The Jumper
Harley walked slowly around the edge of the playground, his hands and arms wrapped tightly round his ample form while a tear crept down his cheek. He wished he didn't burst into a fit of weeping every time something went wrong, but somehow he couldn't help it.
The cause of today's upset was pretty trivial really; his Nan had sent him in with a note asking for him to be excused from PE because she felt the chill would be no good for his chest. His teacher had told him that that was no excuse and to get changed right away. And the tears weren't because he had to do PE, which, while he didn't enjoy he did endure. No, it was because his Nan would be up the school having a pop at his teacher because she had been overruled. It didn't occur to him to lie. He was a bright boy, but lying wasn't part of his mindset.
'What's up Har?' asked Gilly.
She was a lively cheerful girl who tried to jolly him up whenever he was overtaken by one of his weeping fits.
'Nothing' he grunted.
'It must be something or you wouldn't be upset'
The tears began to flow even more freely and Gilly went to find her friend Amy to see if she might be able to help. She knew no one else would; Harley was an easy target with his podgy shape, frequent tears, and, worst of all, the jumper he wore even on the hottest day. His Nan had knitted it for him. Unlike the plain navy ones from the school office with the school emblem stitched on, worn by everyone else, Harley's was a much lighter shade - blue in fact - and his Nan and Mum had explained that the two smart yellow bands picking out the colour in the school badge, around the V neck and the ribbing would make it really special. He wasn't allowed to take it off as he had a delicate chest and must be kept warm at all times.
However, before the girls could return to attempt to console him, the bell went and Harley trailed into the classroom trying to escape notice.
The next crisis came when the school photographer arrived to take the class photo. The headteacher had instructed his class teacher that in no account would Harley be allowed to spoil the whole school photograph and he was to wear the regulation sweatshirt, obtained from the office, and worn just once, for the photograph. Predictably, Harley's sobs were something to behold, but the Head was adamant, he must not, and would not be allowed to spoil the school photo just because his Nan was a pain in the neck. Harley was positioned on the back row behind another tall child so that his red face and swollen eyes would not be obvious. The sweatshirt had been returned to the office as soon as the photographer had finished and Harley was back in his jumper an hour later, but that did not assuage Nan's fury when the photographs were sent home. Her wrath was of epic proportions. She could be heard shouting all the way from the Head's office to the end of the playground and even Harley's classmates felt sorry for him.
At the end of the next Swimming lesson Harley's jumper was nowhere to be found. Everyone searched high and low, but with no success. A note was even sent to all the classes asking that cloakrooms and school bags be checked to discover if the jumper had gone astray, but to no avail. His teacher, mindful of the frequent notes about Harley's chest, went to the office and gave him a new school sweatshirt. She reasoned that no sweatshirt would be worse than the regulation variety. She even braved the combined onslaught from Nan and Mum at home time. And finally they were persuaded that everything that could have been done, had been done, and the jumper had gone without trace. Harley seemed a little happier during the succeeding weeks and no longer stuck out quite so much in the line, although his portly frame ensured that he was always visible and the weeping on view.
And then at the beginning of the summer term Harley arrived sporting a brand new jumper but this time with three gold bands around the neck and rib. Nan made a special visit to school to explain how she had worked her fingers to the bone to ensure that her Harley had a nice new warm jumper even though it was his last term at Primary School.
And wear it he did. He wore it to the Leavers' trip to Chessington, to the inter school sports day, all the way to School Journey, and, at the Leavers' Disco he arrived, weeping, in a pair of tailored trousers from Marks and Spencer and a spanking new jumper in vibrant shades of green and purple.
The very last day of the summer term when everything in the entire school had to be packed up and the furniture moved there came a triumphant shout from Sandeep and Corey.
'Miss, Miss, look what we found behind the big bookcase'. And they waved a dust covered but very recognisable knitted blue and yellow jumper in the air. 'He's got three jumpers now' they chortled.
Gilly and Amy sighed as they exchanged a look.
'Well, we did try' they reassured themselves. 'It just didn't work'.
