THE FERALS


By Tessa Harvey


Brodie was even angrier than Sophie. "I wanted your mum to be my mum," he told Sophie. "But Ms. Heslop is kind to you." Brodie looked doubtful. 
"Yes, she comes," he admitted, "but your mum loves me and Ms. Heslop doesn't."

He paused, thinking. "She keeps looking for dad to come, and doesn't hear me." The boy was puzzled.

When he talked to his dad about it, Jake became defensive. Deep down, he felt his son was right, but did not want to admit that even to himself. He was "like a lamb to the slaughter" as it says in the Bible. Jill filled his thoughts.

One day Jake was later than usual. Judy, the principal had paused to talk encouragingly to him. Jill had been fed up. She had pandered enough to Jake's ego and was getting bored. A younger, good-looking man had joined the staff recently and seemed more her type. Then Brodie would not come when Jill called. He was fixing a stick with some string to make a bow.  The teacher lost her temper, and seeing they were alone, yanked the child by his arm, calling the boy 'a stupid little idiot.'

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