Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Gossip

“Have you heard the latest down in the town?” Gwen is purring under Louise’s magic fingers again.

“What? This stuff about the teacher?” Louise isn’t really interested. Too much happening in her own world. “ Do you think he’s guilty then?”

“Darius?” Gwen’s snigger is faintly malicious. “Windbag, that’s what he is.” She shifts and indicates a sore spot. “Hasn’t got it in him,” she laughs dismissively. “All talk and no do, that’s Darius.” She grins at Louise. “He’s a great one for bluster but he can’t keep order in class and he likes his little pets; but fiddle with them? Never! Probably the last virgin in Greyling Bay.” She hears Louise’s slight intake of breath. “Or maybe the second last?”


Nicola Slade

4 comments:

Douglas Bruton said...

It seems that others are at work rescuing Darius from the sexual predator accusations... though not sure I saw him as being a failing teacher...

As for him being a virgin still... him with his red beard and his storytelling and his drinking and his poetry and his always laughing at life... I never saw that coming.

Interesting.

Nicola Slade said...

Might not be true, Douglas! Don't forget that small communities are expert on smoke without fire so if there's been the slightest rumour going the rounds, the gossips would be out and about, getting more and more outrageous.
Interesting to see what someone else does with this tantalising suggestion.
(Have to confess though, that he comes across to me as very sad - in the teenspeak sense of sad!)


Nicky

Douglas Bruton said...

All a matter of perspective, Nicola... Darius has some roots in real life... he is a composite of several teachers I have known... by some pupils 'he' was thought fun and interesting and good to be around... but I am sure there were some for whom he was less than that.

Interesting indeed to see what will be done with him now... I am just enjoying that something is being done with him at all.

Enjoy
D

Anonymous said...

Isn't this interesting? I found Darius rather odd, but quite real. As I mentioned before, I knew one person with a beard like his, and saw at least one other person like him when I was a child. This makes it hard for me to picture Darius as Darius because, physically, he reminds me of a dear friend's brother, so I tend to associate one with the other.

Yet I do find Darius Bredwyn slightly creepy, because that eccenticity seems like a front. Is it a front because he is very shy and finds he can only relate to the children by acting the eccentric? Or has he a more sinister reason for hiding his true self? Is he himself hiding from his true self?

Is Cor Blimey in love with him in a carnal sense? Or does she just enjoy the attention?

Is he a virgin? Or is he a sexual predator? Is he both?

He's the sort of bloke I'd have a beer down the pub with, but I would not invite him home for tea.

Word verfication undox, which is a ritual for redeeming loose women.

LG