Eventually, both Nanny Mitchel and Mrs Hegitey walked out of the office door, into the corridor, where myself and cousin Karen had been waiting outside for what seemed an eternity.
It appeared both of them have rosy cheeks and nanny Mitchel was wearing one of her rare smiles.
“They have been drinking” cousin Karen whispered in my ear.
“But Nanny Mitchel does not drink,”I whispered back.” She is teetotal.” I continued.
“They have been drinking, I tell you.” Cousin Karen continued.
This time round I did not argue, I just shrugged my shoulders.
As they both approached us they were merrily chatting, once again not paying much attention to either myself or cousin Karen.
“And Remember what I said Patricia,” said Mrs Hegitey directing her attention to me. “Be good for your grandmother and all will be well. Misbehave and you know what will happen,” continued Mrs Hegitey giving me a further warning as if the earlier one had not been enough
“I will see you tomorrow Dorothy, at nine-thirty,” A Sissy’s New School Uniform. said addressing Nanny Mitchel.
“I look forward to it,” replied Nanny Mitchel. “Come along children, she continued.
With this and with me in a state of complete confusion, we finally left the shoe shop.
If the shoe shop had been somewhat of a painful experience, worse may still be yet to come.
Taking advantage of one of Nanny Mitchels rare good moods, cousin Karen dared to ask her a question.
“Nanny where are we going now?” asked cousin Karen.
“We are going to get Patricia a new school uniform,” replied nanny Mitchel.
I had already informed cousin Karen that I was not going to be returning to my school whilst we had been standing outside Mrs Hegiteys office.
However, thought cousin Karen, if I was not going back to a regular school, why would I need a new school uniform?
Once again cousin Karen took advantage of one of Nanny Mitchels rare good moods and asked her this.
Nanny Mitchel explained to cousin Karen that Mrs Hegitey insisted that all her pupils wore proper school attire.
“But surely,” cousin Karen started.
“Do not ask questions,” barked Nanny Mitchel, “It is not your place to do so!”
It appeared that nothing lasts forever and this was certainly going to be the case with one of Nanny Mitchel’s rare good moods.
So of myself, cousin Karen and Nanny Mitchel went to “Dolphin House”, the local school outfitters.
Being ever observant, or at least more observant than myself, Karen noticed that Nanny Mitchel was carrying no extra bags and thus wondered what had happened to our new shoes.
However what with Nanny Mitchel reverting back to type, she had dared not to ask.
Walking along in the town it was not too long before we once again bumped into Aunty Shirley who had been shopping in the supermarket.
Normally a meeting like this with two grown-ups would displease me as it would mean standing around for fifteen or so minutes whilst they chatted and put the world to rights.
However, this time round the meeting of Aunty Shirley came with some sense of relief.
If nothing else it would give me some much-needed time to get my thoughts together before we all embarked on the school outfitters.
Hello Dorothy,” greeted Aunty Shirley.
“Hello Shirley,” replied Nanny Mitchel.
As per usual neither myself nor my cousin Karen received such a greeting, we were just ignored whilst they both carried on in their own little world.
“How did your visit go to the shoe shop Dorothy, did you manage to get Patricia a new pair of shoes.”
“Oh yes Shirley,” Nanny Mitchel replied with a beaming smile on her face, once again resuming one of her rare cheerful dispositions. “And a lot more besides.” she continued.
Aunty Shirley gave Nanny Mitchel one of her, “I seek more information looks”.
This look was quite normal for Aunty Shirley when she was seeking information from others.
It was one of these looks where her head would position itself to the right of her body and she would stare.
Nanny Mitchel herself could never wait to tell Aunty Shirley or anyone else come to that, anything and everything.
“Well we have found a new Tutor for Patricia,” announced Nanny Mitchel in a cheerful manner. “So that is one problem solved,” She continued.
Naturally, Aunty Shirley was now all ears, as was cousin Karen, come to that.
