Wisps of Snow Read online

  Wisps of Snow

  Wisps Trilogy, Volume 2

  Ross Richdale

  Published by Ross Richdale, 2016.

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

  WISPS OF SNOW

  First edition. April 28, 2016.

  Copyright © 2016 Ross Richdale.

  ISBN: 978-1877438912

  Written by Ross Richdale.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  WISPS OF SNOW | Ross Richdale

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

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  Further Reading: Wisps of Cloud

  Also By Ross Richdale

  About the Author

  WISPS OF SNOW

  Ross Richdale

  ISBN 978-1-877438-91-2

  Now a successful principal of a city school in Wellington, New Zealand, Karla Spicer is called in to help as a Change Principal at Tuckett Area School in a remote South Island district. This small school takes pupils from Year I to 13 but has a falling roll in the high school section, an apathetic principal, Don Trow and a divided board of trustees. The Ministry of Education is considering closing the high school section and downgrading the school to take just primary pupils (Year 1 - 8) pupils.

  Karla and her husband Ryan move south and begin to cure the school's problems. Ryan is a computer programmer who finds that the school is heavily in debt because Don Trow is faking online accounts and is betting on a Russian casino. He has run up huge debts and they want their money. By running down the PTA account he has paid off most of these debts but had not taken into account huge interest rates, nor the fact that the casino is run by an international terrorist organisation named Haqq Nar meaning True Fire in English. They want more than their money and are about to make an example of Trow.

  When Karla tells Trow she has knowledge of his illegal activities, he reluctantly agrees to cooperate in her efforts to help the school. Programmes are changed, slack teachers made to improve and the school gradually the pupils become one co-operative unit rather than two mini-schools on one site. Ryan also takes on a part time position as school bus driver with his tiny bus travelling through the remote hinterland north of the school. Karla is also asked by the Ministry of Education to help at two other small schools in the area with teacher or board of trustees problems.

  Karla is curious when two businessmen arrive in town by helicopter and head for Trow's office. She intervenes just as Trow is about to be shot but is herself wounded. The would-be assassins escape but do not abandon their bid to make an example of Tuckett Area School.

  Ryan is near the end of his school bus route when his bus is hijacked. Five children and himself are flown by helicopter to a remote mountain hut but the kidnappers have no intention of letting the children and himself survive. Ryan and the children are just pawns in a sinister plot to get a Haqq Nar cell established in New Zealand.

  How do Ryan and the students survive? Can Karla cope when she realises that not only the police but the secret service and military are involved in rescue attempts? Have all her efforts in helping Tuckett Area School been in vain because of this crisis?

  A tragedy changes Karla's professional life not only in the present but for the future as a progressive school principal. All will be revealed in this sequel to Wisps of Cloud, Ross's first novel about Karla and her family.

  CHAPTER 1

  Karla, the principal of Tui Park Primary School in Wellington, New Zealand's capital city, pushed a box of tissues across her desk towards Lexi McKenzie, the teacher sitting opposite her. Tears had formed in the young woman's eyes.

  "I never thought I'd get the position here," Lexi whispered. "I've tried but nothing I do seems right and now all this."

  She slapped a document on the desk that was a scathing review of her term's teaching and class progress during the first term. "As you know I have three problem boys in my room as well as Gwen."

  Karla nodded. Gwen was a mainstreamed pupil with learning difficulties.

  Lexi was in Associate Principal Yolanda Pearson's Year 3 and 4 syndicate. Both were conscientious teachers but Karla could see both sides of the present conflict. Both teachers were new to the school and trying to establish themselves, Yolanda came from a similar position at a rural school but now had five classrooms to manage in the Year 3 and 4 syndicate whereas, at her previous school there were only two. She tried hard but hadn't really learned that leading was more than just feeding work into her teachers and expecting them to follow her directions.

  In contrast, Lexi had returned home to New Zealand after spending three years teaching in London, England. She was experienced and capable.

  Perhaps that was where the conflict was; the two women of a similar age but with their different personalities couldn't even agree to disagree over policies, Lexi felt she was being bossed around while Yolanda couldn't understand why her authority was, in her opinion, ignored.

  Karla suppressed a grin. If Val, the retired assistant principal who had run the junior school like a military camp was still here, Lexi would have had something to complain about. Mind you, she sympathised with her, too. Lexi reminded her of her own situation five years earlier when she was senior teacher at Tui Park and had had ongoing battles with Val.

  Karla had moved on to become a country school principal but had returned as principal last year. It was now nearly the end of the term, everyone was tired and small disagreements were often swollen out of proportion. Two weeks of stormy weather hadn't helped.

  Tui Park was built on a hillside in the hilly capital with the quite small playgrounds made even smaller by the addition of two new classrooms being added to the junior block. This was across the top playground from the main block that consisted of two levels of classrooms and the administration area. The five middle syndicate classrooms above them opened out to the top playground with external and internal steps leading down to the lower lever where five more classrooms of the senior syndicate were situated on each side of the administrative area.

