Knocking on doors

20/11/2008 by April First.

Being in control of the school’s administration, rather than undermining it (as MI5 suggested I had been) turned out to be not that difficult. Janice and I set the systems to rights, took out all the checking processes that were going on, and we started to work through the details of who we actually had on site both in terms of staff and pupils.

I took a summary of my notes to Havoc Blythe after break, and suggested that he circulate a list of all the remaining staff to all the remaining staff, with a note saying that if anyone on the list objects to anyone else on the list they should report to HB now with their complaints.

“Can’t they report to you?” he asked.

It certainly wasn’t a task that I wanted, but at the moment Janice tapped on the door and came in. It was so strange to find Janice HB and I adopting these formalities – tapping on the door indeed. Janice was about to apologise for interrupting the meeting with the Doctor told her not to be stupid – and actually put all three of us at ease by reminding us who we were.

“Mrs Marchmount is back,” Janice said. “She apologises for having taken leave of absence for a couple of days, but didn’t feel too well.”

HB looked at me, and I at Janice. We shrugged as one. Janice got up to tell Mrs M she could have her job when Havoc Blythe said, “but do tell her that April is head of department,” and Janice smiled. She’d love doing that.

The acting head accepted my idea for the list circulation to teachers, and then we turned to the list of pupils. We currently had about 60 percent of the normal numbers and didn’t really want the rest back. We agreed that I would send a note to all parents saying that because of the mass absenteeism no pupil who had been away for the last week would only be allowed back if they returned next Monday at 9am and there was no more trouble. Anyone not returning by then would be deemed to have left.

“Doesn’t that sound like Ms Bland?” I said.

“Yes,” he agreed, “but just this once I think…”

Between us we decided that we’d close the school completely tomorrow morning, and that normal classrooms would resume in the afternoon. Staff who had shown sympathy to the Normans would not be allowed back, and we’d do our best to run on supply teachers and study periods in the interim.

Before I left for the day I checked the bank account. We were £100,000 overdrawn. I went back to Havoc Blythe with the news. “So they got the money,” he said. “That can’t be all of it, but it is something. What else did they want?”

We still didn’t know, but called it a day.

After I’d got home, had a drink and a few nuts courtesy of the new M&S store at the local garage, the police turned up. It was the same team that had tried to caution me for having an overcrowded house in the days when everyone wanted to be at the school

They showed me a picture of Ms Bland and asked me if I knew her. I said I did, and told them how. They asked if I had ever heard of the Parasite Corporation. I said no – and they told me that this was who Ms Bland worked for.

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