A Stolen Childhood (26 page)

Authors: Casey Watson

BOOK: A Stolen Childhood

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I never did find out what sort of sentence either parent served for their crimes, but one bit of positive news did reach me via Gary, a few months later, and it was that Kiara’s counselling was apparently going well; that she was beginning to understand that although her mother’s behaviour was considered abusive – and it was – what her father had been found guilty of was
far
worse. She remained in foster care and refused contact with her mother when it was offered a couple of years later. I don’t blame her. I often think of her now and wonder how she is. That sense of incompleteness never really goes away.

Oh, and as for Mr Hunt – well, what can I say? I’d love to be able to tell you we had a professional discussion about where we needed to differ in our approach to managing kids, and just how dismayed I was that he’d been so needlessly unkind to a child who was already in such a vulnerable place. It never happened.

Instead, picture the scene:

The ‘quiet’ room, off the staff-room, at the very end of the summer term. Enter Mr Richard Hunt, better known as ‘Dick’ Hunt, stage right.

Pleasantries are exchanged. Mr Hunt sits at a computer monitor. Mrs Watson, sitting at another, clears her throat, and makes reference to another, similar incident.

CW – So I’d appreciate if you didn’t humiliate the students like that. It’s both uncalled for and unprofessional. I won’t take it any further, I just wanted to let you know how I felt about it.

RH – How
you
feel? How you
feel
? You’re not even a real p***ing teacher, so don’t try telling me how to do my p***ing job!

CW – Don’t you dare speak to me like that! Who the hell do you think you are?

RH – I’m a
real
teacher, love, not a four foot nothing jumped up ‘behaviouralist’ or whatever the hell you are! Keep out of my damn business, woman, okay?

CW takes a deep breath and does a quick check of the adjacent staff-room.

CW – And you, Mr Hunt, are exactly what all the kids call you behind your back. And a first-class one at that!

Exit, stage left.

If you like Casey Watson, you’ll love
Unexpected
, a dramatic and heart-warming short story from foster carer Rosie Lewis.

Out 27th August 2015.

Tap the cover to pre-order now.

If you like
A Stolen Childhood
, you’ll love Casey’s next short story
The Wild Child
.

Eight-year-old Connor is from a broken home. In a children’s home since he was five, with a father who had been in and out of prison and a mother who abandoned him, he has had an appalling start in life. Casey takes Connor in despite him attacking his previous social worker with an iron bar and injuring another child. Does Casey realise what she is taking on and the impact this child will have on her family?

Out 13th August 2015.

Tap the cover to pre-order now.