Between the Prison and the Sewage Works by Maryline Suchley (snow like ashes txt) 📖

a couple of minutes later with two bats.

‘Where are you going?’ he asked.

‘Carrifurgus,’ James replied.

He raised his eyebrows saying he’d better wrap them up well.

James laughed in agreement.

The man covered the bats with newspaper and black plastic and then tightly taped the plastic.

He asked Mara where she was from.

‘South America,’ Mara answered.

The man started to talk about the struggles of the native Indian populations against the colonisation by the Spanish.

‘We know how they feel; the injustices we have to suffer at the hands of our repressors,’ he said as handed the bats to James.

Mara smiled and nodded in agreement.

Smiling, James said goodbye, opened the door for Mara sensing she was very ready to leave. They walked back to the bus stop and caught the bus back into the city centre.

‘We have to walk a bit to get to the train station,’ said James

As they walked, a police car slowed and drove gradually alongside them for a few seconds then drove away.

‘James, those bloody bat things look like friging rifles wrapped up in plastic bags!’ exclaimed Mara, now realising the situation; walking through Belfast with something rifle like wrapped up in black plastic.

‘Look the flat part of the bat is like the stock of a rifle and the handle looks like the muzzle,’ she panicked.

James looked at the bats.

‘Yeah it does a bit.’

‘Shit James we could be arrested or taken out by snipers!’

‘Calm down Mara, the IRA and the Loyalist paramilitaries are not so blatant to walk though the City centre with fire arms, no one is going to take us out.’

‘Shit, I can’t wait till we get back to your parents.’

On the train James put the bats on the floor under his seat. Out of sight and out of mind seemed to be working as Mara watched the City go by on the train.

It was late in the afternoon when they returned to Carrifurgus. Walking back they passed a short skinny man in his thirties with a shaved head and bomber jacket walking a dog that looked like it had some kind of pit bull in it.

Mara looked down, while James nodded as he went past.

When they were well enough away Mara asked James if he knew him.

‘Bunter Clawson, he’s a local thug, albeit a stupid thug, sure I think he even shares brain cells with that dog of his, even the UVF wouldn’t have him, but he’s also a relative on Dad’s side, thankfully distant.

‘Can’t wait for the treats you have in stall for me tomorrow! Mara said sarcastically.

‘I thought about visiting the Shankhill Road tomorrow, wearing a tee shirt of the pope, followed by the delights of Carrifurgus Castle!’ he said laughing.

The rest of the week was taken up with trips around the area staying with friends and relatives of James thanks to the loan of his mum’s car. It was definitely the break she was in need of. On the last evening they went for a quiet drink in a local pub and chatted.

‘Mara can I tell you something that you can’t repeat’ James said obviously putting a lot of trust in her.

‘Of course.’

‘Well when Daniel told me about what he had said about you being with another guy, I was pretty pissed off with him. We actually had a really big argument, anyway it came out that he was jealous of us getting together.’

‘Shit, so he fancied me and he didn’t want you going out with me.’

‘Not quite, he fancied me!’

Mara stopped mid drink.

‘What but he always acts like a hot blooded male constantly chasing women.’

‘I know but it’s all a facade.’

‘Jesus, and it’s not...’

‘No it’s not mutual!’

‘So I take it you’re still friends, just off limits to him sexually!’

‘Mara!’

‘Sorry.’

‘Underneath all that bravado he’s a really good guy and over the years he’s helped me out a lot and what you see is different to what I see.’

‘He was never your best Man was he?’ asked Mara.

‘No, why?’

‘Nothing. I suppose he was so worried about being outed, especially as a teacher that he was wearing a disguise so to speak,’

‘I actually feel a bit sorry for him. Did he try to kiss you?’

James didn’t answer.

‘There’s actually more’.

‘More?’

‘Yep, he’s got himself into a bit of trouble at school. You know that we keep being asked to be careful about our passwords, and that there’s been a student accessing unsuitable sites.’

‘Shit it was him; that’s why he comes in so early and always seems to be on the computer.’

‘Yep.’

‘But how did he get caught?’ she asked.

‘The day Tony died in the staffroom; Daniel was using his password to look at porn.’

‘I can guess it wouldn’t be the heterosexual soft stuff,’ said Mara

‘I didn’t ask. Anyway senior management were very suspicious and decided to install cameras in the teacher’s workroom. And that’s how he was caught.’

‘So what happens now?’

‘Some kind of disciplinary hearing, but it’s a bit all in the air because putting cameras in the workroom without teachers knowing is very dodgy.’

‘So he might get away with it?’

‘Yep; but you must not tell anyone.’

‘No, you can trust me.’

The evening continued with more talk of school which they had mostly managed to avoid throughout the holiday, but Daniel’s indiscretions seemed to have opened the flood gates on school talk.

That night Mara woke up sharply, it suddenly dawned on her.

Cameras! Bloody cameras! What if they had filmed her getting into Alan’s office and all the other stuff? Sweat formed on her nose, her gut felt tight. James moved next to her wrapping his arm around her, she now just felt hot and wanted to get out of bed and cool down, but she didn’t exactly have anywhere to go she was in someone else’s house. She didn’t sleep much after that and just kept thinking about where the cameras were and what they would have caught on film.

