Wind Across the Playground

by Ross Richdale

  Wind Across the Playground

  Ross Richdale

  Published by Ross Richdale, 2017.

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  WIND ACROSS THE PLAYGROUND

  First edition. January 6, 2017.

  Copyright © 2017 Ross Richdale.

  ISBN: 978-1877438738

  Written by Ross Richdale.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  WIND ACROSS THE PLAYGROUND | ROSS RICHDALE | ISBN 978-1-877438-73-8

  PART ONE | CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  PART TWO | CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  PART THREE | CHAPTER 25

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  About the Author

  WIND ACROSS THE PLAYGROUND

  ROSS RICHDALE

  ISBN 978-1-877438-73-8

  In the late 1970s, Neil Overworth a young school teacher arrives to take charge of a two teacher rural school at Ashleyvale in the South Island of New Zealand with his partner, liberated Lisa. She is just one of the five women who has a profound affect on his life through the next quarter a century.

  Margaret, a promiscuous farmer's wife engulfs Neil like a spider and almost tears his relationship with Lisa apart. Afterwards there is a tragedy, Kate, the assistant teacher in the junior room at Ashleyvale and decisions to be made. Neil matures quickly and when faced with an ultimatum by the woman who loves him, makes a decision that involves shifting back home to the North Island with one woman and away from the other.

  Two girls also affect his life, Wendy a pupil at Ashleyvale and his daughter Alexia who, as a baby, unknowingly provides the comfort and love. There are always changes as society moves through the decades.

  This is a story of a naive young man who is influenced by the women around him, who matures, lives life to the fullest and becomes a leader in his chosen profession. There are tragedies along the way, changing attitudes and the profound love that keeps him going through good times and bad.

  Historic Note

  In this novel, Wendy at 13 was in Form 2, which is now called Year 8, during her final year at Ashleyvale School. The intermediate school later in the novel took Form 1 and 2 children (Year 7 & 8s).

  PART ONE

  CHAPTER 1

  Clouds of dust bellowed behind the tiny red Department of Education bus as it rumbled along a top plateau in New Zealand's backcountry. Inside, the driver, a clean-cut man with a short haircut almost out of style at the time, glanced in the rear vision at Taihape School's probationary assistant. Lisa Woolstone lived on a farm further out and left her car at the terminus of the bus route. From there she drove her car home to her parents' farm.

  As it often happened on that 1962 Friday afternoon, she was the only passenger. At the end of the week many of the parents would pick their children up at school and the twenty-four children on the Junction Bus Route would end up as a handful.

  After they let the Taylor children off at the start of the plateau, Lisa came forward from near the back. With her blue cardigan and tight skirt she was an attractive young woman with clothes that accentuated rather than hid her figure.

  "Are you going back to Palmerston North for the weekend, Noel?" she asked as she plunked herself down in the seat behind him and her blue eyes found his for a brief second in the rear vision mirror.

  "Yes," Noel Overworth replied. "There's nothing to do in Taihape."

  Lisa glanced at him. "You've got a girlfriend, there, I suppose?"

  Noel took his eyes off the road and glanced at the intense eyes gazing at his mirror image.

  "No," he said. "Only my parents and younger brother are at home."

  "I see," Lisa replied. "So why don't you stay in town over the weekend?"

  Her voice became a whisper and Noel felt fingers brush his shoulders. Over the last three weeks since she'd moved from a flat in town back home to her parent's farm she'd come and sat behind him to chat.

  "What do you mean?" he asked.

  "I mean," she continued with uncertainty in her voice. "You seem so alone out here and at school, too. Oh, I know you kid around with the other guys on the staff but you ignore the women. There are five single girls on the staff, including me. I would have thought a husky man like you would be fighting them off."

  "Well, I have a sort of girlfriend," Noel confessed "We're sort of drifting. "

  "That happens," the girl said. "Are you going to marry her?

  "No," Noel replied before he even thought about the answer.

  "That's good," Lisa replied. "So you're a free agent?"

  "I guess." Noel frowned. "Why?"

  Lisa flushed and glanced away. "I just thought..."she whispered. She stared at him and gulped. "I thought we might hit it off Noel, if you know what I mean."

  "Sure..." he replied and gulped. He'd wanted to ask her for a date but whenever the opportunity arose something had happened and he'd chickened out. He pretended to concentrate on his driving so there would be a halt in their conversation.

  After the last bend they drove along another short straight to where the schoolhouse stood in front of an abandoned sole-charge school. The school had closed a decade earlier and the bus route established to transport local children into Taihape. Noel rented the house for a ridiculously low amount and drove the bus into the town every morning, taught ten-year-olds during the day and drove back at night. He lived in two rooms of the house. The cheap rent and extra pay from driving the bus made the position well worthwhile. It was lonely at times and after almost three years, he was ready to move on, perhaps back to the city now his country service was completed.

  He pulled the bus in beside a massive corrugated iron bus shed and glanced at Lisa.

