By Dawn Knox
energy-boosting green chlorophyll smoothie
It soon became apparent why the number of pupils
attending the after-school Science Club had increased dramatically that week.
“When’re we going to have the taste test, Mr Primm?” one of
the new children asked.
Word had got out that the usual attendees had been growing
something which they were going to eat this week.
‘D’you think it’s going to be bacon?” someone asked.
“Or pizza?”
Several children packed up and left when Mr Primm brought out
the tiny cress plants. To those who were now gathered around his desk and who had
planted the seeds the previous week, he explained about the miracle of
germination and how plants feed themselves using sunlight.
“My grandad takes tablets for that,” Polly
said.
“Is he infected with cress?” Zoe asked.
“Nah, stupid. He takes them to bring his chlorophyll levels
down, if he didn’t, he might have a heart attack,” Polly said
condescendingly.
“What d’you do if cress has a heart attack, Mr Primm?” Zoe
asked.
“That’s not possible, Zoe, cress doesn’t have a heart. Are
you thinking of cholesterol, Polly? Plants contain chlorophyll. Humans contain
cholesterol and it’s high levels of cholesterol in humans which can cause heart
disease.”
“Possibly,” said Polly, who’d lost interest and was eyeing
up the gold stars Oliver kept in his desk drawer.
“Well, I think we’ll finish there, children. I expect your
mothers are waiting for you in the playground.”
No one mentioned that they were supposed to be taste-testing
the experiment.
“They’re very green, aren’t they?” a boy muttered with
a frown.
Polly took one long regretful look at the gold stars and
left.
Oliver glanced at the chart on the wall showing who’d earned
the most stars. Polly had six so far this term. If she suddenly acquired more,
he’d know where they came from.
The headteacher’s PA, Alice Skipper, poked her head around
the door, “Your cab’s here, Ollie,” she trilled, “Oh, and don’t forget you’re on
playground duty first thing in the morning.”
She smiled a knowing smile.
This wasn’t how he’d planned his teaching career to go, but
the All Saints’ Junior School Christmas Nativity play had put paid to any hopes
he’d rise rapidly through the ranks and manage to avoid minor irritations like
playground duty.
And it would have worked too, if it hadn’t been for that
stupid play and the headteacher’s amorous advances.
Well, the ex-headteacher’s amorous advances.
At least Miss Skate, or as the children had very aptly dubbed
her Mistake, had abruptly left All Saints’, taking all her unwelcome
opinions on running a successful, politically-correct school with her – much to
his relief and to that of the other members of staff.
Unfortunately, Ruth Abraham and Laetitia Gibbons, his
colleagues, simply wouldn’t believe that despite he and Mistake sharing a room
at the Wickleston Arms on the evening of the Nativity Play, everything had been
completely innocent.
But it had been completely innocent.
They’d both passed out after the landlady had liberally
bestowed her powerful punch on all the patrons that evening, to make up for the
fact that many of them were sheltering there because of the freezing fog. When
they’d woken up in the morning, Mistake had apparently been feeling a little
frisky but Oliver had hastily pulled his clothes on and left.
He felt particularly aggrieved because Ruth and Laetitia had
almost forced him to offer the headteacher a lift and then pretend his car had
broken down, to prevent her turning up at the Nativity Play and now, he was
paying the price. And the price was that he had to do more than his fair share
of playground duty.
He picked up his bag and went outside to the waiting cab. And
that was another thing he had against Ruth and Laetitia – his car had never been
the same since he’d pretended it had broken down, it was as if it was paying him
back for casting aspersions on it when it was perfectly healthy.
“Bad day?” the driver asked as Oliver got into the passenger
side of the cab.
Oliver nodded. He didn’t want to talk. He’d spent hours
today, talking to children, who, if their comments about cress and heart attacks
were anything to go by, only half-listened.
“I’m Harris,” the driver said, holding out his hand, “I’m
new.”
Oliver shook his hand, “Yes, I can see,” he said. Cab drivers
usually just drove. They didn’t, as far as he knew, introduce themselves with a
view to becoming life-long friends. Oliver looked at the identification card in
front of him – Harris Tweed.
Harris saw the direction of his gaze, “Good, eh? Harris
Tweed. Sounds really posh, don’t it?”
Oliver agreed it did.
“You know what you need?” Harris said.
Oliver could think of plenty of things but he didn’t want to
discuss them with the driver.
“What you need,” said Harris, “is some
life-coaching.”
Well, that hadn’t been anywhere on Oliver’s list.
“I do?”
“Yup, definitely. And it’s your lucky day because I can offer
you some.”
Inwardly, Oliver groaned.
“Now let me guess,” said Harris, “you’re not happy in your
career?”
“Well…”
“Say no more. I’ll sort you out. Now, what d’you like doing?
What’s the most important thing to you?”
“I like to make a difference.”
“Right, I’ve got the perfect job for you,” said Harris after
only a moment’s thought.
“Yes?”
“Yep. Fork-lift truck driver. They make a difference. They
move stuff from one place to another and make things look really
different.”
Oliver glanced sideways to see if Harris was joking but it
appeared he was serious.