  In wet weather, the corridors in the main block and the interior stairs were the problem. Water seemed to be everywhere over the floor and the hooks outside the classrooms were overflowing with bags, coats, footwear and lunches. There had been a problem with lunches and food going missing in the middle school. Several parents had complained and Yolanda's efforts to catch those responsible had not worked.

  Rightly or wrongly, she had blamed the boys in Lexi's class. Unfortunately, Lexi had defended her own pupils and a fill blown argument had developed in the staffroom a week earlier. This had escalated and was perhaps the straw that broke the camel's back, if that cliché could be used.

  "Yolanda has also approached me," Karla said after she perused the report. "She is certainly blunt in her statement here but weren't some of the comments she made exactly the same as in last year's review?"

  "Of course they were," Lexi retorted, glanced at Karla and sniffed back more tears. "Sorry Karla but I'm not a junior newly graduated teacher. She gave me no credit for what I attempted to do over the last two months. I'd like to see her do better with Gwen being teased by the boys and reacting as she does." She blew her nose into a tissue. "In London I taught thi
rty or more real tough kids, half of whom could barely speak English. I was shown the classroom and just left alone to sink or swim. I managed and came back to this school in an affluent suburb only to have a bossy bit riding me every day over stupid little things."

  "Like the stolen lunches?"

  "That's just one thing. Why does she have to pick on me all the time?"

  Karla nodded. The other teachers in the syndicate were all older women who had been at the school for years. They were all pleasant women, taught quite well but were not interested in becoming more than classroom teachers. In contrast to Lexi, they rarely queried changes, did their job and had family and other interests outside of the school environment to complete their lives.

  Ryan her husband, called Yolanda an old maid before her time and classified Lexi as a stubborn redheaded bombshell. His opinion was probably a bit too blunt but she realised that he wasn't too far off the mark.

  "I've had enough," Lexi retorted without waiting for her last question to be answered. She reached a pocket of her jeans and produced an envelope. "My resignation, Mrs Spicer. If I'm such a terrible teacher, you'll be glad to get rid of me."

  As Karla opened the envelope and withdrew the sheet inside, she thought back to Ryan's comment only the night before. He had predicted that this would happen but had added that it should be Yolanda who should be reprimanded, not Lexi. Again, his comments were close to her own thoughts.

  She folded the sheet, inserted it back in the envelope and slipped it back across to Lexi.

  "As principal of Tui Park School I have the ultimate responsibility for the pupils and teachers at this school. In that capacity I cannot accept your resignation, Lexi," she said.

  "You can't stop me..."

  "No, I can't but I would like you to listen to my suggestions, go away and think about everything over the weekend and if on Monday you still wish to resign, I shall pass your letter onto the Board of Trustees."

  "And what are they?" Lexi whispered. She wiped her cheeks and with her lips pursed in a pout, stared out the window to avoid any eye contact.

  "You know that the two new classrooms will be ready for use soon and we've already appointed a extra teacher who will be joining us next term?"

  Lexi nodded.

  "Because the number of new entrants arriving before the end of the year, I need to make a shuffle right throughout the junior and middle school. I've decided to bring forward a plan I've discussed with the board of trustees, that is to start a fourth syndicate at the Year 2 & 3 level. That includes your class, Lexi?"

  "Go on!" A glimmer of interest showed in Lexi's eyes.

  "I have also been keeping a firm eye on your class, Lexi. Perhaps, as Yolanda stated, you do have a streak of stubbiness" She held her hand up when Lexi opened her mouth to defend herself. "Your teaching methods are also more formal than Yolanda likes but you have those boys behaving and even Gwen's mother commented to me about how she enjoys being in your room. Oh yes, I also know your boys weren't responsible for the stolen lunches. Our new CTV we installed overlooking the internal stairs picked up two girls from the senior syndicate who sneaked up when they should have been doing morning tea duties. It took them about five minutes to grab a dozen lunches before leaving. Apparently, they've done it on three occasions."

  "So you're offering to shift me out of Yolanda's syndicate?" Lexi's tone was neutral.

  "I am."

  "And this new teacher will be leading this new syndicate?"

  "No, she is only a young teacher."

  "Who then; Anne?" Anne was the oldest teacher on the staff and taught one of the Year 6 classes.

  Karla glanced up and finally caught Lexi's eyes. "No. This year there will only be two classes in the syndicate. With our increasing roll and another new classroom added next year, it will increase to four at the beginning of next year with one junior syndicate Year 2 class joining it. The board of trustees agrees that I can make an internal promotion." She waited for her news to be reflected upon before adding. "I am offering you the senior teacher's position and you'll be answerable directly to me."

  Lexi's expression showed surprise. "You're kidding me!"

  "No."

  "Oh hell and I thought..."

  "Think about it over the weekend. Okay?"

  Lexi broke into a grin. "And what does Yolanda think about all of this?"

  "I've no idea. Only the board, myself and now you, know about our proposals. It is confidential so, in the meanwhile please keep it that way."