Daylight hadn’t come quick enough and she was glad to get out of bed and into the shower, she felt clammy and sticky from the stress.

‘Are you okay,’ James asked.

‘Fine, just feeling a bit fluey. I’m probably coming down with something,’ she replied whilst grabbing her shower bag.

The shower seemed to have made her feel better giving her a clearer head and she started to rationalise. She hadn’t really done anything wrong and if she had to tell the truth to the Police she still hadn’t done anything wrong, so she really did have nothing to worry about.

Mara and James said good bye to his parents and caught a cab to the airport.

As they sat in the airport lounge drinking cider Mara decided to confess to James about breaking and entering Alan’s office, what she had heard and the prospect of the cameras picking it up. After all a problem shared is a problem halved.

James just looked at her stunned.

Mara couldn’t tell if he was shocked at her behaviour or disgusted.

‘You loon!’ he said laughing.

His laughing was a welcome relief.

James put his arm around her still laughing

‘I wouldn’t worry about the cameras they were only fixed on the computers so you won’t have been caught on film snooping. But what possessed you?’

‘I thought I might be able to find something out that would get Alan off my back.’

‘And did you?’ he asked

‘Yes, he’s having an affair with another teacher.’

‘Oh; what is it with that school? Did it help you?’

‘Yep, I told him what I knew, and he transferred my probationary year back to Jim.’

‘Oh Mara, you’re mad!’

 

Chapter Thirteen

13

‘Staying in bed and shouting oh God does not constitute going to church.’

‘Good to hear your voice again pastor!’ Mara said switching off the radio.

Another day at the poly! She thought, trying to decide what to wear. The weather had changed; spring was here, the sunshine and warmth definitely lifting her frame of mind. Choosing a hot pink shirt and Jeans she sang along to the Boy Zone CD she bought in Belfast, much to James’ disgust. Even the thought of OFSEAD coming in again this week wasn’t going to dampen her mood.

‘At least today’s a teacher only day and the children of the corn will still be in the fields,’ she laughed.

Arriving at school she noticed that Daniel’s car was not in the car park.

I suppose he has no reason to use the computers anymore she shrugged to herself.

The staffroom was abuzz with people looking in their pigeon holes and talking with each other.

Mat was hanging around the kitchenette and seemed to ignore her.

Obviously Mark’s little chat worked, she thought.

She decided to check her emails and double check that the cameras would not have caught her going into Alan’s office. There were just little holes in the ceiling.

Another email from Hazel; she was in Thailand now!

I should do that; just take off travelling. She thought to herself as she deleted all the new emails sent from the school office.

The morning meeting started with Jim welcoming everyone back after Easter and talking about the ominous inspection while Joyce scribbled on the board. There was no Alan but no one seemed to notice or even care.

Mara turned to see both Daniel and James coming in late, James smiled at her and Daniel looked down.

Jim ran though the programme for the day.

‘We have a brief staff meeting to outline the week, and then you will divide up into your subjects. Lunch will be provided by our delightful dinner ladies. After lunch individual teachers will be able to prepare lessons etcetera, the retraining group will meet in the library and the senior management team will meet in my office. All clear he beamed looking decidedly cheerful considering the school was on the brunt of another government inspection it would probably fail.

Mara had been sat next to Steffi, not by choice but because Steffi had chosen to sit next to her. Mara suspected this was due to the fact the Deon was seated the other side of her. He had rolled his eyes when Steffi sat down, making no attempt to hide his annoyance at her being in the vicinity. The meeting was predictable and Mara sat and scribbled on her teacher planner occasionally looking up to see what other people were doing; some were actually listening, some pretending to listen. Roger was smiling at Jim and Steffi tutted every time she heard something she didn’t like, occasionally challenging Jim on certain issues, thus extending the length of the meeting much to the annoyance of the other teachers who were becoming fidgety.

Jim finally dismissed everybody and Mara made her way back to the science prep room, choosing not to go and talk to James as he seemed to be in conversation with the Manuelle teacher who was shaking his head, laughing and throwing empty chocolate wrappers out of his pigeon hole straight into the bin.

Back in the prep room the mood was noticeably dismal; Roger and Piles were definitely the cogs in the science machine. Jeremy seemed to be overwhelmed at another spectacular failure, especially considering Gordon was on permanent sick leave and Grace had taken over his classes. Daniel was noticeably quiet. Mara couldn’t help but wonder if Jeremy new about hi pornographic activities.

Despondently Jeremy trolled through the list of strategies, must and must not’s when OFSTEAD are around. Roger smiled obediently, confirming Mara’s theory he was he was on some sort of medication because no one could smile that much at the situation.

The bell rang for lunch and Jeremy gave some words of advice.

‘Remember OFSTEAD are here to make us better educators not run us in to the ground!’

Mara met up with James at lunch time in the school canteen. The choices available were limited to the usual, sausages chips, pies, fish fingers, beans, quiche and something fried and twisted that no one recognised.

Asking the dinner lady for quiche and chips Mara winced as she glanced at Jeremy’s plate. James was equally offended by the food offerings but had got around this by pre ordering a lasagne and salad, which the dinner ladies had specially made for him.

‘How did you get that?’ she asked James.

‘Gerty