The Twins
Jack Blackett was going grey around the temples. He was in his middle forties and had been a teacher at a local boys high school for the last twenty years. The year was 1980 and it was the third week of summer term. The weather had been hot, a typical New Zealand February. By mid afternoon when the final school bell rang for the day, Jack felt rung out. He was sweating, even in the short sleeve, open collar shirt he was wearing. As he made his way to the common room he was looking forward to a cup of tea before marking the fifth form English exercises that had just been done. As he rounded the corner of the corridor he past the school library, he remembered that he wanted to get a couple of the new text books out to review them.
The librarian, was the Head of Languages, Jack's immediate superior. He could cane while Jack could only award detentions. If the crime warranted it, he sent the student to Keith Shuster for caning. Keith was nearing retirement and he had told Jack at the beginning of term that he would recommend to the Headmaster that Jack take the Head of Languages job next term. Actually Jack had more qualifications than Keith, but they had always got on well together and were personal friends as well as professional collegues. Jack had been offered several jobs as Head of Languages at different schools, but had always turned them down because he did not want to leave what he called 'a little bit of paradise'. Jack opened the door to the library and found Keith slumped over a table. Dropping his satchel and the pile of books that he was carrying he rushed over to his friend.
"Keith, can I help you?" There was no reply. Becoming concerned he felt his friends wrist, feeling the racing pulse, that seemed to flutter under his finger tips. He went to the telephone in the library office and phoned the ambulance using the 111 service. He briefly described what and where he had found Keith, and was told the ambulance would be there shortly. He then phoned the Headmaster and told him about Keith and what he had done about the ambulance.
The Headmaster who was also getting near retirement, came at once. Even at sixty two years old he was an imposing man, a good administrator and a excellent teacher. Glen Southward stood at six feet two inches in his socks and was a truly intimadating sight to the small third formers when if it warranted, were sent to him for different reasons. Now, however as he came into the library he looked more worried than anything else.
"Jack, how is he?"
"He hasn't changed since I got here, and he hasn't responded to anything I have done to try and help him. His pulse is racing and very fluttery." Just then they heard a siren approaching.
"Jack stay here with him, I will go and guide the ambulance officers here.." He left the library. Returning a couple of minutes later with one of the local St John's ambulance officers who was wheeling a stretcher that had his case of emergency gear on it.
"Hi Jack," in the small community most people knew each other.
Jack looked up, "Oh hi yourself Max, get over here and have a look at Keith."
Max quickly did some tests, then placing a portable oxygen mask over over Keith's nose, opened the valve and fed Keith some oxygen. Keith's colour slowly turned red from the blue that it had been going, and he gave a couple of big breaths and started to choke. Max took away the mask and watched.
Turning to Jack and the Headmaster he said, "I think that we had better get him into the city to hospital, I'm not one hundred percent sure, but I think that he may have had a heart attack. While he is breathing now he may not if we leave him. Can you help me get him onto the stretcher and then into the ambulance. As Jack went to help Max lift Keith onto the stretcher, the headmaster said he would contact Keith's wife and then collect her and take her to hospital, where she could wait for Keith. He left the library. Jack and Max lifted Keith and gently placed him on the stretcher. They then wheeled him through the school to the front entrance where the ambulance stood with its flashing lights on top.
Several students were standing about watching with interest as Keith was loaded into the ambulance and then when Jack climbed into the back as well several waved goodbye as the door was shut. The ambulance sped away from the school with its siren wailing and was soon speeding along the motorway into the city. At the hospital Keith was quickly wheeled into the emergency centre while Jack waited in a corridor. After about 20 minutes the Headmaster and Keith's wife Dorothy arrived. A doctor came out of the room and introduced himself. He confirmed what Max had said.
"Mr Shuster has had a minor heart attack. We are going to admit him for observation and while he is here we will do further tests." He went on, "He will be in intensive care until his condition stabalises and only family may visit for short periods."
"I'm his wife, will he be alright?"
"Mrs Shuster," at her nod, "yes he will be alright I think. But he is to be kept quiet with no excitement for a few weeks. After he stabalises, he will be moved to a general ward and then others may visit. Now I need a few details."
Time was spent giving him the details that he wanted. It was arranged that the Headmaster would take Jack back to school where he could pickup his car and Mrs Shuster could stay at the hospital annex where they put critical patients families so that if the need arose, they could be summonded quickly.
Several weeks went past and Keith Shuster's medical condition improved. Jack went to visit him.
"Hi Keith, you look much better."
"Jack. It is good to see you too. They tell me that it was you that acted quickly enough to get me here while I was still alive. Thanks for that."
"What are friends for."
"Anyway I did a bit more damage to the old ticker than they first thought, so I will be off work until June. That of course takes me past my planned retirement date."
"I see, sorry to hear that."
"Not to worry. I have plenty of sick leave so I have written to the Headmaster and explained the position to him, so he can put you into my old job a couple of months earlier than planned." They talked on for the allowed 20 minutes, then Jack left him so Dorothy could visit.
Next morning before assembly when Jack got to school he found a note pinned to his locker in the common room, asking him to see the Headmaster. Going along the short corridor he came to the door and knocked.
"Come in," Jack opened the door and went in. "Jack good to see you before assembly. We haven't much time so I'll quickly explain. I have talked with Keith and made sure what his intentions are and as you may know he has writen me a letter. I have approval from the Board of Govenors to offer you the position as Head of Languages as from next Monday."
"Thankyou Headmaster. I hope that your confidence in me will not be misplaced."
"Rubbish Jack. I take it that you are accepting the job," raising his eyebrows and at Jack's nod, " congratulations. We will talk specifics later, but I will announce it at assembly this morning."
