll in, drop drenching showers and disappear. Within moments the sun would return and water on the roads would evaporate faster than those caught without a coat or umbrella could change into dry clothes.

  By her second visit, Karla had already noticed a change at Westview Intermediate since Belinda had moved there. There were still the Year 8s who were leaving at the end of the year to move onto one of two high schools in the suburb who were inclined to misbehave but overall the tone of the school had improved. The staff also appeared more relaxed and this reflected in the students, especially in the Year 7 classrooms where the students would be returning the next year. Unlike at her school, Westfield had straight Year 7 or 8 classes and actually separated the two age groups into two different areas of the school.

  On Karla's suggestion, Belinda decided to have composite Year 7 and 8 classes in the following year to break down the intolerance between the two levels. Like all New Zealand intermediates, Westview only had two class levels before the students went onto Year 9 to 13 high schools. The Joseph Ward Junior and Senior high schools were different. Back at her school, many of the Year 10 students were subdued and sad to be leaving after four years.

  Stuart also visited Westview several times a week. As they walked around the school together he told Karla how impressed he was in the changing tone at the school.

  "The culture of bullying and intimidation has been stopped," he said. "I have noted a few teachers who should be shifted out, though. They tend to be those originally selected by Peter Niles. Overall, the staff are responding to the new relaxed conditions with enthusiasm and the long term relieving teachers are varied. Unlike at your school where you offered all your teachers permanent positions, I will be advertising the positions here."

  "Why?" Karla asked.

  Stuart sighed. "Again, they were selected by Niles. I will reappoint most of them into permanent positions but there are three who don't deserve reappointment."

  "And Belinda's thoughts about this?"

  "We work together well and have similar views about the staff and other organisation. She'd also like to have the syndicates in their own buildings next year but with scattered classroom blocks it won't be as easy as your purposely designed buildings." Stuart grinned. "How are your four modular rooms going?"

  "They're in use. Two classes have shifted in so their original rooms can be converted into specialist rooms. The other two new classrooms are now used by the specialist teachers until the end of the year so the contractors can convert their original rooms on Floor 2 above the gymnasium into two general classrooms for Shearwater and Gannet Syndicates. They should all be ready for Term 1 of next year."

  "And your own health?"

  "Oh I'm okay," Karla replied. "Ryan wants me to go on maternity leave for the last three weeks of this term but I'll see."

  "Do it!" Stuart advised. "I spent over forty years in the teaching profession and was all but forgotten within a few weeks of my retirement. Everyone soon forgets and life moves on. Do you hear from the previous schools where you were principal?"

  Karla smiled. "Occasionally but I know what you mean."

  He was right, of course. She only heard from Tui Park in Wellington a few times during the year and had contact with Tuckett Area School on even less occasions.

  *

  When Karla left Westview Intermediate she took the motorway north rather than driving through suburban streets. As she drove, she glanced in her rear vision mirror and muttered a curse at a black car that was following far too closely. In fact, it was just about riding up to her rear bumper. Hoping that it would continue on the underpass she indicated and turned into the motorway on-ramp. Unfortunately the other car followed.

  She reached the motorway itself, merged into the quite light traffic and glanced into the mirror again. Good, a truck was behind her and the car was nowhere in sight. As she was only going to be on the motorway for a few kilometres she stayed on the outside lane. This section of the motorway was an older part with only two lanes in each direction and a narrow shoulder with a steel barrier, a small patch of mown lawn and a drop down a small bank to a ditch with factories or warehouses beyond. The opposing lanes were quite close with an old type concrete barrier separating the traffic. Newer sections had wider verges and modern wire and collapsible posts that were designed to absorb any vehicle hitting them.

  She looked ahead and noticed black thunderclouds on the horizon. They were about to have one of those afternoon semi-tropical storms Auckland was notorious for at this time of the year. A streak of lightning forked across the sky, thunder rumbled and mere seconds later the downpour hit. Like the other vehicles around, she slowed to about eighty kilometres an hour and turned on her lights. Her wipers were on fast speed and coped reasonably well with the downpour.

