This huge chart was the climax of the whole study and paint, paper, glue, scissors and other art material were everywhere. Noel was on his knees helping one of his younger pupils when he heard a cough and glanced up. A man dressed in a modern lightweight suit stood there. Noel though it was another damn insurance agent as he rose to his feet. They had had three calls in already trying to sell life insurance.
"Noel," said the man and held out his hand "James Tait. I'm sorry to interrupt this dynamic work the kids are doing. Just keep going and I'll chat with them for a bit."
Noel frowned. "Sure," he muttered. Perhaps this wasn't an insurance agent after all.
"Hi, Mr. Tait," one of the pupils called out from across the room. "Come and see my painting."
"Okay," the man replied and ambled across, sat down and admired the work."
Still curious, Noel walked over to Wendy and caught her eyes. "Do you know our visitor?" he whispered.
Wendy grinned. "Sure. That's Mr. Tait. He comes in every couple of months or so. Last year he stayed all day and Mr. Petersen was as nervous as hell." The girl flushed when she realized what she had said. "Oops, sorry Mr. Overworth. I mean he was very nervous."
"That's okay, Wendy," Noel responded. "But who is he?"
"The school inspector," the girl said in an off handed way and continued painting a gigantic crab on a rock.
Noel swallowed. Oh my God, an inspector! This chap would hardly be forty, not near retirement like the inspectors in the Wanganui Education Board. Noel glanced around in apprehension. What would he think? The kids were all working but the room was quite noisy and one big mess.
He gulped and walked over to the man. "Mr. Tait," he said. "I must apologize. One of the girls just told me you were an inspector. I didn't realize."
James Tait rose off his knees where he'd been helping one of the younger boys paint the ocean. "That's okay, Noel," he said. "I didn't think you did. It is my fault." He chuckled. "I love these little schools and had a bit of a problem over at Owaka Area School. I had to attend to all day. I thought I'd pay you a visit and relax for an hour or so before I went back to an after school meeting there." He turned, said a few kind words to the boy he'd been working with and switched his attention back to Noel. "Perhaps you'd like to take me through and introduce me to your assistant. You both came down here together, I believe."
James Tait couldn't be more relaxed and friendly. Noel took him through to the adjacent room where Lisa's class was sitting on a large carpet square listening to a story being read. She glanced up and stood when she noticed the stranger.
"This is Mr. Tait, our school inspector," Noel said in a somewhat overawed voice.
"Call me James," the inspector replied and shook Lisa's hand. "You both come here highly recommended and I can see why." he complimented and nodded at the children waiting without a sound as the adults talked.
"Why, thank you, James," Lisa replied and smiled warmly. She caught Noel's eyes and raised an eyebrow ever so slightly. She too, seemed impressed with their visitor.
MARCH ARRIVED AND WITH it a sudden change in the weather, nights were cool and the water in the swimming pool became too cold to continue lessons so Noel turned the filter off and switched to a session of summer games with his class. Here, he also noticed a difference. There seemed to be a handful of children who were very talented at ball handling skills while the rest of the children were the exact opposite.
Basil explained. "We had a group of boys here last year that Mr. Petersen took for cricket," he said. "They played in a country combined team in Balclutha on Saturdays. Mr. Petersen wasn't interested in the girls and, because I didn't like sport, he looped me in with them. We just fooled around while he coached the cricket team."
"I see, so you've never played long ball?"
"What's that?" Wendy, who was listening to the conversation, asked.
Noel grinned. "I'll show you all this afternoon. It's a good game as big and small children can all play together. I'll just make you big lumps run a little further to score."
"Oh, Mr. Overworth," Wendy moaned but she sounded excited.
The game went well and even the Standard Twos found they could participate as equals. Whereas the older children could hit the ball further, the nimble smaller children could duck and dive around their classmates and ended up scoring as many runs. The children came back into the classroom, hot but happy after a half-hour game had stretched to almost an hour.
