A Seat of Learning by Jonah
More of the adventures of Simon and Garret and their boys. This is a loving story of good people. It features men looking after boys but do not expect to find any indecency here. Only genuine love. Not one of the characters in this story is a real person or is, in any way, based on a real person. At least one character, however, is the creation of another author. I wish to thank Jacob Lion, in the USA, for his permission to use his characters in my stories.
I hope you will enjoy this story, and I'm grateful to Nifty for enabling me to bring it to you. Nifty does not charge either me or you for doing so, but it does cost money to do it. Please consider donating to Nifty at https://donate.nifty.org/ to help keep this site going.
Chapter 9
Monday morning was Monday morning - everybody's favourite day of the week. Of course, we had it easy. In the old days Jonah used to have to get Peter out of bed. I only had to rouse three delightful boys who just did as they were told. In America, after my cousin came to live with us, my father used to have to rouse Riku. Yes, we had it easy alright.
By half past eight all three boys were showered, dressed, breakfasted, and ready to get in my car. They waited only for me. Yes, I was the one who was holding up the job, and not a single boy mentioned it. The truth is that Simon and I had rescued each of these boys from the care system and all three were grateful to us in a way that I was sure we didn't deserve. I was a schoolteacher and, much as I loved my job, I had met some children who I would definitely not have wanted to foster. If Denzil Thorpe had needed a foster parent, for instance, would I have been so quick to volunteer? I'd have hoped that I would, but it might have been a daft thing to do anyway. Oh, Simon and I were lucky alright.
By ten to nine, the boys were all three in the playground and I was headed for the staff room. Sean was on playground duty, so time for a quick cuppa before heading for the hall where assembly would be beginning.
Jean was taking assembly, as she usually did, but other members of staff were encouraged to attend. We were not a Church school but, since most of the teaching staff were Christians of one sort or another, if not actually churchgoers, it made sense for the school to have a Christian input and Jean liked to commit our activities to the loving care of the Almighty. Of course, inclusivity dictated that parents had the right to exclude their children from this activity, but I had never known a parent to do so. Indeed two families of Moslem children were currently with us, and their parents were among the most supportive in the school. Jean felt obliged to offer to exclude their children from assembly, if they wished. She was very quickly told that she must do no such thing. When I mentioned this to the father of one moslem boy, he told me, "Pavel experiences Islamic worship with his family. Here he must experience Christian worship, that he may encounter God in all His facets." I just felt humbled.
The singing of a hymn, even one so simple as "Kum ba yah!" afforded the children an opportunity to sing together, which most of them gave every sign of enjoying, and then it was back to their classrooms.
As was my usual practice, I told 5GI to go in sit down while I checked that the corridor ended up devoid of children.
Having got 5GI registrated, I sent them to the gym for PE, then I made for the office.
"I was hoping you'd call in Garret," Jean greeted me. "How goes it?"
"I'll be able to answer that better tomorrow morning," I replied. "Has anybody heard how things are progressing with Barry's father?"
She shook her head.
"They won't talk to me," she said. "You might have better luck via Social Services."
"Well they picked up his mother as well yesterday," I told her. "I don't know if there are charges that they want to bring against her, but she was trying to contact Barry yesterday afternoon, so I set the police on her."
"Have Social Services said she can't contact him?"
"Nobody is to have access. Did they not tell you that?"
Another shake of the head.
"It makes you feel like a mushroom," she remarked.
"Well I'm telling you now. Ring Social Services, ask for Linda Knight or Mrs. Jenkins. You need to know what access can be allowed. If you breach their arrangements, they can't blame you if they won't tell you about them. You also need to know what the police are doing with his parents. If one of them is on the loose, but you haven't been told, the child is in danger."
"Thank you Garret, I'll get onto that right away. Are you going to the staff room?"
"I've an English lesson to plan, but I can do it in the staff room. Why?"
"I just might need to know where to get hold of you. Thank you Garret."
So that was me dismissed. I settled in the staff room with a cup of coffee and a textbook and began to plan my next lesson. It was simple comprehension. Sean referred to it as anything but simple incomprehension, but I had never found that with 5GI. I was in the habit of indulging in casual conversation with them at any opportunity. They were encouraged to ask about anything they didn't understand and everybody was encouraged to join in. Consequently, when faced with a difficult comprehension exercise, they were quite used to talking it through with me and with each other.
The bell rang for period three so I packed my briefcase and headed for my classroom.
"Go in and sit down 5GI, " I instructed them.
"Lloyd?"
"Denzil," he replied. "Up to his old tricks again."
"O God, " I groaned. " What happened?"
"We were getting changed after PE and Denzil tried to get Barry on his own. He was kicking him from behind but me and Philip piled on him and told Barry to run. We haven't seen him since."
"So you don't know if he is still on school premises."
He shook his head.
"We told Mr Gibson and he said he'd talk to Mrs. Moffatt," he said.
"Thanks Lloyd. In you go."
I followed him in.
"5GI open your books at page 47 please," I told them. "Read the two paragraphs in heavy type then feel free to discuss them among yourselves. I'll see what you've come up with when I come back. Not you Mr. Thorpe. You can come with me."
I held the door open for Denzil then followed him to the office. Neither of us spoke.
In the outer office - the preserve of Mrs Harper, the school secretary - I told Denzil to sit down and then addressed myself to Mrs. H.
"Is anybody with Jean?"
"Only Joe, but she wants you as well anyway."
