Rain, Rain, Go Away. (1058 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.93 on 24 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by AwesomeJohnson (View user info) at 2004-11-09 15:21:37 EST
I couldn't tell you exactly how I came to be a teacher in that tiny Northern England town. I do know that the North Sea was about as welcoming as an elevator fart. Moving on from geography, children with British accents have always scared me to death, and although this probably originated from some movie I saw and was completely unfounded, never a day went by when something one of them said didn't send chills up my spine.
It was an early November day, and I arrived to a beaming sun which I welcomed for its warmth, but at the same time cursed for being in my eyes. The children arrived one by one (or sometime by two's depending on the carpool / donkey pool). The parents were usually cordial but today one older man, probably a grandparent, gave me a cold start that cut to the bone. I smiled uneasily, and continued my regular morning rituals of opening the shades, and writing the day's lessons on the chalkboard.
By the time everyone had arrived, which amounted to twelve eight-to-thirteen-year-olds, the sky had already turned the slate gray that I had become accustomed to. Younger children were sent to a different school, as were older teenagers.
At about 9, it started to rain - hard. I'm not talking about the rain that puddles up the rutted roads and nourishes the plants. I'm talking about the kind of rain that blows in at 30 degrees (angle from the ground) rattling the windows and making a deafening applause against the walls and doors.
I'm not extraordinarily anal, but keeping the children's desks in neat rows allowed me to move through the classroom easily and without the golf ball sized bruises on my thighs from nailing a desk as I ran to remove paste from some kid's mouth. All of the kids knew the rule, and it was reinforced with tape outlines of each desk on the floor. It was with great surprise when, returning from the bathroom, that I found the desks circled, with each child standing in front of his or her own desk.
Smiling more out of confusion than amusement, I asked, "What's this?"
In a group of different aged children, in my experience the older children will tend to speak for the group, as if it were a military ranking of sorts. But this time one of the younger children spoke up, Robbie Cooper.
"We want the rain to stop, sir." The older children lowered their eyes.
"It'll stop eventually. Now lets line our desks back up."
"I don't think so, sir."
Taking an invisible cue, they began to sing in unison
Rain, rain, go away.
Come again some other day.
"Alright." I said, trying to maintain my cool, "Let's get back to our seats."
But they repeated it again.
Rain, rain, go away.
Come again some other day.
Getting frustrated, I grabbed the nearest desk and pushed it into place, but the children continued, trancelike
Rain, rain, go away.
Come again some other day.
Rain, rain, go away.
Come again some other day.
"STOP NOW."
But they continued. Their young, sing-song voices were replaced by the low-end of their vocal ranges and the playful rhyme became a desperate chant,
Rain, rain, go away.
Come again some other day.
Rain, rain, go away.
Come again some other day.
Rain, rain, go away.
Come again some other day.
Rain, rain, go away.
Come again some other day.
Accompanied by a brilliant flash, the thunder clapped above the schoolhouse, the lights flickered twice, and then went dark. It was still light enough to see forms, but not faces, and the children continued. I moved for my desk where I knew there was a flashlight, and although I could not see their eyes, I could feel the gaze of each child follow me as I crossed the room.
I grabbed the flashlight, clicked it on, and pointed it at the children. Eleven pale, freckled faces stared back. Taking immediate stock as I approached their circle, I asked,
"Where's David?"
My foot caught on something. It gave a bit as I feel...a foot. That fucker. My forehead caught the corner of the desk; everything spun for a second, and then went dark.
NEWSLINE.COM [Durham, England] Early this morning, an American born school teacher was found dead floating in the North Sea off the coast of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Authorities are not speculating the circumstances of the death, although they are almost certain that it is a case of accidental drowning.
User Reviews
Submitted by Unabonger (user info) at 2005-02-22 11:35:51 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
not bad...a little difficult to follow.
Submitted by AwesomeJohnson (user info) at 2005-02-22 11:18:39 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I know what you mean. One of the things I was trying to do (albeit probably crudely) was to have *just* enough detail for the reader to figure out what happened. Maybe if I explain my thought process it would be better. New teacher (what happened to the old one), Look from old man (why?), Older kids hanging back (shame?)? Anyway, thanks for reading it! It's really all I can ask!
Submitted by Teephphah (user info) at 2005-02-22 11:14:48 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I see what you said about the beginning. A little rough settling into the groove for this one, huh? Still, once you got going it really took off, and like someone said below, I did actually get a chill.
I'll admit that the ending lost me a little though. I knew SOMETHING was going to happen to the poor guy, but I'm a little confused as to the whys and the hows.
Submitted by AwesomeJohnson (user info) at 2004-11-12 11:39:30 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
cheers to those who read it...
jeers to those who didn't...
Submitted by HadToBeDone (user info) at 2004-11-11 20:45:16 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Hadley Tobedone says:
Funny how Fetish, of all people, thinks he is capable of rating a post based on its literary or artistic merit.
Submitted by Caulaincourt (user info) at 2004-11-11 20:14:59 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
http://www.ubersite.com/m/51276#952480
Unrelated but it was fuckin' hilarious. Thanks!
Submitted by I_Have_a_Kristen_Fetish (user info) at 2004-11-11 20:03:47 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
Big deal, a fart joke...
Submitted by sg11588 (user info) at 2004-11-10 15:47:46 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by AwesomeJohnson (user info) at 2004-11-10 15:34:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
well, as long as derka derka is funny, i'll allow it...i'll Alawi hahaheheh
Submitted by Cristufer <cristufer.at.hotmail.com> at 2004-11-10 00:15:14 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by LadyPlural (user info) at 2004-11-09 22:59:19 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Bloody hell.
Submitted by DamienX (user info) at 2004-11-09 19:14:37 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Awesome
Submitted by Zandy1123 (user info) at 2004-11-09 17:11:26 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
"Derka derka Muhammad Jihad"
That's all the terrorists say in Team America...it's actually hilarious.
Submitted by AwesomeJohnson (user info) at 2004-11-09 16:49:11 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
who's this derka derka fellow? thanks to the real people out there.
Submitted by Zandy1123 (user info) at 2004-11-09 16:06:02 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
another +2 to counter derka derka guy
Submitted by munkeypants (user info) at 2004-11-09 15:56:14 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by abefroman42 (user info) at 2004-11-09 15:53:11 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Derka derka derka, Muhammad Jihad
Submitted by beancat (user info) at 2004-11-09 15:51:40 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Wow. Very spooky. Like, Dark Shadows spooky.
Submitted by TigerLilly (user info) at 2004-11-09 15:40:48 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Oh me likey. Gave me the willies.
Submitted by Zandy1123 (user info) at 2004-11-09 15:39:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
another +2 for donkeypool
is that near Liverpool?
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2004-11-09 15:31:33 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Reminds me of those movies that would be on tv on a Sunday afternoon when I was a kid.
Submitted by Zandy1123 (user info) at 2004-11-09 15:28:14 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
whoa
veird indeed.
Submitted by GodLovesALittleLovin (user info) at 2004-11-09 15:26:57 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Very nice AJ
Submitted by spedmonkey (user info) at 2004-11-09 15:24:30 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Vierd.