The Typewriter

Chapter 5 or Day 5 of NaNoWriMo 2012 (1,706 words)

Chapter 5: Mary Ann Walton-Gray visits her son's school

When Mary Anne went downstairs the next morning, she found Maze, Morgan, and young Arnold waiting for her in the setting room. "Well," she said hugging her son, "I guess this means that the entire family is ganging up on Principle Allen today."

"Not exactly," said Morgan helping Maze on with her sweater. "It's more like protection in numbers. Yesterday, when Larry returned from his meeting with Allen he implied that this guy is prejudice against ex-cons and non-elves. I figured someone with a level should go along with you and Maze to make sure the man survives the encounter."

"That's my guess," he held the door open as the women went outside. "I didn't ask Larry to describe him, instead I give Larry an ax and reassigned him to cutting down trees."

"That angry was he," Mary Anne shook her head as they got into the car, she knew it took almost as much to make Larry angry as it did Morgan. This new principle, she thought, must be one mean bastard. I may have to talk to the school board about him. Mary Anne did not like to emphasize her influence in the community, but when it come to the education of her son and the other children, that was a different story. Many of the other parents went Lydia Applewhite with their concerns, which usually did not do much good since Miss Lydia did not have any children in the local schools, she was normally reluctant to interfere in that aspect of local politics.

A chill ran up Mary Anne spine remembering the one time that Miss Lydia went to the school board. Mrs. Leona Livingstone was grade school principle before Mr. Allen. The situation at the school had gotten so bad that Miss Applewhite went to the school board to investigate the issue for herself. Mrs. Livingstone got into an argument with Miss Lydia and a few days later Mrs. Livingstone disappeared off the face of the planet.

Turning into Dragonview elementary school, Mary Anne took the only parking place left that was marked Parent Parking Only. "Well," she said as they go out of the car, "apparently we're not the only parents here today. I wonder if everyone is here to see Principle Allen?"

"Probably," said Arnold putting his backpack on with the help of Morgan. "Mom, can I go to the principles office with you?"

"No," she rubbed his head, "you go to your class."

"But the action in Mr. Allen's office is going to be more interesting then the action in class."

"You still have to go to class, Arnold," she smiled. "Do I have to escort you to your classroom?"

"No, Mom," he lead the way through the school gates and then turned right towards his classroom. Mary Anne, Maze, and Morgan watched him for a moment and then they turned left.

There was a crowd of parents standing in front of Principle Allen's office waiting for Miss Davis, Allen's office manager, to open the door. When the other parents, saw Mary Anne's party arrive the line reformed so that so that Mary Anne, Maze, and Morgan were at the front of the line.

"I gather," said Morgan turning to one of the father's, "we're all here about the same issue?"

"I don't know about you, but I'm here because that bastard Allen treats my son as if he were an idiot."

Miss Davis opened the door, "Please, come in Mrs. Gray and Mr. and Mrs. Holloway." She took a deep breath, "the rest of you please take seat either inside the reception area or on the benches by the bus stop. Principle Allen well see each one of you as soon as possible."

"Are you all right, Miss Davis," Morgan ask."

"I will be when this is all over, Mr. Holloway," she sighed and then led them through the reception area to the principles office. She knocked on the door and then went in, "Principle Allen, Mrs. Gray and Mr. and Mrs. Holloway are here to see you."

"Show them in," he frowned. Why three people, he though pouring himself a cup of coffee and then sitting down at his desk. "Please, help yourself to the coffee and have a seat."

Mary Anne and Maze took the two chairs in front of the desk, while Morgan poured them all some coffee. After serving the women, he took a seat on the sofa. Principle Allen breathed a sigh of relief, when he saw he would deal mainly with the women. Poor man, thought Morgan, perhaps I should warn him that he's confronting a couple of she dragons, but then I'd piss off Maze. Maybe I'd better keep my mouth shut and watch the show.

"I'm Mary Anne Walton-Gray of Gray Landscaping," she handed him a business card, "Arnold Gray's mother. This is Morgan Holloway, my foreman and landscape specialist, and his wife Maze, my gardener." She smiled at the look on Allen's face and then took a sip of her coffee. May as well put the bastard at ease before I tell him how the dragon ate the knight, she thought.