  "I'll put the bus away," he said and half hoped Lisa wouldn't back out her Morris Minor from the side garage where it stayed all day and head off to her home, four miles down the road.

  She didn't. When the bus was inside the shed, she grabbed her satchel and stood waiting just inside the building while he slide the heavy wooden door around on its rollers.

  "Do you want to go out?" he burped out just before he closed the last door.

  "When?" she whispered and stood straight in front of him with a strange smile on her face. He could smell her closeness, gazed at the long blonde hair, and attempted to avoid lowering his eyes at the heaving breasts.

  "The movies tomorrow night," he gulped.

  "But you're going home for the weekend," she replied somewhat offhandedly.

  " I don't need to,"

  "Okay," she laughed and reached over and squeezed his arm. "Why not tonight? There's a better movie on at the Majestic than tomorrow."

  "That sounds great to me."

  Lisa swung around, grabbed his cheeks and kissed him in on the lips. He could smell the sweet breath of fresh toothpaste, a slight whiff of perfume and taste the salty lips against his. "I must be going, Noel," she whispered. "If I'm not home soon, Mum will come looking for me. She is terrified I'm going to
crash the Minor on the road but I told her it is safer driving here than in the city."

  She almost skipped across to her little car. She backed around and wound down the window. "I'll be back at six and we can have a meal in town. Okay? "

  "Sure," Noel laughed.

  Lisa grinned before she drove away. "Don't be so self-conscious. If that girlfriend of yours is too prudish to have a bit of fun, she's the loser, not you."

  Noel shook his head in wonder. It was as if Lisa could read his mind. He walked slowly over to his house deep in thought.

  NOEL HARDLY WATCHED the film at the Majestic that evening for all he could think about was the beautiful girl beside him. He did everything right, bought her an ice cream and popcorn at half time and placed his arm along the back of her seat during the main movie. She cuddled in and squeezed his hand when he found her one to hold.

  It was the journey home that came as the biggest surprise. My God, as soon as she sat down she undid three buttons of her cardigan and the cleavage of her breasts could be seen beneath. He could smell her closeness as he gazed at the long blonde hair, and attempted to avoid lowering his eyes at the heaving breasts.

  "You know the picnic area just before we turn off the main highway?" she asked as they drove through the windy Spooner's Hill.

  "Yeah."

  "Why don't you pull in there, way in where the trees hide the road," she whispered and squeezed his leg.

  My God! Lisa was coming onto him! He could hardly contain his excitement as he drove through the darkness until the sign for the picnic area ahead appeared. He licked dry lips and drove onto the grass and in behind a row of shrubs.

  "This do?" he asked as he doused the headlights and turned off the engine.

  "Perfect."

  In the dim light filtering through from the moon, she undid the last four buttons of her cardigan. There was no blouse underneath, only peach colored bras with a frilly pattern across the top. She smiled faintly, opened the car door, stepped out and turned to face him with a smile. Without a trace of embarrassment, she kicked off her shoes but her right foot up on the edge of the doorframe, hitched up her skirt, undid one of her nylon stockings and rolled it off.

  "Lisa!" he choked before she started on the second stocking. He couldn't help but stare at the lace of her panties. .

  "Tell me you really want to stop and I will, Neil." she said and dropped her eyes to his longs where his erection was obvious.

  Oh hell! Why not? Bugger all the morality he'd been preached all his life.

  "Okay." He jumped out of the car and almost ran around to her.

  His mind was in frenzy as warm soft arms encircled his neck and Lisa kissed him in a way that promised more things to come. With shaky fingers, he moved his hand up, lifted her hair and placed a kiss on an ear.

  "Keep going, Neil," she whispered. "I want you, too" She grabbed his cheeks and kissed him in a frantic open-mouthed kiss. He could smell the sweet breath of fresh toothpaste, a slight whiff of perfume and taste the salty lips against his.

  Almost as if she was too impatient to wait, Lisa reached back, undid her bra clip and let the flimsy garment drop to the grass. She stood there smiling while Neil goggled at her firm breasts.

  "You're beautiful," he whispered.

  "Touch me if you want to," Lisa whispered. "I won't break."

  Neil reached forward and cupped his hands around her breasts. He gulped and guided her onto the ground where all pretence was thrown aside.

  They moved in together, Lisa yanked down the zip of his fly while he gave a low moan. She reached down and within seconds his trousers and underpants were gone.

  "Let's go in the car," Neil gasped.

  Inside, Lisa lay on the back seat with and reached up for him. "There's not much room," she giggled, "I'm sure you'll manage, though."

  "Oh Lisa," Neil groaned.

  She reached out, took one of his hands and placed it on a breast while he kissed her with a passion he never knew he owned and lay down over her. She twisted her legs up around him and grabbed his body. Fingernails dug into his bare back as she passionately kissed him. With a low moan, he pulled her body closer. Their passion over the countless minutes that followed did not stop and ended only when with her help he penetrated her body and his sperm ejaculated inside gasping writhing girl.