"Good. He can stay there. If he speaks to you, he wants a week's detention immediately. "
I walked into Jean's office. Joe Gibson was seated in front of her desk looking, if anything, even grimmer than Jean. She just looked businesslike.
"I've called the police Garret."
"Good. Do we know for certain that he's left the school?"
Jean shook her head.
"I didn't know he needed that sort of security,"moaned Joe. The poor man seemed close to tears.
"Nobody did," I told him. "Social Services didn't brief Jean properly. Besides, we all reckoned without Denzil. He's sat with Mrs. H. by the way."
"Good!" said Jean. "Let him stay there."
"I should get out looking for him," muttered Joe.
"You should do nothing of the sort," returned Jean. "That's the police's job. Your place is here. Who's your next lesson."
"2AH," replied Joe, "in twenty minutes time."
"That's not going to happen," muttered Jean, picking up the telephone.
"Colin?" she said into the instrument at last. " Colin you've only got 1SW for RE this afternoon haven't you? Yes, well we need to change that. Can you get down to the gym and take 2AH for period 4. I think you'll be needed at the gym for the rest of the day. I'll sort out 1SW. Thanks Colin."
There was a brief knock and Superintendant Greenwood stepped into the room. We all looked up expectantly.
"Nothing yet," said the Super, "but I've got men on foot scouring the area round the school and cars patrolling the area beyond that."
"Superintendant," I said. "Please tell me that you still have Barry's parents under lock and key."
"No Sir!" replied the superintendant, "but they're both wearing ankle bracelets and I've given instructions for them to be brought in. Are we sure that he's actually left the school."
"I suppose," said Jean, "that the next thing is to organise a thorough search of the school."
"I can do that," said the superintendant," but it would be better if you put any spare members of your staff on the job. You know your way round the school better than we do."
Jean laughed mirthlessly.
"Spare members of staff?" she cried. "Now THERE'S a novel concept."
"There was a sharp rap on the door and Mr's H. popped her head round.
"Headmistress," she said. "I've got someone here I think you'd like to see."
She stepped aside to reveal a small mousy-haired boy. His face was tear-stained and he looked terrified.
Joe leapt to his feet and clasped the child to him. Tears rolled down his cheeks.
"I'm sorry, Son, I'm sorry," he sobbed. "I didn't know. God, I'm so sorry"
I was too stunned to react but the Superintendant prised them apart and Jean sat the PE teacher back down again.
"Bertha, do you think you could find Joe a cup of tea?"
Mrs. H. was called Bertha? I filed that away for future reference.
""Barry, do you want to sit down," Jean asked.
The boy shook his head violently and I suddenly realised why.
"Well it looks as if I'm not needed here any longer," said the superintendant.
"Oh no it doesn't officer," I said.
"Sir?"
"Superintendant, we've got the boy back but we still need to deal with the criminal who was responsible for him running in the first place. That thug sitting in the outer office."
Jean got the message.
"Superintendent, you need to either speak to that boy or get somebody here who can deal with him because I can tell you now, if any of MY staff have to deal with him, you'll be arresting them for manslaughter."
I knelt in front of Barry to bring myself to his height.
"Barry, how brave are you feeling?"
The boy looked me straight in the eye but did not reply. He was waiting to see where this was going.
"I don't like asking you this," I said, "but that policeman needs to see the backs of your legs. Could you drop your trousers. I'll stay right here."
Still not a word, but he undid his belt and buttons.
His eyes never left my face, and mine never left his so it was only when the superintendent exclaimed, "Holy Mother of God!" that I realised that Barry had pulled down the back of his underpants as well. I didn't look because I knew what I would see. Joe burst into fresh sobs and Mr's H withdrew looking grim. At that moment it occurred to me that Denzil would probably be safer with the police than with Mrs. H.
"You can pull them back up now Barry," I almost whispered. "Thank you, and well done."
When I finally got back to 5GI the room was silent. There had been conversation, that much was certain, but it wasn't likely to have been about page 47.
"Did anybody read it?" I asked.
There was a guilty silence.
"No, well I don't blame you. I couldn't discuss it with you myself right now."
"Have you found Barry?" Lloyd wanted to know.
"Barry is going to hospital," I told them. "He'll be home for dinner but he is in a lot of pain and he shouldn't be. Mr. Gibson has gone with him and he'll bring him home when he has been treated."
A ripple ran through the room - not exactly of conversation - in fact it would have been difficult to say what it was.
"Can I ask," I continued, "how many of you knew what Denzil was doing?"
A dozen or so hands slowly raised.
"And how many did anything about it?"
Some hands lowered.
"Lloyd and Philip, you can lower your hands, we all know that you helped Barry."
"I told Mr. Gibson," said Pavel Khom.
"Thank you for doing that Pavel," I said. "It helped. The rest of you, how are you feeling?"
Silence.
"Well I hope you aren't feeling bad. I know the girls wouldn't know what was happening in the boys' changing room anyway. Boys, some of you didn't help Barry, but you didn't help Denzil either. You stayed on the side of the angels. You don't come here to be heroes, but some of you are - in different ways. You all helped. Sitting here quietly while I went and dealt with it was helping. Thank you 5GI."
Yes, I know, I'd spread confusion. Teachers like to do that. It's a good teaching tool.
Joe brought Barry back to school just before going home time. The police had taken Denzil away and Jean had suspended him for a week anyway. I think if Mr. Thorpe Senior had sent Denzil back to school covered in bruises at the end of that time, nobody would have cared.