*****
Sean was thankful no one saw that he almost ran a little girl over, the kids were all playing and the teachers were too preoccupied, he wondered what she was doing running behind a moving car..
“What were you doing behind a car, you know kids shouldn’t be playing behind a car?’’ he tells her walking in with her
“I didn’t want to play with the other kids so when I got my ball I wanted to play in the driveway”
“Why didn’t you want to play with the other kids, aren’t they your friends?”
She shakes her head
“Why not, don’t you have any friends?”
She shakes her head, Sean frowns, they are in the hall now, Zackary was behind them, he pulls her to a seat and then sits down with her in the waiting hall.
“You want to tell me why?”’
She shakes her head again “Mummy says not to talk with strangers’’ she repeats
“I am hardly a stranger am I? Okay, if I tell you my name will I still be a stranger?”
She nods her head, Sean smiles “Well, my name is-”
“Kikina!!’’ a lady comes into the hall frowning “I am sorry do I know you?” she walks towards them, pulling Kiki up
“No!” Sean says getting up, was this the girl’s mother?
“You know what we say about talking to strangers?” she bends to Kiki
“He isn’t a stranger anymore and he was about to tell me his name” kiki says
She looks at Sean and then back at Kiki “Go outside and play” kiki turns and looks at Sean and then leaves The woman straightens up
“I think it’s highly inappropriate to sit with little girls alone especially one who doesn’t know you and whom you apparently do not know either, who are you and why do you have her seated close to you?”
Sean blinks “Whoa! It’s not what you think’’
“Then what do you think I think? I know the girl is shy and timid and I know you don’t know her, and I am wondering why you are seated with her, there are pervs and pedophiles lurking around and I would have you know we do not take such matters lightly” she says
“Hey relax ma’am, my friend here almost hit her when she was trying to pick her ball which went under his car, he brought her in here to meet her mother”
“And why do you assume her mother is here?”
“Erm lucky guess” Sean says honestly “Mother, ward, teacher, same thing” he shrugs
She eyes them “Who are you and why are you here? You didn’t tell me that. You aren’t a teacher here that I know because I am one and I know all the staffs here, it’s not a large school as you can see”
“Well I am Sean O’Conner, and I am the one to supply your school a new brand of uniforms, texts books and whatnot, I just came to confirm somethings from the proprietress, and address a few complains and-“
“Oh Mr Sean O’Conner, I am so sorry, forgive me my manners, you know how protective we are of the kids, you never can tell of the evil lurking around”
“Oh no offence taken”
“I took some” Zackary says
Sean looks at him and smiles “Well have you spoken to her and all?”
“Yes I have. I told her when we would be doing the supply“
“Okay. I am sorry again”
“It’s fine, well I will take my leave now, but one thing, where do you get those cute little balls from? I deflated that little girl’s ball and I promised to get her another one”
“Oh you don’t have to worry“
“Oh I insist!” Sean says
“Well there is a kiddies shop just round the corner,you will see”
“Good, and your name?’’
“It’s Teacher Divine”
“Good, I’ll come back and give you the ball and you give it to the little girl? I would appreciate it”
“Oh no problem Mr Sean O’Conner” she smiles
Nodding, Sean and his friend leaves.
*****
“You really want to go get the kid a ball?”
“I deflated hers, I almost hit her, yes I could at least get her a ball. It’s no big deal though, a quick stop and we are out to continue my work”
“Fine whatever! I don’t like being around kids”
“Just know that you would be my child’s godfather when I do eventually have one, so be prepared”
“Oh Shmucks!!!’’ Zackary exclaims
Sean laughs .
It takes about thirty minutes to get to the shop and then back, he walks into the hallway finding Teacher Divine at the entrance talking to other teachers. She introduces him to them and they were smiling from ear to ear.
“Do you have a marker?” he asks her eventually
‘’Yes “
“please can I have it?”
“Sure!”
He takes it and writes on the ball and gives it back to her “For the little girl” he says
A few minutes later he and Zachary leaves again.
*****
“Beans Porridge hot, beans porridge cold, beans porridge in the pot five days old” the children chanted clapping
“Very good, very good” Megan claps with them, then the bell goes off
“Okay, time to go home but remember to learn to recite “Mary Has A Little Lamb’’ and “Jack And Jill”, don’t forget to do your assignments on your work book on page fifteen, and then colour the animals picking the appropriate colours for each animal, count your numbers and fill in the blank spaces for your alphabets just like we did today okay?”
“Yes Aunty Megan” they roared, they like to shout… especially when it was closing time, they were always too excited to rush home, but who wouldn’t be, when she was little she didn’t like school, she looked for excuses not to go, and Kikina was exhibiting that same traits, she smiles. Today she had to bribe her with ice-cream after school, that was only when she agreed to get down from the car after so many pleas.
“Okay, go on now file out no running, take your bags, lunch boxers now, see you all tomorrow” she waves at them and they wave back at her as they leave, stopping to high five her as they exit the classroom
“Yeah that’s it, big high fives… oh jump jump jump!!!’’ she laughs as the last girl jumps to high five her, she touches her cheeks and watches her leave
She arranges the classroom, cleans the board, picks up her bag and exited.
She walks down through the hallway as she watches kids run into the arms of their waiting parents while others waited for theirs in the waiting area, she knew kiki wouldn’t be here, but alone.
She goes further down the hallway, and stops at a door, she looks in, there sitting on the table and staring out the window was kiki… she pushes the door open.
“Hey Megan’’ Kiki’s Teacher greets her as she was making to leave
“Hi Thelma, she okay?”
“Yes, you know how she is, but she is fine, these days she likes to wait for you here, when I asked her why, she said she didn’t want to feel sad”
Megan sighs nodding, she goes over to Kiki
“Hey Kiddo, you okay” she touches her cheeks, dropping her back and perched on her desk
“yes mummy, I am. Did you see what I got in my assignment today?” she grabs her bag , takes out her book and shows it to her mother
“Oh, that’s a big 10 over 10, and in summations? Oh dear, this calls for a big bowl of ice-cream doesn’t it?” Megan beams with pride
“Yes it does, chocolate with red berry dumplings?”
“oh most definitely, why don’t we get over to the creamery and you can have whatever you want, deal?’
‘’Deal!!’’ Kiki claps her hands together, she grabs her bag jumping up… grabbing her mother’s hands she pulls her out of the class “Bye Aunty Thelma”
“Bye Kiki see you tomorrow”
“Take care Thelma”
“You too”