  Never in his wildest dreams had he thought he'd go this far on their first date, or any date if he really thought about it. Every previous girl he's dated had stopped him from even touching their breasts through several layers of clothes let alone...

  Lisa redressed, sat back in the front seat and grinned as he staggered back in his own clothes and leaped behind the steering wheel. As they continued their journey home she wriggled across and leaned against him.

  "It would have happened eventually anyway," she whispered and kissed his cheek. "So what was the point of waiting?"

  CHAPTER 2

  When the Junction Bus pulled into the kerb in front of Taihape School at twenty to nine on the Monday two weeks later, the children tumbled out and Noel noticed Claire, the office assistant, waiting for them.

  "Mr. Stapleton wants to see you both," she and switched her eyes between Noel and Lisa.

  "Damn," Noel muttered and his heart raced. Old Wayne never wanted to see them before school before. The headmaster was a grim old sod at the best of times and, only last week, had given a staff lecture about staff fraternizing after hours. Simon and Jennifer, two other teachers on the staff, were seen at the New Taihape Hotel one night at nine. "Getting rid of six o'clock closing is all very well," Old Wayne had grumbled, "However, I am not going to have my staff abusing the system, especially when the young lady is not even twenty one." His bushy eyebrows raised and Jennifer turned a bright scarlet.

  Noel glanced at Lisa who also looked apprehensive and was biting on her bottom lip.

  "Come in, Lisa and Noel," Wayne Stapleton said when they knocked on the office door. "Take a seat."

  This sounded bad.

  "You applied to be graded this year?" Wayne began.

  Noel mentally sighed in relief. He expected a lecture about the immorality of people out of wedlock being sexually active. "Yes," he said.

  Every three years, teachers were graded by school inspectors and ranked in comparison with each other. Noel was on the most basic report, a so called white one but if he received a good grading, he could apply to be a first assistant, sole charge teacher or even a headmaster of a two teacher school. The white report had a scale from one to nine, only two percent of teachers ever received a top nine, five percent an eight and so on down. Half the teachers received a four or five. Noel had a two now, a good average grading for a new teacher. If he could get a four, there was a chance of picking up a sole charge school somewhere.

  Wayne smiled, if the thin twist of his lips could be called a smile. "They're coming to inspect you both on Wednesday and Thursday of next week," he said. "Frank Mulligan will grade you both."

  "Damn!" Noel whispered to himself.

  Frank Mulligan was known as a tyrant of the old school. Of the five inspectors they could have had, this man was his last choice.

  Wayne managed another smile. "If you're doing a good job, Mr. Mulligan will give you credit for it," he said. "He has considerable sway on the inspectorate."

  "Yeah, sure," Noel replied but was unconvinced. His visions of ever winning a small country school disappeared out the window.

  The headmaster turned to the young woman. "Any questions, Lisa?" he asked.

  "No, Mr. Stapleton," she replied. "I've been expecting it."

  "Good," Wayne Stapleton replied. "So if you don't mind, I'd like to speak to Noel alone."

  "Sure," Lisa replied. She flashed Noel a smile and left.

  The headmaster watched her go before he reached for a thick workbook and turned to Noel, "Take my advice and go back and rewrite your work plan for the last month," he said and handed the workbook to him. "It's a little slim, you know. Also, you're in char
ge of the senior school's art program. Have you done this term's long term plan, yet?"

  "No," Noel stuttered. Actually, he hadn't done last term's either. He loved teaching the kids but reckoned all this bookwork a waste of time.

  "Well, that's what they'll be looking at," said the headmaster. "If you expect to get anywhere, you must have everything right up to date. What about your music?"

  "I've had a few songs," Noel muttered. He loved art but didn't care much for music.

  "Well see Lisa," Wayne said. "She's only a PA but her music program is spot on." He gave a slow grin. "Her art is patchy, though. Perhaps you could help her with that in return." He continued with suggestions for several moments until the bell rang and Noel had to head back to his class.

  The screams from his classroom could be heard from the playground but as soon as he walked in, a hush settled over the forty children.

  "You know what we do at bell time!" he said with his low voice like steel. "If anyone speaks in the next ten minutes they'll have a hundred lines. Get out your arithmetic books."

  Not a sound was heard as, in unison, the pupils lifted their desktops, took out grey covered textbooks and exercise books. They placed them on the desks and sat up with their arms folded.

  "Decimals," Noel said. "Turn to page one hundred and sixty two."

  "Sir!" a voice called out. "I lost my pencil."

  Noel glared and the boy near the rear of the room flushed. "Sorry Sir," he muttered and put his hand up.

  AT LUNCHTIME, NOEL found Lisa in her room. She taught a Standard Two class of eight-year-olds so her room was in the other block.

  "I saw your face when old Wayne wanted to see us?" she said with a grin. "You worry too much. What we do is none of his business." She flung her hair back.

  "I know," Noel laughed. "I had a very strict upbringing, you know."

  "Me too but the fifties have long gone, Noel," Lisa chuckled. "Wayne didn't mention anything about us after I left?"