The warning bell for assembly went so Jack left the office and went back to his locker in the common room to get his gown and go to assembly. After the morning prayer, the Headmaster announced, "It gives me great pleasure to tell you that Mr Blackett has accepted the position as Head of Languages. He would have been Head of Languages next term, but as you all know Mr Shuster was suddenly very seriously ill, and he wont be back. When he has recovered we will have a ceromoney here to celebrate his retirement."
After a few more announcements the Headmaster left the platform and assembly broke up and everyone went to their first period. Jack had the fifth form for English, then the sixth for French. He had been doing some of Keith's duties as well. Several weeks had passed and Jack settled into his new role as Head of Languages. Then one day as he was doing a final tidy of the library, a job that came with the title of Librarian, there was a timid knock at the door. The door slowly opened and two identical twins appeared. Jack had met them at the beginning of term and had placed them in the A stream because of their reports from the Green Bay Intermediate School.
They stood in the doorway looking distinctly nervous and at his motion for them to come into the library properly, they came slowly towards him.
"Christopher and Steven Banks. Gentlemen, how can I help you?"
"Please Sir," Chris spoke, "I, I mean we have a note for you from Mrs Carter."
Mrs Carter was Jack's junior and had been teaching languages just about as long as Jack. She was strict but fair and usually was able to deal with third and fourth formers without a problem.
"I see, well where is the note?" Steven handed him a sealed envelope.
Jack opened it and unfolded the single sheet inside. 'Jack, I'm just about at my wits end with these two. They have been awarded two dententions already this term and seem to delight in trying to run me ragged. Finally today, when I asked why they hadn't done their homework, they told me that it was boring and they had no intention of doing it. They would rather play outside after school than do stuffy homework.. Melannie.'
He looked at the two thirteen year olds. "Well boys, Mrs Carter has written that you dont intend to do the set homework. What was it?"
"We had to read chapter one of David Copperfield, then write five hundred words about it."
"Why do you think that it is boring?"
"The story is too old. We like 'Startrek."
"I am afraid Startrek is not the set reading for the third form. The books you are asked to read as part of the course is designed to teach you English. If you read only modern stories, you will miss all the wonderful words that make up our language. Do you understand what I am saying?" At their nods he continued, "Therefore I want you both to read chapters one and two, then see me here tomorrow at the same time. You may go." He watched them going to the door considerably lighter in step than when they had come in.
In the commonroom he told Mel Carter what had transpired and added, "I think those two think that I am a soft touch. However if they haven't read the two chapters, they may not be so _c_o_c_k_y."
The following day at 3.30pm, there was a knock at the door and the Banks twins came into the library.
"Gentlemen, have a seat at the table, I will be with you shortly." Jack watched as the two made their way to the indicated table and sat down. Jack finished writing up the record for the days activities and then sat oppersite the twins.
"I will ask a few questions as in a verbal test, then we will go on from there. Are you both ready?"
"Yes Sir."
"Very well let us begin." What followed was not a very pleasant experience for the twins. After asking several questions, Jack found that Chris was answering questions about Chapter one while Steven was answering questions about Chapter two. After making Chris answer several questions about chapter two and getting wrong answers, he tuned to Steven. "Well Steven, if I asked you about Chapter one would I get wrong answers?"
Steven went red, then just nodded. "Yes Sir, I studied chapter two only."
"You both have disobeyed my very explicit instrustions. Was there anything that you did not understand yesterday?"
"No Sir," said Chris.
"Very well, I have no option but to punish you and as detention does not seem to work, that leaves the cane. Do you have anything to say?"
"No Sir," again from Chris.
Jack got up and went to the library office where he opened a cupboard and found several canes leaning against the back wall. Selecting a medim cane, both in length and thickness, he went backto the twins.
"Christopher, as you seem to be the spokesman for the two of you, you are first. Pull that chair that you are sitting on away from the table and then bend over the back of it. Put your hands on the seat. I am going to give you three strokes."
As Chris bent over Jack could see the crown of the buttocks inspite of the floppy shorts the boy was wearing. He tapped a couple of times just below the crown to get the aim and distance right and then drew back his arm. Keeping his eye on the target, the cane was suddenly swishing through the air to be arrested in flight abruptly as it met the cotton drill covered buttocks with a sharp crack. To Steven who was watching it seemed as though the cane had disappeared into Chris's bum, only to reappear quickly as it was drawn back ready for the next stroke.
As for Chris, as the first stroke landed, he heard the crack and for a moment nothing then all of a sudden burning pain. It felt as though his poor bum had been hit with a hot poker. There was a second crack, more hot pain followed by the third, which landed between the first and the second stroke. Chris was wondering if smoke was pouring from the legs of his shorts, his bum felt so hot and stinging. From a great distance he heard Mr Blackett telling him to stand. He stood slowly and reached around to touch his behind gently, wondering if it was still there. It was. He was not quite crying as he moved away from the chair.
"Well Steven, it is your turn to pay the price of not doing as you were told. Do the same as your brother."
As Steven bent over the chair, Jack noted that his shorts were tighter than Chris's so his buttocks seemed more defined. Jack could just about see the crease between buttock and thigh and remembered from his own days at school how tender that spot was if the cane landed on it. Steven had already received two strokes before Chris started to notice what was happening. He was to busy rubbing the burning sting out of his bum. Looking up just before the third stroke landed, he saw the cane hit just above the crease, and heard his twin cry out for the first time.
"You may stand Steven." Jack waited until Steven had composed himself, then warned them both to do as they were told in the future. He dismissed them then went and put the cane away and to write up the puinishment register.
The twins left the library and went to their lockers to get their bags and the books they needed for homework before going outside to the bike sheds.
Feedback is welcome. Let me know what you think of this, the first of another series. Ted B