“I’m not terribly spatially aware, so I’m not sure that’s
quite suitable. And I was thinking more of making a difference to people’s
hearts and minds.”
“Oh, I see. Well, how about a doctor, they dabble with hearts
and minds?”
“I think there’s quite a lot of training involved in becoming
a doctor. I might’ve left it a bit late for that.”
“Never say never, mate! If that’s your dream, make it
happen.”
“Yes, but it’s not my dream. I faint at the sight of blood. I
was thinking more of helping people to be the best they can be.”
“I’ve got it!” said Harris, “Cheese-maker.”
“Why?” Oliver asked after a few moments.
“Everyone loves cheese. Lots of protein and calcium. Makes
people strong – and happy.”
“When I said ‘the best they can be’, I was thinking more of
helping children develop and grow into useful, well-adjusted
adults.
“I’ve got it!” said Harris, “Why don’t you become a
life-coach?”
“Well, to be honest, I’m not exactly sure what qualifications
I’d need.”
“No, me neither,” said Harris.
“But I thought you said you were a life-coach.”
“Me? Nah! I just said I could offer you some life-coaching.
I’m an amateur. I throw my advice in for free with the cab ride.”
“I see,” said Oliver.
The cab drew up outside Oliver’s flat.
“Here’s one last bit of advice I’ll throw in,” said Harris as
he turned the clock off, “whatever you do, keep your chin up, put your best foot
forward and don’t let ‘em grind you into the dirt.”
“Thank you,” said Oliver, looking through his wallet to find
a five-pound note as a tip. He didn’t usually give cab drivers that much but he
felt Harris had been trying so hard, he deserved something extra. His own car
was going to be delivered later, so hopefully, he wouldn’t need a cab again. And
if he did, he fervently hoped it wouldn’t be driven by Harris Tweed – he
couldn’t afford to spend so much on travelling to and from work.
But, don’t let ‘em grind you into the dirt was good
advice. Tomorrow, Oliver would assert his rights. He’d done nothing wrong,
so there was no reason why he should have to suffer playground duty more than
anyone else. He’d get Alice Skipper to alter the rota. He couldn’t believe he
hadn’t simply insisted on that in the beginning.
As he let himself into his flat, he was already planning next
week’s science club. It would be about keeping fit and healthy and he’d make
sure to emphasise there was an important distinction between cholesterol and
chlorophyll.
There was nothing wrong with teaching, he decided, nothing at
all. And thanks to Harris Tweed’s life-coaching, he now knew exactly what he
wanted to do with his life.
Links to
previous stories in the series:
1) A Question of Timing: https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2017/09/a-question-of-timing.html
2) In MaryWorld: https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2017/09/in-maryworld.html
3) Knit and Natter: https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2017/11/knit-and-natter.html
4) Mint Pink: https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2018/03/mint-pink.html
5) Sydney Jugg’s Book of Grievances: https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2018/04/sydney-juggs-book-of-grievances.html
6) Is there Anybody There?: https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2018/04/is-there-anybody-there.html
7) Going Freelance: https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2018/05/going-freelance.html
8) So App-ealing: https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2018/06/so-app-ealing.html
9) No Saints at All Saints’: https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2018/07/no-saints-at-all-saints.html
10) A Meal of Biblical Proportions https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2018/08/a-meal-of-biblical-proportions.html
11) It is Better to Give than to Receive https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2018/09/it-is-better-to-give-than-to-receive.html
12) Superhero Worship https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2018/10/superhero-worship.html
13) Playground Justice
14) Politically Correct at Christmas https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2018/12/politically-correct-at-christmas.html
1) A Question of Timing: https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2017/09/a-question-of-timing.html
2) In MaryWorld: https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2017/09/in-maryworld.html
3) Knit and Natter: https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2017/11/knit-and-natter.html
4) Mint Pink: https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2018/03/mint-pink.html
5) Sydney Jugg’s Book of Grievances: https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2018/04/sydney-juggs-book-of-grievances.html
6) Is there Anybody There?: https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2018/04/is-there-anybody-there.html
7) Going Freelance: https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2018/05/going-freelance.html
8) So App-ealing: https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2018/06/so-app-ealing.html
9) No Saints at All Saints’: https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2018/07/no-saints-at-all-saints.html
10) A Meal of Biblical Proportions https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2018/08/a-meal-of-biblical-proportions.html
11) It is Better to Give than to Receive https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2018/09/it-is-better-to-give-than-to-receive.html
12) Superhero Worship https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2018/10/superhero-worship.html
13) Playground Justice
14) Politically Correct at Christmas https://cafelitcreativecafe.blogspot.com/2018/12/politically-correct-at-christmas.html
About the author
Author
of:
“THE
GREAT WAR - 100 Stories of 100 Words Honouring Those Who Lived and Died 100
Years Ago.”
“EXTRAORDINARY"
Tales to take you out of this world.
“WELCOME
TO PLOTLANDS” and “A TOUCH OF THE EXOTIC” - historical romances set in
Essex.
“DAFFODIL
AND THE THIN PLACE” YA adventure story.
All available on Amazon.co.uk
All available on Amazon.co.uk
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