The Teacher's Secret Read Online Free PDF Page B

of his mind.
    The new term, that’s what he needs to focus on now.
    And sure enough, he feels it the moment he steps into the playground: the crackle in the air that signals the true start to the schoolyear. An energetic feeling, that’s what it is. That’s what’s special about it. Because there’s nothing better than watching the kids tumble in through the gate and, like magnets, click back into their little posses.
    Except for Elsie, who doesn’t attach herself to anyone much. Today, she’s hovering around the play equipment, half watching the other kids, half daydreaming, one finger in her mouth.
    He hears Trina before he sees her. ‘Elsie!’ she screams. ‘Elsie!’ He follows the sound of the voice and spies her down by the front gate. It’s been a while—years—since she last came to school. And she’s not looking great. Everything about her is unwashed and her dress, cotton and stretchy at the bodice, has a wet stain down the front. Her feet are bare, her face is grimy and her hair is dry and unkempt.
    When she catches sight of Elsie, she starts screaming louder. ‘Come here, you little bitch,’ she cries out as she makes her way over to the play equipment. ‘Get over here, you stupid bitch.’
    Terry hurries over. Before he can reach them, Trina is already on top of her daughter, her hands lashing out to slap the girl. Elsie wraps her arms around her head and tries to curl herself into a ball. She is shouting now but her voice is hoarse and muffled.
    ‘Get off her!’ Terry shouts, but Trina just keeps going.
    ‘Trina! Trina, leave her!’ This time, his voice is so loud it cuts through, halting Trina in her frenzy.
    Elsie is no longer shouting; now she’s just crying. Mucus pours out of her nostrils and when she tries to wipe it away, she streaks it across her face instead. Her crying is loud. ‘Mum,’ she cries, her voice rough. ‘What was that for?’
    Trina, defeated now, has her shoulders hunched forward. ‘Because,’ she says, her voice a low growl, ‘you’re a little bitch. You’ve always been a little bitch.’
    Elsie doesn’t reply at first. Instead she rubs her fingers hard into her nose. ‘Not always, Mum,’ she says. ‘I’m not always a bitch, Mum.’
    Putting his arm around the girl, Terry presses her to him so that she’s facing away from her mother. ‘Go now, Trina,’ he says. ‘The bell’s about to ring so you should just go now.’
    A crowd of kids has started to gather around them. Still holding Elsie, Terry shoos them away with his free hand. ‘There’s nothing to see,’ he says, ‘nothing to see.’
    To Trina he hisses a final warning, ‘I said go, Trina. Now.’
    Trina shoots her daughter a vicious glare before she makes her way back to the front gate.
    Once she has left, Terry crouches down in front of Elsie and tries to soothe her. When, after some minutes, he stands up, Elsie leans her head into his chest and puts her arms around him. Softly, and with one arm around the girl’s waist, Terry strokes the back of her head. They stay like that for a long time—until the girl’s shoulders are no longer heaving. Slowly, then, and with a great gentleness, Terry breaks the embrace and, taking Elsie’s hand in his, walks her over to the staffroom.
    She’s still sobbing quietly when they get there. The door is closed and Terry hopes to God that Laurie isn’t in there so he won’t have to go through the rigmarole of explaining what’s happened and what bloody form needs to be filled in. Because it’s Elsie, what they really need to do is to keep head office right out of it. Give the kid a bit of TLC and leave it at that.
    He’s in luck: only Tania and Belinda are in the staffroom. He gives a tiny shake of the head so they won’t ask what happened—not now, not while Elsie’s there—and they don’t. Instead, Tania rubs Elsie’s back while Terry looks for something he can use to clean the girl’s face.
    He can’t find any tissues, but there’s a