Cousin Karen resumed the role of Chief ear wigger whilst Nanny Mitchel told Aunty Shirley all.
“Yes Shirley,” Nanny Mitchel excitedly started, ” Whilst shopping for new shoes for Patricia, we met a very kind lady called Mrs Hegitey who use to be a headmistress some time ago.”
“Really,” said Aunty Shirley, “Well I never.”
The name Mrs Hegitey had rung bells for Aunty Shirley for she had heard the name before.
However, she had not done so for many years, so she let Nanny Mitchel continue.
“We are off now to “Dolphin House” to buy Patricia her new uniform,” resumed Nanny Mitchel. “And what is more,” continued Nanny Mitchel, Mrs Hegitey has agreed to pay for it all.
It was at this time alarm bells started to ring again for the ever-astute cousin Karen.
Although I had yet to work it out, this was further evidence to cousin Karen that Mrs Hegitey was attempting to bring herself into our lives.
“Well that is good news,” responded Aunty Shirley to what Nanny Mitchel had already told her. “Tell me, Dorothy,” continued Aunty Shirley, “Have you any idea of which school Mrs Hegitey was the headmistress in?”
“Yes Shirley, the Oak Grove School, in meadowlands drive.”
“Well I never,” responded Aunty Shirley, ” That was where Simon and George went to school.”
Aunty Shirley paused for a while in deep concentration.
She wondered to herself if it was the same Mrs Hegitry who had taught them.
“Dorothy,” enquired Aunty Shirley,”Do you know the first name of Mrs Hegitey?”
“Yes her name is Margaret,” responded Nanny Mitchel,” though she explained to me that people called her Em.”
“Well I never,” responded Aunty Shirley again with her favorite phrase. “Do you know that Mrs Hegitey was the headmistress at Oak Grove School when Simon and George attended?
This was all news to Nanny Mitchel.
“Well I never,” responded Nanny Mitchel, as if in a parrot-like manner copying Aunty Shirley’s favorite expressions.
“Mrs Hegitey will soon have Patricia’s shortcomings taken in hand Dorothy,” said Aunty Shirley in a cheerful manner. “She was very strict with both Simon and George as she appeared to be with all the other pupils” Continued Aunty Shirley. “And quite rightly so.
Myself and cousin Karen looked at each other, as if to say “Here we go again, we are back on their favorite subject of corporal Punishment.
It was at this time that I was starting to develop my cousin Karen’s technique of earwigging.
I very much hoped that later on myself and cousin Karen would have a chance to be together so we could exchange notes on what the grown-ups were waffling on about.
As always Aunty Shirley took the lead in the conversation as she always did.
As per usual Nanny Mitchel was never short of dishing out the necessary information, needed to satisfy Aunty Shirley’s curiosity.
However, it seemed like, just for a change Aunty Shirley was giving out the information to Nanny Mitchel.
If some of this information was to horrify my cousin Karen, it was to do little to ease my own anxieties over what was about to happen in the proceeding future.
Aunty Shirley recounted to Nanny Mitchel the numerous times that Mrs Hegitey had administered corporal punishment to George and Simon with her blessings.
She also recounted the times that she had chastised them again when they arrived home.
“Mrs Hegiteys methods never did George or Simon any harm.” Informed Aunty Shirley to Nanny Mitchel. “They grew up to be stable responsible adults,” She continued.
They might of done, I thought to myself, but they also grew up to be frightfully boring as well.
As Aunty Shirley and Nanny Mitchel waffled on myself and cousin Karen started to lose interest in their conversation as we had heard it all before.
Thus we both stopped earwigging.
This was until Nanny Mitchel made a suggestion that was to further ruin our shopping trip.
“Shirley,” Nanny Mitchel began to ask her friend. “Would it be possible, if you have time, to come to the school outfitters with us?”
Aunty Shirley had been hoping nanny Mitchel would ask her this.
“I would be delighted to,” she responded.