  She glanced in her driver's mirror and saw a vehicle roaring towards her on the other lane. She was sure it was the same car that had been following her too close earlier. Behind was the truck but it had kept back a reasonable distance.

  The black car accelerated up beside her one but instead of roaring pass as she expected, it swung in towards her, there was a scream of metal, her whole car shook and she fought for control. She braked, hoping the truck behind would miss her and fought the steering wheel as the whole car wobbled.

  The black car had gone. No! It was in a blind spot by the rear of her car! Again it accelerated and turned in. There was another grinding screech of metal and she was pushed off the toad. Visions of the side barrier became a blur as she fought to control her car and again braked.

  The bastard was deliberately trying to force her off the road! Her car vibrated but she managed to keep it on the road.

  However, the other car was still beside her, the storm continued and it was difficult to see in the downpour and misty darkness. She knew it would come again and also realised she would have little hope of controlling her car this time!

  There was another bump and screech of tortured steel but instead of braking and swinging off the lane she accelerated and swung out towards the other car. They hit but the momentum tipped her up. She could see nothing except the wiper blades failing to remove water from the windscreen.

  She moved her foot to the brake and glanced in the mirror. She was in front of the black car but at that very second; it hit the truck that had been following. This caused it to tip on two wheels and career across the other lane where it hit the concrete barrier and disappeared from view. She saw a flash of orange explosive and heard a boom!

  But she had her own troubles! In those vital seconds, her own car bounced off the road hit the safety barrier and lifted up!

  She had the sensation of flying as the vehicle tipped. She wasn't on the motorway any longer but was skidding sideways along in a ditch. She was flung forward, her seatbelt cut into her shoulder and there was a sort of hissing pop. The airbag inflated, glass erupted around and she was showered by mud raining down on her.

  She felt a searing pain in her stomach and her head as metal sort of folded in over the airbag. Something hit the side of her head and she realised she was sideways and held by her seatbelt with the airbag was almost suffocating her. Her vehicle was still moving but it was a blur followed by another bang!

  The pain! She couldn't move! Something had happened to her! What was happening to her baby? But the thoughts faded and a thick fog descended over her mind.

  *

  Karla could smell flowers and realised she was lying on something soft. Her eyes wouldn't open. She wanted to open her eyes; she needed to see where she was. Someone was talking in a soft voice. A warm hand held hers, somebody stroked her hair and she could hear a baby crying. Poor li
ttle Alexis needed her milk. She had to feed her! She attempted to sit up but those warm hands pushed her gently back into something soft. Could it be a pillow?

  She felt oh so tired. Alexis would have to wait. Why couldn't Ryan get her bottle? Why did she always have to feed her? She blinked and this time did open her eyes. It appeared to be night time and she was in a pale pink room that smelt of disinfectant and flowers. Her head ached but she managed to move it up slightly. She was on a bed under a bulgy blanket. Something else was wrong! Her stomach was sort of flat and flabby. She reached across and pushed on it and felt sore! Oh my God, where was her baby?

  "My baby!” she screamed. "Where's my baby? Where's Alexis, my baby?"

  She heard someone approaching and a face hovered in vision. It was a stranger's face, a young face not that much older than the Year 13 girls at school. Oh that was stupid; there were no Year 13 girls at her school for that was at Tuckett Area School. There were only Year 10 girls at the junior high. But why didn't she have her yellow-topped school uniform on?

  "Karla, you're awake," said the girl. Of course it was a nurse. Now-a-days the nurses didn't wear a uniform.

  Her head throbbed and eyes began to close but she fought to keep them open. She shook her head and realised her mouth was dry and her tongue felt swollen. No, it was her lips that were swollen. She ran a tongue over them.

  "Where am I?" she managed to whisper.

  "You're in North Shore hospital. Karla. Relax. I am Nurse Donna Torwick. Everything is fine!"

  "Where's Alexis?'

  "Alexis was here earlier with Ryan. They've hardly left your side but Charge Nurse Henderson sent them home. We didn't think you'd awaken this evening. They'll be back in the morning."