Being boys, they’ve no idea what toil and turmoil cleaning clothes can be and thus, are unimpressed by the so called ‘godsend’ that is a fully automatic washing machine. “Does it dry them too?” Andrew asked.
“No… but I’ve put the heating on… they’ll dry over the radiators in no time.” she told them. “Now, would you like some cake whilst we wait?”
Shyly, the boys said yes… each added a please. She left them alone whilst she fetched it. “This is weird.” William whispered, biting his lip.
“I know.” Andrew gulped. “Surely her niece has got some boyish clothes.”
“What’s that?” Mrs Arkwright asked as she returned carrying a tray. Andrew reiterated his comment and after setting the tray on the coffee table, Mrs Arkwright told him that she doesn’t like ‘boyish’ clothes for girls. “I’m rather old fashioned in that respect… I don’t think boys your age should be in long trousers either. When I was a girl, boys only wore long pants once they’d left school.”
“I hate short pants.” William grumbled.
“Well it’s a good job I chose dresses isn’t it.” Mrs Arkwright replied as she plunged a knife into a Victoria sponge cake.
“I’d rather wear shorts than this.” Andrew sneered, looking down at the prissy frock he wears. The only good thing he can say about it is that it isn’t pink and that it doesn’t have any lacy trim or bows attached. But it’s still a dress and it does have frills so in that sense, there’s nothing at all good about it.
Mrs Arkwright hands them both a plate on which a thin slice of cake is placed. “Thank you.” they meekly say in unison. The lady advises them to try not to get any crumbs on their dresses.
She watches with a wry smile as they sit quietly in their prissy dresses, plates perched carefully on their laps as they cautiously and slowly eat their cake. “Do you boys play truant from school often?” she asked.
“Er… sometimes.” William meekly replied.
“And how often is sometimes?” she asked, adding that today isn’t the first time she’s noticed them loitering on the side streets when they should be at school.
“Once or twice a week, I guess.” William says.
“And don’t the teachers wonder where you’ve been?”
William shrugged and after a little prompting, admitted to turning up for registration, then leaving the school grounds. “If they ask I just tell ’em I was ill or summit.”
“You do realise that they probably know that you’re lying.” she said. Again William shrugged. “What if they refer you both to the education welfare services?” she asked. “If you’re skipping school a couple of times a week, it’s only a matter of time.”
“Dunno.” William replied.
Throughout this exchange, both boys hung their heads like guilty five year olds. “Have you anything to say Andrew?” she asked. He gulped and shook his head. “Well I hope you’ll both have a good long think about things… you only get one chance to go to school… if you waste your education now, you’ll regret it in the future.”
This is something they’ve been told a million times, but as far as they’re concerned, they live in the hear and now. School’s boring so why bother going? Homework’s boring so why bother doing it? The only consequence is lines, a detention or a telling off… and such punishments are soon forgotten about. Mrs Arkwright lectured them in the importance of a good education, but didn’t lay the blame on the boys themselves. “…its the education system that’s failing you.” she said. The boys agreed. Mrs Arkwright would have continued further, but just then, the telephone rang. She excused herself to answer the telephone.
“Do you reckon she’s a retired teacher or summit?” William asked.
“Maybe.” Andrew replied. She certainly has that air about her.
They sheepishly and briefly discussed how weird it was, being put in the bath together and washed like little kids… then she returned. “I’ve got a couple of phone calls to make boys…” she said. “Would you like another slice of cake cutting?” she offered.
“Yes please Mrs Arkwright.” Andrew replied.
“Yes please.” William said.
She smiled and cut the cake, placing a slice on each of their plates. They thanked her. “Well I must say, you’ve finally found your manners boys… a please and thank you costs nothing yet means so very much.” she said before leaving them alone whilst she made the phone calls.
“Being put in the bath wasn’t anywhere as weird as being given dresses to wear.” William said. “How long do you reckon it’ll take for our clothes to dry?”
“Dunno.” Andrew replied. “They’re not out of the wash yet so… I reckon it’ll be ages.”
“Hmmm.” William groaned. “I reckon her niece will have jeans and stuff… I reckon she put us in dresses deliberately.” he supposed. “We should’ve put our foot down and refused to wear them.”
“Well it’s too late now… and we can’t exactly go anywhere until we get our own clothes back.”
