In the first of a new series of short stories highlighting the rich history and contemporary work in the form being done by Welsh publishers, we bring you a story from the new collection by the late Norman Schwenk, “Miss Cross” from Miss Cross and Other Stories (Parthian).
‘Vera, take the children to the story corner, please, and keep them away from the windows. Give me 10 minutes.’ Miss Cross was whispering – unusual for her. She taught the children never to whisper, and she was the kind of head teacher who led by example.
Vera had enough experience not to dither or flap, just to do it. She caught the note of disciplined alarm in her young boss’s voice, and knew she did not panic for nothing. Miss Cross took one more look out the window and headed for the door. She had to work quickly. In half an hour the children would be going home, and in ten or fifteen minutes mothers and fathers would be assembling to pick them up. She walked swiftly round the corner of the school, through the gate and onto the grass verge by the school-crossing. She stood for a moment and stared at the small, inchoate mound of grey fur mashed onto the tarmac. Someone’s pet. Tears made her eyes itch, and a solid knot formed in her throat. She remembered her little mongrel, Pearl, who had been run over when she was ten. Miss Cross took a deep breath and tried to think.
To read the rest of this short story click here.