Chapter 3
Tuesday 7th September. Emma's first day at school. It had taken me ages to fill out the forms required to get her into the school I wanted her to go to. We got our third choice school: not ideal, but it could've been worse. Parkfield Primary it was called - I thought that was the most boring name in the world; there were at least a million other schools with the same name – but Emma loved it and was wearing her new (and very expensive) uniform with pride .
"Come on Emma!" I encouraged as she dawdled slowly down the road. I looked at my watch. Shoot.
"Hurry up, we're gonna be late!" I told her in a more urgent tone.
"Run!" She didn't seem to be getting the message. I sprinted down the road to show her what I was talking about. Sure enough, she followed suit. We sprinted to school.
Finally, out of breath, but just in time, we puffed through the school gates. There was a short, smartly dressed man at the gate repeating "All new students, please head to the front office." over and over again. So we made our way to the front office. No other new students were there: sensibly, their parents had decided to bring them into school early.
"Hello," said a woman at the desk. "can I help you?"
"Umm, yes." I replied, trying to sound confident. "My daughter's starting in reception today."
"Splendid. What's your name sweetheart?" she asked, looking expectantly at Emma. Emma didn't answer; she wasn't particularly fond of talking to new people.
"Her name's Emma." I answered for her.
"Surname?"
I hesitated. "Dyson."
"Mother's name?"
"Errr….I can give you my name. I'm her father."
"I'll take your name, but I'm afraid I will have to take her mother's name too."
The receptionist was glaring at me by now and her sweet tone was faltering. I decided I should hurry up before I fell permanently into disrepute with this woman. "Melanie Dyson." I told her.
She made a note of it in her big green folder. "Take the first corridor on your left. You'll see a yellow door with Miss Kasey written on it. That's Emma's class: yellow class. "
I thanked her.
"Have fun!" she said to Emma unenthusiastically. From the tone of her voice you would have thought she was saying "Hope you burn in hell!"
Brilliant. I'd made an enemy already.