Chalk Dust & Broomsticks, Chapter 7

The next school year begins and the newly appointed headteacher interviews her staff.

Chapter 7 - September 1998 - A New Regime

Shirley speaks ...

Althea has been in post for three weeks and already she had instilled fear in the hearts of the staff throughout the school. Even the goldfish in the tank in the foyer swam frenetically back and forth when she passed by. The day after the first joint staff meeting, Althea started her individual interviews. She wanted to see me first and my appointment was for 9 a.m. in her office, which was in the larger, junior side of the school.

I spent a sleepless night tossing and turning in my bed worrying about the interview. What was all this about I wondered? Did she really want to get to know us all better or was there a hidden agenda? Should I be forthcoming and friendly and open with her or would it be better to keep something back and show my more reserved side?

Dressed in a navy-blue suit with a white blouse, I felt smart and perhaps if I didn't say anything untoward, I thought, the interview should go smoothly. Just as I was about to leave for the interview, the phone rang in the office. I picked up the receiver. It was one of our most irritating parents, Mrs. Riglett, phoning to explain that her Georgie was ill again and she intended to take him to the doctors that day but there weren't any appointments till much later on so she was going to keep him indoors and give him lots of hot drinks and cool flannels..........! And............! And .........yes, yes, Mrs. Riglett" I almost shouted down the phone with exasperation. "You're doing the right thing and we look forward to seeing Georgie soon when he's quite better and in the meantime, yes, I will go and ask his teacher if she can look in his desk for his library book. Now I must go. Thank you for phoning, goodbye."

I looked up at the big clock on the wall of my office; 9.10 a.m. showed. I was going to be late. I really didn't want to be late and now I would be. I grabbed my handbag and ran. The new administration block, joining the two schools, was not quite finished so I had to run across the car-park. It was raining so when I got across to the far door my glasses were covered in rain spots and I couldn't see much. A large magpie observed me with pity from the overhang on the porch door. "One for sorrow!" I thought. The door swung shut behind me and there was Althea's office with a new brass plaque on the door. "A. Gardner" it said. I wondered what the 'A' stood for, then I remembered - Althea! I knocked politely on the door and heard her say, "Come in".

Althea was wearing an exotic perfume, which put me in mind of the markets in Marakesh. There was a perfume stand in our local shopping mall with some very foreign looking bottles on it. I tried one once but found it much too overpowering and certainly not suitable for a work environment!

As usual Althea was immaculately dressed. Today she was wearing a russet brown suit; in keeping with the season, I thought. Two gold bracelets shone bright against her bronze skin: one on each wrist. She was sitting in her chair, which was in front of her desk on a dais. She motioned to the only other seat in the room, which was not on the dais and thus she had the advantage of the highest seat and an imposing position. I had the advantage of being able to see what was on the wall behind her. I looked for a picture or a photo to give me a clue what her background might be; nothing. I looked at her desk, again nothing. No past, I thought. Nothing except two rather ugly statuettes of an unrecognizable gentleman, to give a clue as to what she held dear in her life.

"Now", she said. "Tell me how you see your role in this school?"

"I have been a part-time school secretary over on The Dollhouse side of the school for 13 years"; I began. "Since L.M.S. (Local Management of Schools) I have had to become adept at managing the school finances", I explained. "I enjoy the financial side of the job but it is difficult to concentrate on finances when I also need to keep jumping up and opening the door to visitors".

Ever since the incident at Dunblane in Scotland, in 1996, when a deluded 43 year old man, Thomas Hamilton, massacred 16 children and a teacher, our main door has remained shut and locked. No longer were visitors allowed in of their own choice and without an automatic opening system, it fell upon me to allow visitors to enter. "

"I work well with Dora, the General Assistant", I continued. "We would like to change our hours so that she does less hours and I do more. That way we can cover the new responsibilities of the combined schools. Dora is very capable of tackling the office work and would welcome more responsibility and I would like to spend more time on the finances, perhaps combining that with library duties? We thought that with our family commitments we could each work three quarter time." My voice tailed off as I saw Ms Gardner's expression change from mild boredom to irritation.

"Impossible", she said. "Dora is to be placed in the classroom as a teacher's help and in the office what I want is a full-time efficient P.A.!"

I sat back on the chair realising that I had just blown it. I had given Althea the ideal opportunity to get rid of me and by the same stroke she could demoralise Dora by taking away the prestige of having her own room. After fourteen years of loyal service Mrs. Wales, capable Dora, would lose the one special thing she had, the Welfare Room. It was her domain and she reigned supreme in it. Returning my thoughts to the present I heard Althea say "Thank you Shirley Midnight, you may go back to the office now."

I stood up and returned across the rainy car-park to my familiar little office on the Infant side of the building but I couldn't get back in because I had forgotten my key to the main door in my haste to get to the interview on time. I could see the key on the desk through the window. Everyone was in the assembly hall so I had no alternative but to sit on the step and wait. Now the tears came, mixing with the raindrops and splashing on the ground between my shoes. Now I understood, my days at Primrose Primary School were numbered. Whatever I had said to Ms Gardner, she would have given the opposite view. Althea had other plans. A shake-up was coming and we couldn't do anything about it. We were powerless, or were we?

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When Shirley returned home that afternoon she went straight to the kitchen and made herself a cup of strong coffee. "Time for a sweep", she thought. Her three black cats, Bast, Sparkle and Little Mo - stretched their legs, their claws gripping the carpet as they curled their tails around her ankles and the broom, which was always handy. They purred with slow, satisfied pleasure. Shirley ran a gloved hand down the polished wood. She was powerless in the office, but the world was bigger than Primrose Primary, and Althea had plans. Good! Shirley had plans of her own.

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