This, however, was a three act play that Mike had written which caught her eye, it was the story of an Arab sheikh, who's daughter is taken from him, whilst at his summer retreat, she is held captive. Then the son of a sultan hears of the sheikh's loss, and with the promise of a fortune and marriage to the daughter, he goes in search of her. After a short battle where some of the son's men are killed and the thief is left to die on the desert and the heat of the sun the sultan's son returns the daughter to her father. During the return journey, the son and daughter realise that they are falling in love, so the son refuses the treasure, but accepts the hand of the daughter.
In the last scene of the play, the son puts his hand around the daughter's waist, kisses her on the lips then leads her into his tent. Down curtain.
May read through the play and liked it, as it was their classes turn to do the school play at the end of term, it was decided that instead of the usual Babes in the Wood, or Cinderella, the class would do this play. May took the only copy of the play and reproduced it in full script form. As Mike had written the play, he declined to be in it, but May said, "no Michael you must take a leading role." So Mike became the son, May then cast Dave as the Sheikh and Chris as the thief. The role of the sheikh's daughter went to Denise and the Sheikh's wife was given to Heather. The rest of the class were all given roles as handmaidens, cutthroats of the thief and the son's small army. Everyone had a part to play, some even doubling up in the fight scene.
The rehearsals went well, they did most of it during the English lessons, however as the day of the performance loomed, May decided that it would be a good idea if the main cast, Mike, Dave, Chris, Denise and Heather, be prepared to stay on at school for an extra hour and practice their lines. The five agreed, and May said that she would get them all home in her car. Denise was not happy with the last scene, she felt the kiss was too much, but as May said, without it, the final scene would be pointless, and it showed the audience that the love was genuine. Denise still wasn't happy, but agreed to do the kiss on the day, but not at the rehearsals. The rest of the main character's agreed, but May said, "Ok, but on the last rehearsal, I want to go through the kiss scene, just to make sure you get it right." Denise and Mike nodded
On the last day of rehearsal with the play being the following day the whole class was on cloud nine, they went through thr fight scene, the capture, everything bar the last scene which they would do that evening after school. The final bell went and Denise said she needed to go to the toilet. She caught the bus home. May was very upset with her, but they did the entire final scene with May standing in for Denise. However, when it came to the kiss, it was Mike that could not do it this time. The whole scene went with perfection, nobody fluffed their lines, everyone was in the right place at the right time, and everyone on cue. But Mike just could not do the kiss with May.
As they stood by the car, Dave was giving Mike a real hard time. "You had the chance to kiss her," he said under his breath. "Why didn't you." Mike just looked at him, and shaking his head, he said, "I don't know." May came over to the car and opened the doors for them. "Come on you lot," she said, "let's get you home. As she drove the car, she was saying that they should all get a good nights sleep, ready for there big day tomorrow.
As May dropped her pupils off one by one, it ended up with just Dave, Mike and of coarse may in the car. They were going down a narrow road, and a bus was stopped, May pulled out to overtake, as she almost passed the bus, another bus thought it would be good to block her path. May being a good driver put her foot hard down on the brake pedal, the car stopped in the middle of the road almost instantly, Dave shot forward in the front seat and grabbed for the dashboard to stop himself going through the windscreen, and Mike who was sat in the back behind May grabbed the only thing he could, the beautiful, soft, gorgeous bust of his most beloved teacher. Dave looked at where Mikes' hands were, May looked down at where Mike's hands had gone, and as for Mike, he just hung on. May was the first to speak, "Michael, " she said, "we've stopped now, you can let go." Mike released the bust and sat back, "sorry," he said, May looked at him in the rearview mirror, a smile on her face. "That's quite alright," she said. Dave in the front seat was mumbling. "Wouldn't kiss her, but able to grab her bust." he turned to look at Mike and mouthed the words, lucky bugger.
The two buses let the car pass and soon they were on there way again, they dropped Dave off at his home in Mosta, outside Daves front door May asked Mike if he would like to sit in the front seat, as Mike got out of the back of the car, Dave whispered in his ear, "remember mate, no stopping on the way home for a snogging session," and he winked at him. As Mike got into the front seat of the car he could see what dave had been looking at, with May driving, her skirt had ridden up her legs and was at mid thigh, as the two of them set off to drop Mike off at his flat, he again apologised for his actions earlier, but as May said, these things do happen and forget about it. At the flat mike got out of the car, and as he made his way to the main door, May called after him. "Michael, get a good nights sleep, big day tomorrow, we don't wast to let the school down or the rest of our classmates." Mike looked back and waved, "See you tomorrow."
It was Friday morning, the class had maths until break time, but it was easy, Mike liked this sort of maths because it was all to do with money, in the 50s money meant pounds shillings and pence. 20 shillings made a pound or 240 pennies made a pound, there was the threepenny bit, the sixpenny bit, the shilling, the two shillings and the half crown, then there was the ten shilling note, the pound note, the five pound note, and the ten pound note. They also had had the half penny and the of coarse the penny. So for Mike, this sort of maths was much to his liking, because it involved money, and what money could buy
As the lesson progressed, Mike noticed that Denise was not in the classroom, nudging Dave he whispered, "Where's Denise," Dave shook his head, "I don't know," he answered, "I have not seen her,"
Mr Ward looked up from his desk, "Palmer, Falkner, what's the problem," Nothing sir," Mike said."we were just wondering where Denise was." Mr Ward smiled. "She won't be in today, she's unwell, now get on with your work." Dave and Mike looked at each other, shrugged there shoulders and got on with there work, but they both wondered what the trouble was.
At break time Dave and Mike were sat on the wall outside the classroom getting some fresh air, as they sat there May was heading for the staffroom, Mike called her, "excuse me Mrs Riddle", she looked in there direction and walked over, "I've not got long," she said, "what's the problem." Dave explained about Denise, and that the school play was that afternoon." "It's ok," May said, "It's all in hand," she smiled, "See you all this afternoon in the school hall.
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