Secondary School cont..

On the way down, he looked around, saw that there was no one about and quickly bent down to retrieve the evidence, but it wasn’t there! His hand searched desperately, nothing; he looked underneath the lockers, again nothing; where could it be, what had happened?  With these thoughts swirling round his head, he got up and walked outside.

When he got outside, he saw his Dad waiting:

“Where have you been?” he asked as it was almost 5pm by now.

“Detention”
“What again, what did you do this time?”
“Oh, nothing really, just, you know…”

His father was used to this and seem to accept that he had been in trouble as usual, little did he know! But what had happened to the case, had he got the wrong locker, had it been knocked further underneath or had someone found it, surely not that!

As was his way, he slept well despite his concerns but, in the morning, he had a feeling in the pit of his stomach as he knew today was the day when he would get away with it or face the music, which was it to be?

The journey to school was unsurprising, neither he nor his father said much at this time of the day, each lost in their own thoughts, listening to the car radio. On arrival, he said cheerio to his dad as usual and was reminded not to be late tonight, as usual!

The day started as usual, nothing special, meeting up with mates, registration and Assembly and so into first lesson, English; so far so good maybe he had got away with it! There were lots of lessons he didn’t like but English was OK, he had started to take notice of a subject that would be his very being in years to come but, at this stage, he was not even aware of the stirrings. Part of the attraction was the teacher, as a pre-pubescent youngster he was beginning to notice older women and they had an effect on him that he was, as yet, unsure of, all he knew was that this teacher was married to an ugly chap, who taught Geography, and she deserved better and he…

He was suddenly aware of a knock at the door and the form of L coming into the room!
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but could I have a word with..?”

“Yes of course” I heard her say and realised who he had asked to see!

He walked out slowly and saw the Teacher look at him and then L, what did she know and was this it?

Stay cool, he could prove nothing!
The walk up to his study seemed to take ages, but was in fact only one flight of stairs; L was old now and walked slowly or maybe deliberately slowly for effect.

They reached his room, and went in; L went behind his desk whilst he stood in front. Nothing was said for a bit, dramatic effect again? He was feeling uncomfortable as I’m sure he knew. After what seemed a lifetime, he spoke:

“Yesterday I asked you about some cigarettes and you said you knew nothing about them, is that right?”
“Yes Sir”

“Are you sure?”
“Yes Sir”

There followed a pause, as he looked at him and then he went to his drawer and got out something, at first it was unclear, but then he put it on his desk! It was the cigarette case!

“What have you got to say?”
Now, he knows he’s not considered bright by the Staff, but even so he knew when he was done!
“Nothing”
“Nothing!”
“You lied to me constantly yesterday, you wasted my time and you say nothing?”
“Sorry, Sir”

“It’s a bit late for sorry…”

Now L always talked quietly, but not on this occasion as his voiced raised and the words came tumbling out it was obvious he was rather cross!! This went on for quite a bit and he realised he was in trouble and wished he had taken some precautions against what was surely the inevitable!

“.. And what about your parents, what will they think?”

He wasn’t thinking about them at the moment but rather what was going to happen to him! Then it came, the inevitable was going to happen, and they both knew it.

“I’m going to cane you, not for the cigarettes, but for the lies and deceit; bend over”

This was not the first time he had been caned, it was for him, a fairly regular occurrence, but this was special! Two, three surely not many more, five, just one more, then six, he began to straighten up.

“I haven’t finished yet, bend over” Has he lost count, six is it isn’t it?
Thwack, as the seventh stroke hit the back of his legs he really felt it and winced.

“Get up”

As he slowly straightened, he could really feel the pain for the first time and desperately wanted to cry but was determined not to; whatever it took, he was not going to let L see he had won.

“I hope that is a lesson to you, now go back to your class”
As he left the room and closed the door, he stopped and almost cried, the pain was really strong and he found it difficult to move. As he walked, slowly back to his lesson, he passed the locker where he had hid the case only a day before and where a Cleaner had found it, just his luck. He approached the door to his classroom, knocked, walked gingerly in, all eyes were on him, he mustn’t break down, he wouldn’t.

“Disgusting”

What, his trance like state had been broken by the Teacher:
“Disgusting” she said.

Now he knew he had broken a rule, maybe stretched the truth, but he had been found out and punished, hardly disgusting. Very carefully he sat down.

 He still thought about her occasionally but things were never going to be the same between them again...