Page 49 of Autumn in Sycamore Park
‘That’s right.’ She paused, balancing her judgment. Half of her wanted to send Gavin back into the ranks, but that would destroy his confidence and probably cause lasting damage. The other half wanted to let him in on teacher-only knowledge, but if it got out that Matthew’s mother was in the hospital, she could be in trouble with Greg. She’d only been working at Brentwell Primary for a few weeks: her job was hardly secure.
‘I think we need to do some management team bonding,’ she said at last. ‘I think it’s all very well getting the mums to make cakes for the stall, but how about we make a few ourselves?’
‘What?’
‘I have a friend who’s a bit of a whizz in the kitchen. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind coming in for a couple of cooking classes.’
Gavin shrugged. ‘Sure, Miss.’
‘Right. You wait here. I’m going to call Matthew outside, and I want you to apologise.’
Gavin just nodded. Jennifer suppressed a sigh and went back into the classroom. She waved Matthew from his seat and the little boy followed her outside.
‘Gavin … what do you say?’
Gavin looked up. ‘Sorry,’ he mumbled.
Matthew smiled. ‘Don’t worry about it.’
‘I wasn’t really going to give you a dead arm,’ Gavin said.
Matthew shrugged. ‘It’s all right.’
‘You can go back inside, Matthew,’ Jennifer said, opening the door. After Matthew had gone back into the classroom, she closed the door again and squatted down next to Gavin. The ghosts of classrooms past came back to haunt her, and she remembered the words of a million teachers she’d heard, overheard, seen on TV, read about, and had indoctrinated into her over her brief career:
This is your last chance.
I won’t tell you again.
One more time and you’re off the team.
I’ll send a note home to your mother.
And she felt a wave of change ripple through her, and another voice rising, speaking up from the crowd:
Say something else.
Jennifer leaned down, and patted Gavin on the back, and smiled. ‘You’re a good boy, Gavin,’ she said, tears in her eyes. ‘I like you. You’re going to do a good job of this, but let’s keep a lid on the aggression, shall we? No use getting angry over a few cakes.’
Gavin looked up and nodded. Jennifer saw tears in his eyes too.
22
Activism
‘I’m really sorry,’Jennifer said. ‘I should have asked you first, but it was a spur of the moment thing.’
Angela chuckled. ‘It would be an absolute delight. Do you want me to come into the school or would you like to bring the children here? Mondays and Tuesdays I’m free, but of course business is dying down a little bit, so it wouldn’t hurt to shut the café for a morning or an afternoon.’
‘I was thinking we could do a practice maybe this Friday, then another go next Wednesday, so that the cakes we made would be okay to sell at the festival.’
Angela clicked her fingers. ‘Absolutely. Could you ask the parents if it would be okay for me to take a few pictures to make a display for the wall in here? I think it would look nice next to the door.’
‘Sure.’
‘And have you cleared it with your school?’
Jennifer narrowed her eyes. ‘Mr. Downton was only too pleased when I mentioned your name. He said he might stop by and have a look. Is there something you should be telling me?’
