5 years later
“Miss Stene” the intercom crackled.
“Ja”
“Please report to the office”
“On my way”
Vibeke glanced around the 5A classroom. This was her good class so she knew that they would be quiet while she was gone.
Vibeke quickly trotted through the school corridors.
Her classroom was situated at the East wing and it was very far to walk all the way to the West wing especially in the coming months. She knew she would dread this long walk.
Though now it was quiet and she could hear every teacher’s voice. Giving instructions, reading from a book. Even yelling to a ungodly child.
“Ungodly” That’s what miss Haupflich calls all children.
Miss Haupflich is the school headmistress. A real snob if you’d ask me.
She hates all children and they hate her.
Lord knows why she ever became a teacher.
“Miss Haupflich” Vibeke sighed.
Thinking of her big red lips that move but never say anything interesting. (Or nice) Her hands dried out over hundreds of years living on earth. Her big scary vampire teeth that chomp at you from time to time.
Well that’s how the kids describe her. Vibeke thought it to be quite accurate.
Some of the nicknames were. Miss Troll, Lord Haupflich –reference to Lord Sauron of the Lord of the Rings and her personal favorite No Hope-Flich. Because the kids knew if Haupflich had an eye on you their was no Hope for you.
Vibeke finally passed the last of the classrooms and went through the school hall. That led into the foyer (very grand with marble tiles, a fountain and the walls painted in purple because it is the color of being rich and royal.)
There in the corner of all the grand foyer was a small window were the secretary sat.
Vibeke knocked on the window (but only lightly) because she saw that the secretary was lost in all of her paperwork and the telephone line was tangled around her neck and arm.
Struggling to break free the secretary gave Vibeke a Merciful look and pressed a button with her nose.
Vibeke felt sorry for her and wanted to help but the secretary explained that she was too proud for that and suddenly a door clicked open.
The door was almost hidden and only a few teachers (those who usually get fired) have been in the principals office. It was hidden (probably from the parents so that they don’t know were to go to if they want to complain.)
Vibeke knew where the office was but only because she had seen Mr. Griffis sneak into it a couple of times.
She slowly took her few remaining steps to the secret door and opened it slowly.
The door cracked loudly and it seemed to Vibeke –the slower she opened the door the more noise it made. She took a leap of faith and stepped unto whatever was on the other side. She closed the door and automatically a light went on. It was a very small and narrow hallway and the ceiling also felt lower. With her head almost touching it. She felt trapped.
“Come in Miss Stene.”
Vibeke jumped at the voice and felt her heart beating faster in her chest
There was another door at the end of the hallway. But this time it was opened by the principal. It did not crack. There was no noise. Everything didn’t seem so scary anymore.
She greeted the headmistress and walked into a lovely office.
It had a clear view of the mountains and the front garden. Everything looked so green and alive. The office was decorated beautifully with paintings (paintings of flowers, mountains and fjords) nothing depressing. The office also looked like it had just been repainted a bright yellow. That shouted “hug me” to anyone that entered. The red carpet complimented the yellow walls well and everything felt so warm, inviting and friendly.
“Please sit down”
“Thank you”
The headmistress motioned to a chair and Vibeke sat down neatly.
“Tea?”
Vibeke nodded and the principal stood up to make some.
“I would’ve said coffee but I know that it is not accustom to drink it. Well, I mean you are not aloud to drink it. But I can’t stop you.”
She paused.
“If you really want I can make you some coffee. I won’t judge you or anything.”
Vibeke gave a small giggle. She had stopped drinking coffee quite awhile ago.
4 months to be more or less precise.
“No thank you. Tea would be lovely.”
Miss Haupflich gave a faint grin but it was the closest that Vibeke had come to see her smile.
“I remember when I had mine.”
“Oh” Vibeke was taken aback.
“You had a child?”
“Well, no. Not quite. I lost her in a car accident in my 7th month.”
Vibeke was shocked at the image but also because the teacher was opening up to her. Well maybe not totally but she was definitively showing emotion.
“I’m so sorry. I hadn’t known.”
“She would’ve been 26 years old.” Miss Haupflich stared outside the window.
Vibeke felt the blanket of depression swaying in on their conversation.
The principal handed the warm tea to the young teacher and went to her own table to sit in her great big chair.
“Is she kicking?”
Vibeke’s head jerked up.
“No, not yet. There are small flutters but not yet a kick.”
“Well then when she does please let me know.”
“Will do.” Vibeke said happily and felt her hand slip from the arm rest to her stomach.
“You are probably wondering why I called you hear?”
“Should I be worried?”
The principal let out a loud laugh.
“My dear…
No, not at all. I do not bring bad news at all. I was wondering when you were planning on going away for maternity leave. I have to employ a temp in your position and fast by the looks of it.”
She winked at Vibeke. But Vibeke could not help but feel like it was an insult to how big she had gotten.
“I was only thinking of leaving in my last month.”
“Really? You want to work till then?”
“Well, money is tight and I can’t really go a whole month without pay.”
“Well as long as you don’t pop that baby out in front of the children then I’m happy.”
Vibeke hesitated trying to imagine the chaos if it were to happen.
“I will only be gone 2 months after the birth.”
“You know you can take more? Will family be coming down for the birth? It’s always good to have somebody around.”
“They have to come. I didn’t give them a choice.”
“Yes, being a single mother is hard but Vibeke, I know that you can handle it.”
“Thank you.” Vibeke said while sipping on her tea.
“So will Sissel also come?”
“Yes, mom and Ingvild and Maiken. They are all coming to Kristiansand
“Well it all seems in order then.”
“I already have hundreds of scarf’s and blankets that she knitted. The other day she knitted the cutest little blue wool beanie and scarf. The beanie had a tiny bubble on the head.”
“Hopefully you’ve done some knitting as well. I heard that you very much like to do so.”
Vibeke could not believe that the headmistress knew all these things about her. She definitively pulled her file.
Something felt wrong…
