I couldn’t. I thought you would think me silly.’
‘I would never think you silly, Dawn. I’m just sorry you didn’t feel you could tell me.’ I was so relieved that there was a genuine reason, and one that was understandable, that I could have forgiven Dawn anything at that point. I also felt very sorry for her, and sad that she had been suffering all this time in silence. ‘Thank you for telling me,’ I said at last. ‘But if you had told me sooner I could have helped you.’
‘How?’ she said. ‘You can’t force other kids to be my friend.’
‘No, but I can speak to your Head of Year and make her aware of the problem. I’m sure she will be able to offer something. At present she just thinks you’re playing truant. And, Dawn, it’s so important to talk about your problems. You know what they say – a problem shared is a problem halved.’ She nodded. ‘I’m always here to listen to you and help in any way I can. But Dawn, love, you won’t make friends if you don’t go to school, will you?’ She nodded and sniffed again. ‘Now dry your eyes and come over here and give me a hug.’
She took a tissue from the sleeve of her school jumper and wiped her eyes, then came over and sat beside me on the sofa. With Adrian on my lap I put my arm around Dawn’s shoulders and gave her a big hug. ‘I know making friends can be difficult, especially when you’re new to the school. But running away from a problem never helps. At some point it has to be confronted and dealt with.’
‘I know, Cathy. Thank you for being so understanding. Will you speak to the school and explain?’
‘Yes. Tomorrow I’ll come in with you and see Mrs Matthews. I’m sure she’ll be able to help.’
‘Thanks,’ she said again. ‘You’re so kind. My mum didn’t care a toss.’
‘Didn’t she?’
Dawn shook her head sadly but clearly didn’t want to say any more.
‘So you promise you won’t miss school again?’ I said, easing my arm from her shoulders to resettle Adrian on my lap.
‘I promise,’ she said.
‘And one last thing, Dawn, before we put all this behind us.’
‘Yes?’
‘Where have you been going when you haven’t been in school?’
She shrugged. ‘Just wandering around. In and out of the shops, McDonald’s, anywhere that was warm. It was horrible. I really wanted to come home to you, but I daren’t.’
‘OK, love. Thanks for telling me. Now let’s get you that hot drink and a snack. I take it you won’t be going to your bedroom to do your homework tonight?’
She met my gaze and returned my smile. ‘No, I’m sorry. I hated deceiving you and John. And it was so boring sat up there alone.’
‘All right, we’ll say no more about it.’ Before I got up from the sofa Dawn planted a big kiss on my cheek.
‘Thanks, Cathy. You’re great! I love being here.’
When John arrived home from work, at his usual time of 6.30 p.m., it was to a calm and happy household. Adrian was in his recliner in the kitchen being entertained by Dawn, while I put the finishing touches to the dinner. The three of us chatted as we ate, mainly about the liquidised food I was now introducing into Adrian’s diet in the hope that he would start to sleep through the night. I waited until Dawn had gone up for her bath before I told John what had happened. And because the matter had been dealt with, it wasn’t a big issue: just something else we discussed in the evening when we swapped details of our day.
The following morning I took Dawn into school and, while she joined her class for registration, I saw Jane Matthews.
‘I’ve got just the answer,’ Jane said helpfully after I’d explained Dawn’s problem with making friends. ‘We’ve got a new girl arriving in school on Monday, Natasha, and she will be in Dawn’s class. I’ll speak to Dawn today and I’ll ask her if she’d like to be Natasha’s “buddy”. We usually team up anyone new with another student for the first few weeks. The
‘I would never think you silly, Dawn. I’m just sorry you didn’t feel you could tell me.’ I was so relieved that there was a genuine reason, and one that was understandable, that I could have forgiven Dawn anything at that point. I also felt very sorry for her, and sad that she had been suffering all this time in silence. ‘Thank you for telling me,’ I said at last. ‘But if you had told me sooner I could have helped you.’
‘How?’ she said. ‘You can’t force other kids to be my friend.’
‘No, but I can speak to your Head of Year and make her aware of the problem. I’m sure she will be able to offer something. At present she just thinks you’re playing truant. And, Dawn, it’s so important to talk about your problems. You know what they say – a problem shared is a problem halved.’ She nodded. ‘I’m always here to listen to you and help in any way I can. But Dawn, love, you won’t make friends if you don’t go to school, will you?’ She nodded and sniffed again. ‘Now dry your eyes and come over here and give me a hug.’
She took a tissue from the sleeve of her school jumper and wiped her eyes, then came over and sat beside me on the sofa. With Adrian on my lap I put my arm around Dawn’s shoulders and gave her a big hug. ‘I know making friends can be difficult, especially when you’re new to the school. But running away from a problem never helps. At some point it has to be confronted and dealt with.’
‘I know, Cathy. Thank you for being so understanding. Will you speak to the school and explain?’
‘Yes. Tomorrow I’ll come in with you and see Mrs Matthews. I’m sure she’ll be able to help.’
‘Thanks,’ she said again. ‘You’re so kind. My mum didn’t care a toss.’
‘Didn’t she?’
Dawn shook her head sadly but clearly didn’t want to say any more.
‘So you promise you won’t miss school again?’ I said, easing my arm from her shoulders to resettle Adrian on my lap.
‘I promise,’ she said.
‘And one last thing, Dawn, before we put all this behind us.’
‘Yes?’
‘Where have you been going when you haven’t been in school?’
She shrugged. ‘Just wandering around. In and out of the shops, McDonald’s, anywhere that was warm. It was horrible. I really wanted to come home to you, but I daren’t.’
‘OK, love. Thanks for telling me. Now let’s get you that hot drink and a snack. I take it you won’t be going to your bedroom to do your homework tonight?’
She met my gaze and returned my smile. ‘No, I’m sorry. I hated deceiving you and John. And it was so boring sat up there alone.’
‘All right, we’ll say no more about it.’ Before I got up from the sofa Dawn planted a big kiss on my cheek.
‘Thanks, Cathy. You’re great! I love being here.’
When John arrived home from work, at his usual time of 6.30 p.m., it was to a calm and happy household. Adrian was in his recliner in the kitchen being entertained by Dawn, while I put the finishing touches to the dinner. The three of us chatted as we ate, mainly about the liquidised food I was now introducing into Adrian’s diet in the hope that he would start to sleep through the night. I waited until Dawn had gone up for her bath before I told John what had happened. And because the matter had been dealt with, it wasn’t a big issue: just something else we discussed in the evening when we swapped details of our day.
The following morning I took Dawn into school and, while she joined her class for registration, I saw Jane Matthews.
‘I’ve got just the answer,’ Jane said helpfully after I’d explained Dawn’s problem with making friends. ‘We’ve got a new girl arriving in school on Monday, Natasha, and she will be in Dawn’s class. I’ll speak to Dawn today and I’ll ask her if she’d like to be Natasha’s “buddy”. We usually team up anyone new with another student for the first few weeks. The
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