A cough and we both looked up, startled. Brian was standing at the door of my office. ‘Why don’t we have a nice chat about everything? I think you just might be tired. You’ve had a long school year. The protest must have been such a strain,’ he wheedled. ‘They’ve put some real pressure on you, haven’t they? Why don’t we take a deep breath and just have a nice little chat?’ He glared at Mary. ‘Just the two of us…’
‘One moment, Mr Crowley,’ commanded Mary, pulling herself up to her full height. ‘Will you hold on for one moment please? Ms Thomas and I are discussing something of utmost importance. And it cannot wait.’
‘What are you discussing?’ he said, suspiciously.
‘We need to discuss changing from Barry’s teabags to Lyons,’ she said, desperately. ‘It’s a big decision and very urgent.’ We looked at each other, panic in our eyes.
‘Well, if you call that urgent, then obviously you haven’t spent any time in the private sector. This is actually urgent. Ms Thomas? The papers? Can we get on? Let’s have a nice chat and we can get it all sorted out in a jiffy. I now you are a sensible woman. And the fairer sex aren’t normally known for seeing sense, but I am sure that you can be persuaded to do the right thing.’
‘It’s all right, Mary,’ I said, straightening up. ‘We can decide about the teabags later.’
I followed him back into my room where he flung himself down in the chair, his giant bottom hanging over the edge of the seat. I remained standing, my hand resting on my desk to give me stability and to make sure I felt as strong as I needed to be.
‘Brian, I would like you to leave my office immediately and if you do not hand in your resignation as a member of the board by the end of the school day, I will begin a thorough investigation into this proposed deal.’ I was bluffing, but I kept my face straight and my voice firm. And I seemed to have hit a nail on the head.
‘What?’ He tried to laugh. ‘What are you saying?’ But then he stood up, angrily, his chair falling back. ‘You know you are the same as that lot out there.’ He jabbed his thumb in the vague direction of where Arthur, Leaf, Robbo, Nellie and my mother were. ‘I thought you were different. Married to Michael Fogarty. But that’s obviously gone to pot. Foggy and the secretary. What a cliché. Ha!’
‘Good day to you,’ I said, standing up and walking to the door and opening it where Mary had been hovering. ‘Mr Crowley?’ I held out my arm towards the door to Mary’s office. He left, reluctantly, and as he walked past, he pushed us with his shoulders, jostling us. We watched as he walked down the corridor to the main entrance. But then he turned and called back.
‘Fuck you Foggy!’ he snarled, his little crocodile teeth bared at us.
Mary and I looked at each other, open mouthed.
‘Oh my word,’ said Mary, shaking her head.
‘Lucky escape,’ I said. ‘Now, you have to tell me everything. But first of all, tea. Six sugars. Anything to stop the shaking. And then I have a couple of phone calls to make before the special assembly.’
*
The girls all filed into the hall. Huan, who was in a sling wrapped around her new mother, had become quite the star attraction in school, all the girls gathering around wanting to look at this baby who had lost her birth mother but had found a new one in Mary Hooley. There was excitement and chatter in the air.
On stage behind me, were Red’s drama group, one of the children in a red curly wig, the others dressed as raggedy orphans.
‘And now,’ I announced, ‘on stage, is the Star of the Sea drama group with songs and selected scenes from Annie!’
We all joined in with the final rousing reprise. ‘Tomorrow! Tomorrow, we love ya tomorrow!’
Red gave me a big thumbs-up as we all sang lustily, fuelled by the thought of the long school holidays, the sunshine and golden days ahead.
‘You’re only a day away… tomorrow, tomorrow, we love ya tomorrow, you’re only a day awaaaaaaay!’
I stood in front of the school.
‘Thank you girls, for that wonderful production there. I can see we have a few budding actresses on our hands. Now, before we say goodbye for the summer holidays I have something to say. You see, girls, sometimes life can get difficult. Things can happen in school or at home and they are not easy to deal with. But we are here, not just to teach you but to support you, to take care of you. So always come to us and tell us how you are feeling. We are on your side.’
I looked around at the faces of these lovely girls, all of them listening intently to every word. ‘You don’t have to tell me now, but does anyone have anything they are dealing with that they are finding difficult?’
One hand crept up slowly, then another, then another… until there were twenty or so small hands in the air.
‘From September, we are setting up the Feelings Club. Once a week, you can meet and you can talk about what is going on at home or at school or in your life generally. Anyone who wants to join the Feelings Club, let your teacher know. By the way, you can still join even if you are not ready or not able to speak. Just come along anyway. Okay?’ I peered around at them, their lovely innocent faces. ‘And I have another announcement. It’s about the Copse…’ There was silence in the hall, a collective intake of breath. My mind went back to that day when I had made the children cry. I could see their little faces, wondering whether I was about to tell them that the bulldozers were arriving in the morning. The squirrels about to be squashed, the snails trod on, the birds homeless?
‘I would like to tell you all now,’ I announced, ‘that, it is not going to be sold.’
There was a huge cheer. The children began hugging each other and dancing about. And instead of dying down, the cheering went on and on. I looked around the room and all I could see were smiles.
‘Okay, okay…’ I tried for quiet. ‘Right, this is what is going to happen. It’s now going to be called the Peace Garden. And over the holidays the protestors and me - and anyone else who wants to volunteer - are going to clear it of the nettles and brambles. We are going to make sure that any animals are not disturbed. We are going to put in benches and a picnic table. And it’s going to be a place of peace and tranquillity, where you can enjoy the wildlife, the view of the sea and take a moment to yourself. It’s going to be a place for quiet reflection, for everyone, you, the teachers, your parents, your brothers and sisters. It’s going to remain a very special place. How does that sound?’
There was more cheering and shouting. ‘Star of the Sea, Star of the Sea, Star of the Sea…’ someone began chanting. ‘Star of the Sea, Star of the Sea…’ And they all joined in.
‘Let’s go outside,’ I shouted, ‘and tell the Squirrel Savers they have won! We’ve all won!’
The whole school surged after me as we marched out of the hall, down the corridor, out the door and across the playground. ‘Star of the Sea, Star of the Sea, Star of the Sea!’
Barry Whelan, the news reporter was outside, the camera on us as the river of a school poured out of the gates. I hadn’t thought he’d get down to us so quickly.
Barry thrust a microphone right underneath my chin.
‘The board of governors have come to a decision. The Copse will not be sold. I wanted our children to have access to computers. As a school, we needed money to buy them and cake sales and raffles don’t bring in enough. Selling the land was what we believed would have been to the benefit of the children. However, I know now it isn’t.’ A song from my distant past swum into my consciousness and words babbled forth. ‘You see,’ I went on, ‘I believe that children are the future, we are going to teach them well and let them lead the way! So, we will now not be selling the land. It is to be turned into a Peace Garden for the use of pupils, teachers and parents, anyone who wants to enjoy a moment of wildlife and tranquillity.’
The children began cheering again. Star of the Sea, Star of the Sea… And then the protestors who had been hugging each other, even Nellie had put down her crocheting to hug Robbo, they began with the chant as well. And then we all did. Star of the Sea! Star of the Sea!