For the final session of the day, the children continued with their individual projects or the wall chart that was now stapled right across the back wall. Two stepladders were in front with Jane and Kirsty reaching up to paste on some final three-dimensional cut-outs.
"Mr. Overworth," Wendy said as Noel stood back and watched the final stages being completed. "We didn't want Mr. Petersen to leave and the Form Ones, in particular, reckoned you were going to be a smart know-it-all and we'd have a miserable year." She grinned. "But we were wrong, you know. Even Dad reckons I'm reading more than just comics now."
"Yeah," Kirsty called down from the stepladder. "Old Petersen didn't like girls."
"And we weren't allowed to wear shorts or jeans to school," Jane, dressed in bright red shorts, joined the conversation. "Only dresses, skirts or gym frocks." She screwed her nose up. "We'll have to wear them at high school next year."
Noel smiled and made a non-committal reply. The children now regarded him as one of themselves and often little personal items were discussed. He was becoming their friend as well as the teacher, something that was impossible back in the larger schools.
WINTER CAME, COLD AND dark with daylight hours almost an hour shorter than in the North Island and ten-degree frosts that never thawed in the shady spots before four in the afternoon arrived and the temperature plummeted again.
August arrived and with it sad news. Sarah Woolstone phone two days before the August holidays to say Lisa's father had had a heart attack. He was still alive but she had been advised there could be a follow up attack that could very well be fatal.
"No, Noel," Lisa said after Noel suggested they both fly up to Palmerston North on Saturday. "We can't afford it. I'll go to be with Mum but there is little you can do so stay here and relax." She smiled and kissed him. "It'll do us good to be separated for a while anyway, won't it?"
"Yeah, sure," Noel replied but without any enthusiasm.
WITH LISA IN THE NORTH Island, Noel thought he'd have a quiet time at home and catch up on the oodles of administration work that had accumulated. Every night he was invited out for a meal with the locals but on the second Tuesday of the holidays when he visited the Stuart's for the third time.
Margaret Stuart was probably about thirty and had only one child, a five-year-old daughter who had just started school. Her husband, Wesley, was on the school committee and farmed a steep hill country property south of the school. Their house was quite an old unpretentious building with a massive kitchen where Margaret had prepared an enormous roast meal for Noel and her husband.
"Cindy is at her grandmother's in Balclutha, tonight," she said. "Mum always takes her for a few days in the holidays."
"That's a good idea. I guess it gives you that bit of a break," Noel replied as he ate the scrumptious meal and chatted to Wesley about trouble he was having with the school septic tank. Wesley had responsibility for looking after the property and was a handyman who could fix anything. Usually after tea, the farmer would get out a chest board and they'd have a game in the lounge that often went on until midnight.
"We'll have to give the game a miss tonight, Noel," the farmer said. "There's a Federated Farmer's meeting and I'm on the committee. I have to head in to Owaka. It'll go half the night," he grumbled and stood up. Noel also rose to his feet.
"No stay a while," Wesley said. "I'm sure Margaret will keep you company. She wants some help to balance the PTA books, anyway."
"Okay," Noel replied without any suspicion that anything was wrong.
He re
alized something was amiss, though, a few moments after Wesley left when Margaret came into the lounge PTA and sat quietly on the couch close to him.
"I purposely made sure Cindy was away," she said in her soft Southland accent. "Can you do something for me?"
"Sure," Noel replied and took a sip of the homemade wine the Stuarts always handed to him on his visit. It was potent stuff and he normally tried to make one glass last all evening. However, tonight, he was on his second glass and felt slightly light headed.
The woman said nothing but just sat with her legs crossed so her mini skirt had crept up on her legs. Noel then noticed her blouse had the two top buttons undone. He could the swell of the woman's breasts and smell a whiff of perfume.
"Wesley never does it?" she said in a husky voice.
Noel frowned. "Does what?" he asked innocently enough.
"I thought with Lisa being away for the holidays you might like..." Her eyes, almost as blue as Lisa's, found his. "After all you aren't married and I need a man, Noel."
Damn! She was so blunt. Noel was shaken and immediately thought of heading out but his body reacted. Blast, he was getting a stiff.
