A New Term By Jonah
We're once more at the Norwich City Technology College with Simon. Not that there is any such place. None of the people in any of my stories are real. Many of the places are, though the people attached to them aren't, but none of the schools are real either. There are some things you don't want to inflict on real people or institutions by writing stories about them. Although I invented most of the people in this story, one of them - Garret - is the invention of another author - of Jacob Lion in the United States - as are some characters that only get a mention. I want to thank Jacob for his kind permission to use his characters in my story. If you've enjoyed my previous stories from 'A Letter from America', to 'On Sea and Sand', I hope you'll enjoy this one. if you do enjoy it, please spare a thought for the kind man who published it for you. Nifty doesn't charge you to read these stories, and he doesn't charge us authors either, but it does cost money to publish them. He bears this cost from his own pocket and from donations via https://donate.nifty.org/ . Please consider donating.
Chapter 6
I rather hoped that the following day might be easier.
As a parent, the boys were my first priority and it was my turn to get them breakfasted.
"We've got choir practice this afternoon", Lloyd told me.
"That'll be good. Are you practicing for anything special?"
""Mrs. Dix says we're going to sing at the Christmas Fayre at St. Thomas's", he replied. "It'll be at the beginning of December".
"So you've got a little time to rehearse", I observed. "Does Dad know about it?"
"I don't know," he said. "Mrs. Dix might have told him".
"I didn't mean about the Christmas Fayre", I said patiently. "He needs to know about the rehearsal tonight. He'll be wondering why you aren't waiting for him to bring you home".
"Oh yes. I never thought of that".
I have always considered this boy brilliant, clever, stupendous and a lot more wonderful things beside, but he was a child and children often get their priorities hopelessly confused.
"It's a good job I did then", I said resignedly. There was no point in chastising him for his thoughtlessness. He wouldn't understand what he had done wrong anyway. Beside I was proud that he was devoting time to the choir. Instead I slipped upstairs to brief Garret on this new development, Then it was time for school.
As soon as I had dropped Barry off I headed for Grev's office.
"Morning Simon" the principal greeted me in the outer office where he had been in discussion with the school secretary. "Go on through. I'll be with you in a moment".
I did, and he was. He was bearing two cups of coffee, one of which he passed to me.
"Have a seat mate", he said. "We need to get caught up".
I coudn't have agreed with that more. I sat and sipped my coffee as he began,
"First of all, the police advise that there has been no more news from the hospital. I assume that no news is good news".
I nodded but said nothing.
"Shawn Peters continues to languish in his police cell. He has a hearing at the magistrates' this morning in a few minutes time. It is just a formal arraignment and I would expect an application for bail to be made. The police advise that they will be opposing it for the safety of the other two boys involved. Those two boys have co-operated fully with the police. It transpires that Peters' plans for young Trent were even darker than we thought. If they had a better idea how to light a fire, and didn't get overtaken by time, I shudder to think what would have happened. Under no circumstances is that boy coming back to this school. I think he's more likely to end up in an Institution of some kind".
"What about the other two?"
"The police aren't opposing bail, though it will probably be set quite high. Given how nasty they knew Peters was prepared to be, I can't blame them for being frightened of him. I'm still keeping them suspended from school, at least until Trent is out of danger. Richard and Charles have both offered to do a limited amount of home tutoring for them."
"That's good of them. Add me to the list if you think it would help".
"Thanks Simon. You're not one of 2RL's subject tutors but I think those two boys trust you, so I'll bear it in mind".
Grev had to leave to start assembly, and I needed to get the metalwork room ready for fourth year metalwork. I had ten minutes in which to do it, before it would be time to go and register 3SI.
Registration was without incident, as was fourth-year metalwork. At break-time however, I found I had a visitor to the metalwork room.
"Barry, you know it isn't a good idea for you to be seen hanging around with me at school".
"I didn't come just to pass the time".
That should have been obvious. I ought to have known Barry better. I did know him better.
"So what's so important".
"Just what you thought might happen. Two boys picking on me because I'm your son".
"Uh Oh! Do you want me to have a word - or would you like the principal to?"
"That would REALLY help wouldn't it?" he said with heavy sarcasm.
"Well what WOULD help clever clogs. I know you, Barry Close, you didn't come here without some idea what to do about it".
"I want to invite one of them round to ours", he said. "He's into trains. He thinks I'm a whimp because I'm a teachers son, but proving him wrong by making friends would be better than proving him right by setting a teacher on him".
My chest swelled with pride. I doubt whether even I would have thought of that for a solution.
"If you think it will help, Barry, by all means. Would tomorrow night be OK? That way he hasn't got school next morning".
It occurred to me that there would still be a problem, but I trusted Barry to know what he was doing.
"Thanks! I'll ask him".
"Name?"
"Paul Jordan".
"Ah, so his accomplice would be Rickie Nottingham".
"He won't be a problem".
"Off you go to break then".
It took five minutes to tidy up the metalwork room and make my way to room N3 for my RE lesson with 3SI. Thursday was definitely a better day.
It continued to be a better day right up until going-home time when Barry and I picked up Philip from St. Oswalds. It was the turn of Barry and I to produce dinner, with help from Philip. Between the three of us we put together bangers and root mash, while Philip made custard to pour over a sponge cake that we'd found on the reduced shelf in Tesco's and Garret drove back to school to collect Lloyd from his choir practice.
