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MAY MOON & THE SECRETS OF THE CPAs
10
Just before winter term started, she tried to persuade
her father, who was the school principal, history teacher
and custodian (it was a small school), to go in and
switch on all the heaters one day early.
She wanted it to be warm when all the children
arrived the next morning.
But he showed no interest. So she went in and turned
on all the heaters herself. She’d forgotten that children
should stay well away from anything to do with fire.
Two hours later, she and hundreds of other people
watched as the school burned to the ground. The
beginning of the new term was postponed.
“Hooray, hooray, hooray,” said the big kids, who could
now do the exam revision they had not got around to
doing over the holiday.
“Hooray, hooray, hooray,” said the middle-sized kids,
who could now do the homework they didn’t do over
the holiday.
“Hooray, hooray, hooray,” said the small kids, who
copied everything the middle-sized kids did.
“Who, who, who?” said the principal, who was furious
that someone had burned down his school.
“May, May, May,” said the big kids, the middle-sized
kids, and the small kids.
“Er,
maybe
,” said May.
* * *
And this is where our story really starts.
You see, May’s father lost his job.
“Sorry, Dad. l guess you can’t be custodian of the school
any more,” May said. “There’s nothing left to
custard
.”