Primary School Teacher

Primary School Teacher

Picture of writer and dog. Not local school children.

Primary School teacher. Neatly dressed. Carefully tip toeing around. Carefully watching the children and the school to see if the head master is prowling. Always watching. She is on yard duty. Patrolling the playground. Watching the kids eat their lunch. Watching the kids who sit by themselves. And listening. She is also smelling.

She hears one kid say: That smells funny. I wouldn’t eat that.

Another kid says: That’s wog’ food. Why you smell funny. Smell like your food.

She looks at the food and thinks that is better than my lunch. Can’t play swap lunch with her. The kids can play swap lunch but I can’t. She leaves the shelter sheds. Kids are already kicking a ball around. One tall guy, wearing a footy jumper, holding the balls says: Okay line up. Me and Rob will pick teams.

They look at the line of kids and select their teams. Starting with the better players and finishing up with nice kids who enjoy running around watching the others.

The teacher says: I’ll start the game. She throws the ball up and watches as she backs away.

One kid yells out: I called and called. Kick it to me. All you had to do. You are as deaf as a bat. That’s you. Deaf as a bat.

She hears more noise. Ball. Ball. Ball.

One guy flings himself forwards and calls out: Free kick. That’s my free. Give me the ball. Obvious push in the back.

Another guy says: You staged. No free. Oscar award for you. But no free kick.

The game continues. One guy kicks the ball through the goal posts.

Immediately one guy runs to the goal square and signals. A point. He waves the flags for a point.

Another guy says: That was a goal. You are blind. Blind as a bat.

Another guy: Another bat. We can’t have another bat. Mark is already as deaf as a bat. He can be as blind as a welder’s dog. Or as blind as a mole.

Another guy: Bats are blind not deaf. They can hear well. Mark can be as a deaf as a post. Or a door knob or door nail. Mark what do want to be as deaf as?

Mark: Sorry. What did you say.

Another guy: As deaf as an umpire.

Another guy: Oh no. He really is deaf. It’s not fair. I wish he wasn’t deaf. We can’t say as deaf as Mark.

The game continues.

Another guy: Anyway, you are not playing well. You are not getting in there. You are spinless. You spastic. Weak.

Football guy: You can talk. You don’t have a leg to stand. I saw you pull out. You chicken. You are playing like a lady. Ah. Ah. Go play ladies’ football. Go and play with the girls. Skip off with the girls.

The teacher wanders away. She thinks. I love them playing football. Love it. Harmless fun. Running around. Sweating. Tired.

I love them playing football with their mates. And they tire themselves out. This afternoon they will sweat quietly in class.