Routines and Procedures
Hope met the last two families and watched as another little girl, maybe Ginny’s age, skipped up the steps to the schoolroom, a large smile on her face. She was unaccompanied, and by now, Hope was beginning to prefer it that way. The last little boy was making his way into the school room when she looked up to see Mr. Stewart sauntering over. Remembering the bank opened later and he lived nearby, she wasn’t too surprised to see him on foot. He was dressed to the nines, as if he were going to a grand affair and not just the first day of school. Hope put on her most pleasant smile. “Good morning, Mr. Stewart.”
“Well, Miss Tucker, it’s nice to see you. I’m surprised to see you standing outside. Shouldn’t school have started ten minutes ago?” He glanced at a pocket watch and then reinserted it inside of his jacket.
“Yes, well, it is the first day. Many of the parents wanted to meet me. Don’t worry. We’ll make up for it.”
“I didn’t hear the bell sound this morning.”
“No, I decided there was no need to ring it. Students started arriving before the fifteen-till bell, and then they just kept coming. So... since everyone is here, I didn’t bother.”
“Well, let’s just give it a try anyhow. What do you say?” Mr. Stewart didn’t wait for her input and walked over to the rope that hung by the door, untying it and giving it a good pull. The bell pealed twice, and then Mr. Stewart retied the rope. “There. The townsfolk will be happy to hear the sound.”
Hope hadn’t considered the people in town might be waiting to hear the bell toll, but it did make sense. A lot of people had worked hard to make the school a reality. “Thank you, Mr. Stewart.”
He tipped his hat and headed back across the schoolyard, shouting, “Have a nice day,” over his shoulder.
“Oh, Mr. Stewart, I did want to thank you again for ordering the slates. When do you think we can expect them?”
He stopped in his tracks and turned back to face her. “I’m not sure, if I’m honest. It will take some time.”
Something about the way he made the statement brought to mind he may not have even ordered them yet. “Well, I do hope it isn’t too long. The children do need them.”
“And they need a teacher, so best get to it,” he replied with a no-nonsense nod, and Hope took a deep breath, biting back her response that she knew exactly what she was doing.
Inside, the children were much quieter than she’d expected. A few of them looked terrified, while others had tears in their eyes. Hope wondered what they may have heard about attending school. She took a deep breath and sat on the corner of her desk. “Good morning, class.”
Most of the students only looked at her, having no idea what to say, but Ginny Pembroke answered enthusiastically, “Good morning, Miss Tucker.”
“Good!” Hope said, her smile becoming more genuine. “That’s precisely how you should answer. Now, let’s try that again. Good morning, class.”
Not quite in unison, and not at all as cheerfully as Ginny had been on her own, the class replied, “Good morning, Miss Tucker.”
Hope congratulated them anyway. “Well done! I knew as soon as I walked in the door this was going to be the brightest class I’ve ever had. Now, let’s get to know each other a little bit, shall we?”
Hope spent most of the morning learning the children’s names, ages, and skill levels. While many of the older ones did know the basics of reading, some of them didn’t even know their alphabet. And the little ones were mostly all beginners, with the exception of George who could’ve read her initial primer, if she’d had that book available to give to him. All of the children were agreeable for the most part, except Steven, the blond boy who protested everything, including where he was to sit and that he may go to the outhouse as long as he came back directly. He was going to be a tough cookie, Hope knew that much from the start.
The morning went by quickly, and Hope was tired out herself by the time she released the children to the schoolyard for lunch and recess. She heard Steven mumble, “Thank the Lord,” but didn’t get on to him. Clearly, he was not used to sitting still for this long, and she was hopeful he’d get some energy out in the sunshine.
She took her own lunch with her and sat on the front stoop, watching as most of the children scarfed down what they’d brought while others decided to play first. She decided to give them a few minutes, and then, if their rumbling bellies didn’t remind them it was eat first and then play, she’d shout a reminder.
Most of the children appeared to have enough to eat, though she was worried when Sally unwrapped what didn’t look like enough for one child, let alone two. But some of the others had brought extra and gladly shared. She noticed Ginny take a few extra apple slices over to Hank and thought about what a blessing that child was going to be. She could tell already that Ginny was an exceptional child, and Hope imagined her doing great things one day.
After lunch and recess, the children had trouble settling back into their seats, and Hope noticed immediately that Steven was not with them. “Did anyone see where he went?” she asked.
“He run off,” an older boy, Thomas, replied. “I can go get ‘im, if you want.”
Hope sighed. She didn’t have time to chase him, and neither did Thomas. “Do you happen to know where he lives?”
“I do,” Sally said, raising her hand after she spoke. They’d need to work on that. “He lives down the street from us. With his granny.”
“I see,” Hope said, beginning to put the picture together. “And does Steven have parents?”
“His folks live way out, past the outlaw’s house,” another child, Emily, explained. The child looked innocent enough as she spoke, but her words made Hope’s heart catch in her chest.
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