"It's nice to meet you," he glanced at Morgan who appeared to be more interested in the coffee then the conversation.

"You can tell me, Mr. Allen," she deliberately did not use his title. "Why you are treating my son and every other child in this school like non-beings."

"Mrs. Walton-Gray, your son is a know-it-all or at least he thinks he is when it comes to gardening." He glared at her, "I'm attempting to teach the rudiments of horticultural to city children who know nothing about farming and none of whom are elves."

"Principle Allen," Morgan said, "you don't appear to be elf or even half-elf. My wife is half-elf and I assure you that she can grow a crop in a desert without water."

"Shit," Allen looked at Maze for the first time. "Perhaps we should start this conversation over again."

"Perhaps," Maze set empty cup on the desk, "you should tell us what's really bothering you."

"What... What do you mean, Mrs. Holloway?"

"When young Arnold told me how you were treating him and the other students, I contacted my brother, Justin Mayfair, in Central City. He teaches at Claywood Elementary and he said you were one of the best and most encouraging Principles he had ever worked with, so why are you being such a bastard here."

"Why don't I resign and leave before I disappear as well."

"What do you mean," Mary Anne frowned, "disappear as well."

"My sister is or was Leona Livingstone, when she disappear her husband went to the local constable. The refused to do anything because they said she had left town, but..."

"Of course her husband knew better," Mary Anne sighed. "Principle Allen, the reason all these parents are here today is because no one wants you to disappear like Mrs. Livingstone. Many of them feel guilty about what happened to her, when they have no reason to feel guilty."

"I don't understand!"

"That's because you're new in Dragonview," Morgan said getting up and pouring everyone more coffee. "You don't live everyday with the fear of offending Her Royal Highness."

"Who the hell is Her Royal Highness?"

"Lydia Applewhite," said Mary Anne. "Your sister got into a shouting match with her a school board meeting; the only meeting I remember Miss Lydia ever attending. I doubt that she would have attended that one if she hadn't got so many complaints about your sister."

"I don't understand what that has to do with my sister's disappearance."

"Principle Allen," Mary Anne reached over and patted his hand, "Mrs. Livingstone pissed Miss Lydia off and people who piss her off go missing, it's as if the ground opens up and swallows them. More over, people who ask too many questions about the disappearances are never seen again either."

"Why doesn't the constable do something about it?"

"Because," Maze said, "the Applewhite family founded Dragonview and Applewhite Reality A.K.A. Lydia Applewhite owns ninety percent of the town."

"I see," he opened the top drawer of his desk and took out a picture of his sister. "She must have hired someone to get rid of my sister. How do I find out who she hired?"

"She didn't have to hire anyone, Principle Allen," Mary Anne stared fixedly into her half-empty coffee cup. "Lydia Applewhite is a magic user, just like her father, Luther Applewhite, and her grandmother, Selma Applewhite."

"Selma Applewhite," a distant look came into his eyes. "Where have I hear that name before?" He rubbed the side of his head, "She was the witch who proved that magic and technology can co-exist!"

"Magic user, Principle Allen, is the politically correct term and it's a good idea to use the politically correct term in Dragonview."

"I see," he glanced down at her card, "anything else I should know Mrs. Walton-Gray?"

"Yes," she finished her coffee, "never use Her Royal Highness in front of Miss Lydia, she doesn't like it."

"Thank you, Mrs. Walton-Gray, you can inform the rest of the parents that I shall resign immediately."

"Why?"

"Because there is no use me remaining in Dragonview. I came to find out what happened to my sister and I've found out so..."

"You can't leave," Maze said, "not without showing people here what a good principle you can be."

"Mrs. Holloway, I..."

"My brother spoke very highly of you and he doesn't praise a person without a good reason. Stay, at least until harvest and the school's vegetable gardens are ripe."

"You have to remain until the school board accepts your resignation," said Morgan. "I doubt they will accept your resignation until you finish the garden project because that was the main reason they hired you."

"You're probably right on that, Mr. Holloway," he got up and shook Morgan's hand, "I suppose I'd better begin apologizing for my bad behavior."

"It was nice meeting you, Principle Allen," Mary Anne got up. "I'm looking forward to tasting the vegetables in the school garden." After shaking Allen's hand Mary Anne and party left the office.
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