Competition Time – Daniel 49

For back story go here: Story so far, and maybe this one.]

[Relevant back story links also within text.] 

“So,” said Mrs Chistlehurst, “There appears to be some kind of difficulty going on between you and Alexis’ father, Gordon Donner.”

“Nothing that I’m aware of,” said Daniel, trying but knowing immediately that he’d failed to brazen this out.

“You were shouting at each other in the play ground,” said Mrs Chistlehurst calmly. “That does seem to me...”

“He started it,” said Daniel. “It was all him. I don’t know what he was shouting about. I only shouted back.”

Again, probably trying and failing to pass the blame, thought Daniel to himself, but why not? Why not give his own side of the story? If he could just make it up quickly enough to convince Daisy’s teacher. Do that, change the subject, explain you need to get to work, job done.

“So, how did this start?” asked Mrs Chistlehurst.

“He started it,” reiterated Daniel.

“How?” reiterated Mrs Chistlehurst.

“He has this jumped up crazy idea that I’d been stealing his ideas - or stealing his kid’s ideas or something – I don’t know exactly, it doesn’t make sense to me.”

Mrs Chistlehurst looked as if she agreed with him on that last point, which was at least something.

“Mr Donner says you’ve been unkind to Alexis,” she said. “He actually said you’d been undermining her confidence, is there anything you’d like to say about that?”

“Aside from it’s rubbish?” Offered Daniel.

“Mr Donner says he had the idea of making pom-poms before you, that you stole his idea for the collage work they did the week before last and that this has been going on since you both took a photograph of the same flowers in the park.”

Daniel decided not to admit to anything so he pulled what he hoped would be a sceptical looking face instead.

“I appreciate this is a stressful time for everyone,” said Mrs Chistlehurst but we need our school community to be helpful, considerate and kind to one another. We usually expect this and we certainly all need it now.”

“He shouted at me first,” said Daniel in a low voice.

“Yes, but he says you called him an idiot before that,” said Mrs Chistlehurst. “I’m not condoning anyone’s behaviour or justifying anything but I do need everyone to be on board, to understand we really are in this together and...”

“Does he really have first rights or something on collages and pom-poms?” said Daniel. “Seriously? I mean isn’t that what every child should do? Just because Alexis does it…"

“The point is this is not a competition. There’s no first place or winner – we want our children to learn together, celebrate each other’s achievements and so on.”

“Absolutely agree,” said Daniel.

“So please don’t send Daisy in with what she says is a first place winner’s cup and medal,” said Mrs Chistlehurst. “And don’t tell her she’s better than another child or has ‘beaten’ them. You can tell her how well she has done but you mustn’t introduce competition among her classmates.”

Daniel was quiet, trying to work out if he could justify the medal round his daughters neck. He thought it best not to say that if photos of work were going to be included in the newsletter then surely comparisons and competition would follow? Having sort of failed in the first part of his plan it was time to go for part two.

“I’m truly sorry but I do need to get back to work now,” he said with a cursory glance down at his watch.

“Can we agree that you’ll limit your praise of Daisy to what she has achieved rather than what it looks like with regard to everyone else?”

“Yes,” said Daniel. “I’ll try and do that from now on.”

“Good,” said Mrs Chistlehurst, almost extending a hand in agreement and there thinking twice. “Sorry, we’re still not doing that, are we?”

Daniel smiled under his mask and hoped his eyes showed it. He was also pleased he’s worn his plain mask today rather than the skeleton mouth.

“And how is Daisy’s mother at the moment?” Mrs Chistlehurst asked.

Daniel was fairly sure she wasn’t trying to wind him up, that this wasn’t actually an underhand undermining criticism of his situation. But he wasn’t entirely sure so for a second he had to reel in his immediate response.

“I, er, that’s a good point, actually,” he said. “She was in touch on a weekly basis but now... I don’t know. We spoke a few weeks ago but...”

Mrs Chistlehursts’ eyes looked sad. Or sympathetic. Or pitiful and critical, Daniel couldn’t tell which.  For the sake of getting out of the playground he decided not to dwell on this and instead promised to check in with her at the earliest opportunity.

He walked slowly home.