On the bus, Mike sat next to Nann, he sat down very gingerly so that she wouldn't see the pain he was in, plus the fact he didn't want to let her see him as a wimp. The run to Pieta was horrible, every jolt of the bus sent waves of pain from his backside, up though his spine to the top of his head. Nann was saying something to him, but the pain was making anything said to him unheard. At Pieta Mike got off the bus, he said goodbye, but as normal did not squeeze her hand. he didn't even give her the usual wave as the bus pulled away. Nann watched Mike walk into the block of flats, wondering what she had done wrong, or said. All the way home she went through what had been said, in case she had somehow upset him in some way.
In the flat, Mike called to his mother, to say that he was going to change and go down to the boathouse. Putting on his old clothes he walked up to the lounge and said, "hello," he didn't go in, just stood at the door, then grabbing a drink, he was gone. In the boathouse, Mike took out all his anger on a small piece of sandpaper and a length of wood, so that by the time Kelvin had come over to tell him that dinner was ready, most of the underside of the canoe's woodwork was down to bare wood. As Kelvin and Mike walked back to the flat, Kelvin said. "Are you ok bro, you aren't half walking funny?" Mike nodded. "Yes Kelvin, I'm fine, really." Back in the flat, dad was sat at the table, mother was in the kitchen finishing off the evening meal. "Mike," said his father, "a private word lets go into the bedroom." Mike followed his father into there bedroom, and father closed the door and sat on the bed. "Right son," he said, "what happened at school today?" Mike looked at his father. "Not a lot," he said. "That's not what I have been told." his father said, "Ok son, turn and drop your pants." he didn't sound angry, so Mike slowly dropped his pants, showing his backside to his dad. Mike heard the intake of breath, then his voice called out. "Dorothy, get in here will you." Mike's mother appeared at the door. "What's all the yell..." her voice suddenly came to a stop. "Michael, who the hell did that to you," she said. Mike felt her cool hands on his backside, but the pain was still bad and for a second time that day he flinched. "Ken," Dorothy said the first aid box, will you bring it in, please." While Mike's dad fetched the first aid box, mother was doing her best to get out of Michael what had happened. Ken returned and said. "Ok, son lets see if we can't relieve some of that pain." But Dorothy stopped him. "He's my baby," she said, "I will tend his pain." Ken left the room and with Mike laid face down on his parent's bed Dorothy very gently rubbed ointment into the welts that crisscrossed Mike's bottom. Then leaving him to pull up his pants and shorts, she went and finished getting the meal ready.
As Mike went to sit down, he noticed two cushions on his seat to ease the pain. Mike looked at his dad and gave a half smile.
At the table, while the family ate, dad explained how the doctor at Manoel Island was called to the school, a pupil had been given the cane, and fo a good ten minutes had frozen, he had picked up the desk as he stood, and would not release it. The headmaster had told the doc when the boy looked at him, all he could see in his eyes was blind hatred, and as he said to the doc, I felt total fear go through my body. Ken explained that most boys of the boys that get the cane scream blue murder, and this somehow lets the headmaster know the required force needed to make the punishment acceptable. But in our Mike's case, Mike didn't do anything, he just lay over th desk and took it like a man. The trouble was, the headmaster thought he wasn't hurting Mike, so went at it full force. Dorothy was not happy. "What do you intend to do about this Ken," she asked. Ken looked at his wife. "It's all in hand my love," he said, "It's all in hand. As the evening wore on the pain in Mike's rear slowly diminished, the cream that his mother had used was very good. When it was time for bed, Mike's mother came down with him, and after Mike had undressed his mother applied another helping of the cream so that as she said, her baby could have a good nights sleep. Then kissing him on his forehead she left him to think about the days events. In bed Mike tried to remember what had happened that morning, he remembered the clock crashing to the floor, he also remembered going to the headmaster's office, but after that, his mind was a total blank. The only thing he could fully remember was the cross country run. As his mind went over it all again, his eyes closed and sleep slowly took over his body. he did not dream. but woke up at some stage in the night on his stomach crying like a baby. He told his mother about it over breakfast, but she just patted his head and told him that, that was the shock coming out, and not to worry about it.
Thursday morning on the bus sitting next to Nann Mike felt much better, his rear hardly stung at all and talking to Nann helped to put aside yesterdays events. But Nann somehow knew what had happened, from her own father. "Why didn't you tell me," she said, I thought we had an understanding, I thought we told each other everything, please Michael, if anything like this ever happens again you will let me know, won't you." As she was talking, she was holding his hand, rubbing his fingers. Mike looked at Nann and smiled. "I don't think it will ever happen again, and anyway, I'll be ready for it next time," Mike said.
By now the bus was pulling into the school, as Mike and Nann got off, she squeezed his hand. In the classroom Mike was soon joined by his classmates, Dave wanted to know about Mike's rear, but Mike said bouncing on his chair, "Its fine now, just a few bruises." As the class sat chatting, the headmaster came in with a lady. He addressed the class, saying "Class, this is Mrs Pike, as of today, she will be your form teacher." Heather put her hand up, the headmaster looked at her."Yes," he asked, heather asked, "where's Mr Ward, he was our teacher." The headmaster looked at the class as a whole. "Mr Ward is on sick leave, and when he recovers, he will be teaching in another part of the school. He will not be teaching this class again. Then looking at Mike he said, "Palmer, will you come with me." he looked at Mrs Pike and she gave Mike the nod, so he got out of his seat and followed the headmaster out of the classroom.
In the headmaster's office the headmaster sat at his desk, he smiled at Mike. "Palmer," he said, "I hope you don't feel the same way you did yesterday about me."Mike looked at him. "No sir, you were just doing your duty." The headmaster stared at Mike. "My duty," he said, "what do you mean my duty." "Well sir," Mike said, "Mr Ward sent me to you for six of the best, if you hadn't given me the six, that would have undermined his authority, so you were doing your duty." The headmaster smiled. "did you not tell me last year, you were planning to join the Royal Navy." "Yes sir I did," said Mike. "As soon as the family gets home to England." "Well Palmer, I think you will be an asset to the fleet. Ok you can carry on now."As Mike turned to leave, he was called back. "Oh Palmer, take this, and no more breakages." he handed Mike a large square box.
When Mike got back to the classroom, he sat at his desk and opened the box, only to be confronted by a brand new clock, Mrs Pike came up to him and he showed her the new class timepiece. "And where do we hang that," she asked, Mike, pointed to a screw in the wall between the two windows. "Ok," said Mrs Pike. "Then you had better put it up," Mike wound up the clock and using his own watch he put it to the right time, then handing it to Chris, he said, "you do it mate, the last time I did it, I ended up with, well you know."
With Mrs Pike in charge of the class, the days seemed to go much smoother, she was about 45 to 50 years old, always seemed to have a smile on her face. She was a mother figure for the class, and they soon got to feel that life was going in the right direction. Mike knew that she was no May Riddle, but then he had other things to occupy his time, namely a 15 year old who had stolen his heart.
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