He was curious, though. What would another woman be like? His mind drifted back to Lisa's comments that time he'd first asked her to marry him. 'You need another woman some time, Noel or you'll regret it,' she'd said.
Was this the time? He reached for the glass or wine and gulped down two mouthfuls. It tasted ghastly but made him relax.
Margaret Stuart was certainly attractive but she was married with a daughter. He looked up and saw the woman had undone another button on her blouse. She wore a black bra that was even tinier than Lisa's.
The husky voice spoke again. "Just nod if you want to see more, Noel," she whispered with her hand on the second to bottom button. "If not, we can do the PTA books and I'll say no more."
Noel looked into the eyes again and made up his mind, to tell her to get lost ... that was until she removed her top and let her bra drop to the floor.
She grinned and stepped into his arms so close her tight breasts wriggled provocatively against him. They kissed a long kiss reserved for lovers and her hand brushed his penis. He jumped and in a frenzy of lust and pushed her down on the carpet. He kissed her breasts, tummy button and back to her lips. After he frantically undressed he yanked her panties down lowered himself over her. She responded and he forgot that it wasn't Lisa he was making desperate and fulfilling love to.
"I thought you might have been lonely, Noel?" Margaret whispered in an almost in a school ma'am like tone as he regained control of himself and they both stood up and began dressing. She was about to say more when there was a crunch of car tyres on gravel outside. "Quick" she hissed. "Get the books."
Except for his shoes, Noel managed to get his clothes on, grab the PAT books and hastily opened them on the small coffee table. He glanced at the old fashioned grandfather's clock in the corner. Holly hell, it was almost midnight. They'd been at it for over half an hour.
A fully dressed Margaret straightened the pillows on the couch, patted her hair down and sat sedately on the edge of the couch while Noel made sure he was well away from her on the other side of the table. He grabbed a pencil just as the back door banged.
"You too still at it," Wesley's voice came though the air.
In spite of the seriousness of the situation, Margaret looked at Noel and rolled her eyes.
The farmer walked into an innocent situation. Margaret, who was writing numbers down on the balance sheet, glanced up.
"It took us ages, Dear but the books are all balanced. Noel found where I had put an entry on the wrong side. Here, have a look."
Noel's heart thumped. What the hell was she doing?
But it was all set up. Wesley examined the books, grinned and put them down.
"Yeah you fixed it," he said. "Thanks Noel. Margaret tries but is hopeless with figures.
"Well, I'd better go," Noel muttered. His voice did not reflect the flutter in his stomach.
"You will not," Wesley said. "Margaret can get you a cup of tea first. I noticed you never had any refreshments."
Margaret caught Noel's eyes again but this time she looked apprehensive. She stood, flattened her skirt and spoke. "Oh goodness," she said. "We clear forgot. I've got some scones too. We can't allow you to go without having a cuppa."
She was the dutiful farmer's wife again.
CHAPTER 7
The next morning, Noel was over at the school washing inside walls down. As well as being teacher and headmaster, it was a tradition that he also did the school cleaning. This meant sweeping the floors every night after school and cleaning the toilets. During the holidays, though, the floors had to be scrubbed, windows cleaned and other bigger jobs attended to. He heard a tiny knock and glanced up at the door. Margaret stood there with some exercise books under her arm.
"I've brought back the PTA books," she said. "Can I show you, Noel."
"Sure," Noel replied. His face grew hot in embarrassment. He followed her along to the tiny room that served as a storeroom and office.
Margaret made sure the door was shut and turned. Her lip quivered. "I've never had an experience like last night before," she said, "You were everything I fantasized about for years but it was lust. I needed a man to love me. "
"So what now?" Noel replied.
Margaret heaved. "We both had too much to drink but Noel, it was only once. I can't do it again. Can we still be the friends? I'm sure we were before I seduced you because that was what I did. I'm thirty-one and have never done this before. Wesley married me when I was eighteen and he was twenty-eight. I just wanted to find out what it was like and you were the victim."