Harley walked slowly around the edge of the playground, his hands and arms wrapped tightly round his ample form while a tear crept down his cheek. He wished he didn't burst into a fit of weeping every time something went wrong, but somehow he couldn't help it.
The cause of today's upset was pretty trivial really; his Nan had sent him in with a note asking for him to be excused from PE because she felt the chill would be no good for his chest. His teacher had told him that that was no excuse and to get changed right away. And the tears weren't because he had to do PE, which, while he didn't enjoy he did endure. No, it was because his Nan would be up the school having a pop at his teacher because she had been overruled. It didn't occur to him to lie. He was a bright boy, but lying wasn't part of his mindset.
'What's up Har?' asked Gilly.
She was a lively cheerful girl who tried to jolly him up whenever he was overtaken by one of his weeping fits.
'Nothing' he grunted.
'It must be something or you wouldn't be upset'
The tears began to flow even more freely and Gilly went to find her friend Amy to see if she might be able to help. She knew no one else would; Harley was an easy target with his podgy shape, frequent tears, and, worst of all, the jumper he wore even on the hottest day. His Nan had knitted it for him. Unlike the plain navy ones from the school office with the school emblem stitched on, worn by everyone else, Harley's was a much lighter shade - blue in fact - and his Nan and Mum had explained that the two smart yellow bands picking out the colour in the school badge, around the V neck and the ribbing would make it really special. He wasn't allowed to take it off as he had a delicate chest and must be kept warm at all times.
However, before the girls could return to attempt to console him, the bell went and Harley trailed into the classroom trying to escape notice.
The next crisis came when the school photographer arrived to take the class photo. The headteacher had instructed his class teacher that in no account would Harley be allowed to spoil the whole school photograph and he was to wear the regulation sweatshirt, obtained from the office, and worn just once, for the photograph. Predictably, Harley's sobs were something to behold, but the Head was adamant, he must not, and would not be allowed to spoil the school photo just because his Nan was a pain in the neck. Harley was positioned on the back row behind another tall child so that his red face and swollen eyes would not be obvious. The sweatshirt had been returned to the office as soon as the photographer had finished and Harley was back in his jumper an hour later, but that did not assuage Nan's fury when the photographs were sent home. Her wrath was of epic proportions. She could be heard shouting all the way from the Head's office to the end of the playground and even Harley's classmates felt sorry for him.
At the end of the next Swimming lesson Harley's jumper was nowhere to be found. Everyone searched high and low, but with no success. A note was even sent to all the classes asking that cloakrooms and school bags be checked to discover if the jumper had gone astray, but to no avail. His teacher, mindful of the frequent notes about Harley's chest, went to the office and gave him a new school sweatshirt. She reasoned that no sweatshirt would be worse than the regulation variety. She even braved the combined onslaught from Nan and Mum at home time. And finally they were persuaded that everything that could have been done, had been done, and the jumper had gone without trace. Harley seemed a little happier during the succeeding weeks and no longer stuck out quite so much in the line, although his portly frame ensured that he was always visible and the weeping on view.
And then at the beginning of the summer term Harley arrived sporting a brand new jumper but this time with three gold bands around the neck and rib. Nan made a special visit to school to explain how she had worked her fingers to the bone to ensure that her Harley had a nice new warm jumper even though it was his last term at Primary School.
And wear it he did. He wore it to the Leavers' trip to Chessington, to the inter school sports day, all the way to School Journey, and, at the Leavers' Disco he arrived, weeping, in a pair of tailored trousers from Marks and Spencer and a spanking new jumper in vibrant shades of green and purple.
The very last day of the summer term when everything in the entire school had to be packed up and the furniture moved there came a triumphant shout from Sandeep and Corey.
'Miss, Miss, look what we found behind the big bookcase'. And they waved a dust covered but very recognisable knitted blue and yellow jumper in the air. 'He's got three jumpers now' they chortled.
Gilly and Amy sighed as they exchanged a look.
'Well, we did try' they reassured themselves. 'It just didn't work'.
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