That was the point at which it stopped getting better and better.
"Simon Ito", I told my mobile communications device.
"Mr. Ito, it's Sergeant Pope".
"What can I do for you Sergeant?"
"Well, it's probably something you won't want to do", he said, "and I couldn't blame you if you didn't".
"Sergeant?"
"Shawn Peters had his arraignment for GBH this morning. His case comes up at the County Court on the 27th, and bail was denied, but that means we have to keep him here. We're still legally obliged to make sure he has some sort of education while he's in our care".
"Sergeant, I don't really want to see that boy ever again, but you're absolutely right. I'll pop down and see if there's any point. If he won't talk to me, it'd be a waste of time".
"OK, ask for me at the front desk and they'll sort you out from there."
I had to explain to Garret, over dinner, what was going on, then I set off in my mini for North Earlham Police Station.
The young officer behind the glass partition was all business as soon as I told him who I had come to see.
"Of course, Mr. Ito, I'll let him know you're here. Didn't you used to be Mr. Khan?"
"I did Edward, but I'm married now".
I had thought I'd recognised Edward Pegg, but he had been in school uniform last time I saw him. As soon as the policeman recognised me, it confirmed my suspicions. My reply seemed to satisfy him.
Moments later Sergeant Pope appeared through the side door.
"Thank you for coming Mr. Ito", he said. "Would you like to follow me?"
It was obviously a rhetorical question so, with a nod to PC Pegg, I did as I was bid. North Earlham isn't the largest police station in the city, but it is still a maze of corridors inside. Eventually we came to the custody sergeant's desk where Sergeant Pope spoke to the sergeant on duty.
"Number five please Don. Mr. Ito needs to talk to our guest".
"Rather him than me Tom", replied the custody sergeant. "I don't like the look of that kid at all".
Sergeant Pope took the proffered key and led the way down the corridor with cells on each side. He stopped at the last door on the left and unlocked it. He stepped into the cell ahead of me, saying as he did so,
"Visitor for you Shawn. Best behaviour now".
The boy was seated on a low form at the far side of the cell. A blanket had been thrown over the form and another lay folded on the floor. A bucket with a lid on stood in the corner. The only other furniture was a table with a chair on either side of it. Table and chairs alike were fixed to the floor.
"Evening Shawn", I said.
"F***ing 'ell, Inky", said the boy. "What're you in for? Been doing a spot of kiddie fiddling?"
"You're safe Shawn. You're not my type", I said.
"You'd change your mind if you saw what I keep in my trousers", he said. The custody sergeant was right. This boy was just pure evil.
"I'm not going to see it", I told him. "Neither am I going to see you again. I came here, at Sergeant Pope's request, because he was concerned that you're missing your education. Well I'm going to carry on teaching folks who deserve an education because you clearly don't".
"Aw don't be like that man,"whined the boy. "I was only messing with you".
"Which, if you'd any idea how much you were harming yourself, you wouldn't do". I said. "Shawn. you're your own worst enemy, and you're trying very hard to be everybody else's worse enemy as well".
The boy looked chastened but I wasn't about to be fooled.
"So what do I have to do?" he asked quietly.
"Sit over here instead of on that bench, for a start. I'm fed up with shouting across the room at you."
He moved to the chair opposite me. He said nothing, but sat looking expectantly at me. That wasn't a good plan since I might have mistaken his expression for insolence. I didn't, but only because I didn't care.
"Shawn", I said eventually, "you are not my favourite person. Do you realise that?"
There was a muttered, "Sir".
"The sergeant's right, you do need an education, but I'm not obliged to provide it. If I decide to take on the job, it's on the understanding that it's only until the first time you screw up".
"I won't screw up; honest Sir".
"We'll see about that", I replied brusquely. "If I decide to take the job it'll be two hours each evening - tops. The custody sergeant will make sure you're doing your homework. You'll know if I decide to take it, because you'll see me on Monday evening. I'll promise you one thing though - it I hear that you're giving the police a hard time, I won't be volunteering to let you give me one. Got that?"
"Yessir!" he muttered.
"I might see you on Monday evening then", I said, rising to go.
Sergeant Pope rapped on the door and the custody sergeant let us out.
"I don't know what you did back there", he said as we walked down the corridor. "The boy is just plain evil, but that's the nearest thing to humility that I've seen from him".
"Have you seen anything of his parents?"
"You're his class tutor aren't you?"
"Yes, I'm afraid I am".
"And term's only just started. If you'd been his tutor for a bit longer you'd know. His mother overdosed on amphetamines when he was four. He didn't really know her. His father is inside for dealing, GBH, and agravated robbery. He's still got six years left to do. Our Shawn lives with an uncle just off Boundary Road. His uncle runs a good line as a fence. One of these days we'll manage to pick him up and Shawn will be in the care system - if he hasn't managed to get himself into the prison system first".
"With a start in life like that, I think I'd be a delinquent too".
"Don't you start feeling sorry for him Sir", said the sergeant. "It doesn't do to show them any weakness".
"Humanity is a weakness, Sergeant?" I remarked. "It'll be a bad day for all of us when it is. Goodnight Sergeant".