Jake felt relieved they were in agreement. ‘Yeah, but in a day or so I’ll be …’
‘I think it best that you take the week. The summer term is winding down. There’s only a week to go, so you’re not missing much. Then there’s the summer break for your hands to heal properly, and you can recharge your batteries too. Then we will all look forward to seeing you in the autumn term.’
‘Pardon?’ Jake nearly dropped his phone. He didn’t want to be off all week. He’d miss the school, seeing the kids, his colleagues – Faye most especially. And as for the summer – he already had plans, which didn’t involve recharging his batteries.
‘You’re going to be no use in school with an injury.’
Jake sighed. He had a point. ‘But what about the summer clubs?’
‘I’m aware that you were looking forward to running some of the summer clubs, but unfortunately I think that is out of the question now.’
‘What?’
‘I know you were keen, and I really appreciate your dedication in volunteering to spend time over the summer break in school, but I think under the circumstances you should just take the time off.’
Jake shook his head furiously. ‘I’m sure in a week or so my hands will be fine.’
‘That’s as may be, Jake. The thing is, it’s easy to get burnt out in this job. I appreciate your dedication to the kids, the job, I really do. The school will still be here in September – I can guarantee that. But the question is – willyou, if those injuries are not taken care of and you don’t take a proper break? You can put your name down for the following summer, but my advice to you is to have a holiday.’
Jake was silent. He didn’t want a holiday. He knew the longschool summer break was looming in a week’s time, and he wasn’t interested. Work took his mind off everything – and the huge bonus was that he saw Faye every day. He might not see her at school during the summer, but that hadn’t stopped him putting his name down for just about every single summer club.
‘Look, you’ve got nothing to prove, Jake.’ There was a pause. ‘Granted, there were some who were sceptical in the beginning. After all, it’s a huge career change from being a corporate lawyer to teaching in an inner-city school, but you’ve proved you are cut out for the job. Now, go take a holiday, for goodness’ sake.’
Do I have a choice?Jake sighed heavily. ‘Can I speak to Faye?’
‘No, I’m afraid she’s in a meeting.’
Jake wondered aloud if Faye would still be his mentor when he returned in September.
The head didn’t hesitate. ‘I’ve allocated you a new timetable with a different year group and mentor. It’s already been arranged.’
Jake got off the phone feeling like he’d just been kicked in the guts. He’d been away for two hours, and they’d already organised who he would be teaching in the autumn term and had replaced his mentor. Was that Faye’s doing? Or was he just being paranoid? The thought of life without Faye, without Natty, was …
The phone rang downstairs. Jake looked at his mobile, perplexed. Nobody rang his home number.
Jake rushed down the stairs. Could it be Faye?
He picked up the phone in the hall, trying to remember the last time he’d used a landline. ‘Faye?’
‘Is … Mr Campbell-Ross?’ The line crackled with heavy interference, dissolving some of the words in static.
‘Hello, say again?’
‘Is that Mr Campbell-Ross?’ The voice came clearer this time, but only just; it was an older guy, possibly late fifties, sixtiesperhaps. Jake didn’t recognise the voice.
‘Yes, it is. Who am I speaking to?’
‘My name … Arnold Wright.’ The line was still bad.
‘Where are you calling from?’ Jake spoke slowly, enunciating each word, even though when he spoke the line was completely free of any other noise save for his own voice.
‘From … Scotland …’ A particularly loud crackle followed, forcing Jake to move the phone out of earshot for a couple of seconds.
‘You’re kidding.’ Jake had made many international calls across the pond in the course of business, and some personal ones, and the lines were always crystal clear, as if he was speaking to a neighbour in the next street. ‘What’s wrong with your connection?’
‘Heaven knows, we’re always on to them t … ge … fixed.’
Jake empathised; it was the same the world over, trying to get a public utility company to come out and fix something.