  "And not even tell my partner?"

  Karla smiled. "I'm sure Warren will be discrete."

  Lexi stood up and swished back her hair. "I know now why you're one of the youngest principals in the city running one of the most sort-after schools. You aren't the blonde bimbo those guys over at the intermediate school call you down at the tavern. You know almost more about me than I know myself." She gulped. "I am stubborn and independent but will change, you know."

  "As a senior teacher, you'll have to, Lexi." Karla glanced at the letter still at the edge of her desk. "Shall we put it through the paper shredder?"

  Lexi nodded, stepped around, hugged Karla, turned and walked out of the office a much happier woman than she was a mere half an hour earlier.

  BEING FRIDAY, KARLA left school earlier than during the rest of the week but it was still after four thirty when she drove into the childcare centre to pick up Alexis, her two-year-old daughter. Ryan picked her up on the other four days but she enjoyed taking a chance to do it once a week.

  Bubbles & Laughter was a small independent childcare place based in a converted home that took toddlers from six months through to five years of age when children began school. There were four qualified instructors and three levels. Alexis was in the toddlers' room having moved up from the infants' area a month earlier.

  The little girl rushed up to her with a large piece of paper in her hand. "Mummy," she called out. "I drew a picture of Daddy and you."

  Karla picked her up, gave her a cuddle and told her what a wonderful picture it was.

  "I'm going to show Daddy," Alexis said as she scrambled into the support seat in the back of the car.

  "That's a good idea. We'll pick him up in town on the way home."

  Town was the northern suburb of Johnsonville just off the motorway. It had a mall, a street of shops and a couple of supermarkets as well as a swimming pool, library and most other facilities. To Karla, it was a better place to shop than in downtown Wellington with its notorious lack of parking and narrow streets.

  Also it was where Ryan had his firm based. With money from the sale of much of his farm he had inherited, they had purchased a small commercial property on Johnsonville Road only a hundred metres along from one of the mall's entrances. The ground floor was rented out to a small but upmarket boutique store aimed at young mothers like herself while he operated Spider's Revenge, an electronic and website company that specialised in helping small business owners get established on the internet. He had graduated a year before and had decided to go out on his own rather than seeking work elsewhere.

  Like Karla, he worked long hours but his income was probably less than half of hers. Karla grinned as she drove down the tiny alley behind the shop and parked in one of the two spaces they owned behind the building. Ryan certainly enjoyed his work but with them both working, it was probably the reason they had not had another child.

  "Come on Sweetheart," she said as she lifted Alexia out of the car. "Got your picture to show Daddy?"

  Alexia grinned and held it up. Ryan appeared, picked his daughter up and like Karla had done earlier, admired the circles and lines that constituted her drawing before turning to her.

  "Heard you promoted Lexi and Yolanda's got the pip?"

  "What?" Karla gasped. "It's meant to be confidential and I haven't even talked to Yolanda. How did you find out?"

  Ryan chuckled. "Just a guess really but I'm spot on aren't I?"

  "Could be. I suppose Yolanda will get th
e pip as you call it but that's her problem. Anyway, let's go over to the mall and have a coffee. It's been a long hard week."

  "Aren't they all?" Ryan replied. "Mine has been too. One customer has pulled out but Victoria University wants help with their new network. Could be a two month contract."

  "Ryan," Karl gasped. "That's wonderful. How'd you manage that?"

  "Word of mouth, I guess. Just phoned and asked if I could help. Their own technicians seem to be getting nowhere."

  Karla grinned at him. "But don't undercharge them will you?"

  Ryan laughed. "Me! Would I do that?"

  "You would," Karla retorted. "Sometimes I think you are too kind-hearted to be a businessman.

  ON MONDAY MORNING, when Karla told Yolanda about the latest changes the associate principal did not as Ryan predicted, take it personally except for one caustic comment about wondering how Lexi would cope if the new teacher decided to just do her own thing.

  Karla glanced at her but ignored the comment before she added. "Have you any suggestions about the school organisation?"

  "You're asking me?" Yolanda replied.

  "Of course. You're the third in our hierarchy after Gillian and myself. The only difference will be that we will have two senior teachers instead of just Tiana."

  Tiana was the senior teacher in charge of junior classes.

  Yolanda nodded and made some good suggestions before finally adding. "I guess you'll tell everyone about the changes at this afternoon's staff meeting."

  "Probably but it will depend on whether Lexi accepts the position."

  "She will," Yolanda retorted. "I hope you'll keep an eye on her, though."

  Karla was about to say she oversaw all the senior staff but decided to let it go and merely smiled slightly.

  By nine fifteen, all the classes were in and most of the parents had left, that is except for the inevitable few who hung around the new entrant or Year 0 classes as they were called at this time of the year, seemly too afraid to let their children adapt to school life. Tiana Whiting was remarkably tolerant of them and had the skill to manoeuvre around the more clingy ones. Karla grinned for she would be less accommodating herself.