"No, I wasn't," Noel replied. "I needed you too for really the same reason."
"Can you promise me something?"
"Yes."
"Tell nobody, not even in jest in the pub and please don't tell Lisa. I feel so guilty now. She went north because her father was ill and I leapt in bed with her partner."
"Bed?" Noel said quietly. "We never went near a bed," He coughed when he saw her apprehensive eyes. "I will tell nobody, Margaret.
"Thanks Noel," Margaret said, kissed him lightly on the cheek and was gone.
Noel though about everything that had happened but what Margaret had just said somehow did not ring true. Drunk or not, she had planned everything right down to having the books prepared. Strangely, though, he did not regret his actions and his mind turned to his partner. Perhaps one day, he'd even tell her she was right.
He picked up bucket of soapy water and noticed it had turned cold. Damn it, he didn't feel like cleaning anyhow. He tipped the water out over the back lawn, locked up and headed for the pub in Owaka. He normally hardly ever visited the place but needed a bit of male company.
NOTHING UNUSUAL HAPPENED for two weeks, Lisa was back and the third term was in full swing. On the Saturday night after school recommenced, a local women's group had arranged a trip to the movies in Balclutha and Lisa had been persuaded to join them. Noel was watching television when there was a knock on the door. He opened it to see Margaret standing there.
"You missed the others," he said. "Lisa drove out a few minutes ago."
"I told them I couldn't make it," she said. "Wesley's at home with Cindy. Can I come in?"
Her eyes were firmly on his and she was wearing jeans and a cardigan with only bra beneath. He could see her nipples poking out under the material. Damn, they were huge!
"Margaret, we can't. We agreed."
"I know," she whispered. "But I know you need me too."
She reached for the porch light, switched it off and shut the door.
"No, Margaret, I can't," Noel protested but by now the woman had removed her cardigan and stood in front of him. If anything, her breasts looked more desirable under the scanty material than the first time."
"Can't you?" she sighed, curled her arms around his neck and kissed him. The tight nipples dug into his s
kin.
Noel though, still resisted until Margaret smiled and undid her jeans. "For you," she smirked and dropped them to show the tiniest panties Noel had ever seen. Suddenly her eyes turned hard. "Screw me, Noel. Surely you want to."
The trouble was he did!
"And what happens afterwards?" he managed to say.
"I don't know," Margaret whispered. She looked up. "You haven't taken your trousers off yet."
"Then get someone else," Noel snapped and was about to turn away when she slipped her hand back, undid her bra and let them drop to the floor.
"Stop it. Margaret!" Noel hissed. He was aroused and couldn't resist staring at her heaving breasts. Damn, Lisa's nipples never stuck out like pyramids.
He grabbed her, flung her around. They were in the kitchen by now. He pushed her forward until she was leaning across the table. He bent over and reached for her. God he felt bloated. She moaned softly as he squeezed her breasts far harder than he ever did with Lisa.
"The bed," the woman moaned. "Not here."
"Yeah, I guess," Neil watched as she walked through to the spare room. He realized he still had his trousers on but the thought of her waiting was too much. He stripped and walked naked into the room his penis huge in anticipation.
Margaret had also undressed and lay on the bed waiting. She smiled reached up and moaned and flung her arms around him. He grabbed her breasts, ignored her mild protests and mounted her. She kissed him and held on while he burst forth in a frenzied session that only stopped after he penetrated her and discharged while she was in the middle a orgasm that was as good as anything Lisa could provide. Afterwards he just held on until she became rational again and slid out from beneath him.
"Until next time." Margaret smiled, redressed and disappeared.
He heard her car drive away and pangs of guilt riddled his body. He was sure she'd be back again. There wasn't even pretence this time and neither of them had been drinking. Half of him wanted her body and the other half was disgusted. My God, one look at her breasts and large thighs and he had no control over himself. He liked Margaret but he was sure it wasn't love but a physical attraction to a sexy woman who turned him on in a different way to Lisa.
Wind Across the Playground Page 5
