Highland Whirl by Anna Larner

Author:Anna Larner [Larner, Anna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781635558937
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2021-12-01T23:12:59+00:00

Chapter Nine

Thank you, everyone. Settle down now.” Alice held her arms out with her palms pressed flat, and she slowly moved them up and down, softening and stilling the excited chatter. Roxanne’s impression of the Monarch of the Glen’s mating call had triggered an eruption of laughter and excitement amongst the class of young children, so much so they were literally rolling around the hall floor in delight.

How everything about the space felt so different from last night. Where there had been shade, and worry, and sadness, there was now light and laughter and fun. It was fair to say the teaching assistant was a hit.

“Thank you, Roxanne.” Roxanne sat back on the stage next to Alice and dangled her feet off its edge. Roxanne looked up and beamed her a smile. Alice quickly steadied herself. They were not up a hill or in the croft—this was her place of work. She was the professional responsible for delivering a worthwhile learning experience. So why on earth was she feeling like an excited teenager full of raging hormones, having met someone affecting and special? She must concentrate.

She returned her pen to the pad on the flip chart and pointed several times to the next bullet point on her list. “Okay, we have red deer in our woods. What other creatures might you find?”

Roxanne raised her hand in an urgent manner, causing the children to erupt again in laughter. Alice ignored her.

A young girl with tight braids gingerly raised her hand. “Yes, Aileen,” Alice said, “do you have a suggestion for us?”

“A squirrel, Miss Campbell.”

“Yes, that’s right, the red squirrel. The red squirrel is native to the Highlands. It is endangered in the rest of the United Kingdom because of the dominance of the non-native American grey squirrel. So we must be vigilant and care and protect them, mustn’t we?”

A united and very sweet “Aye” floated up to the stage from the obedient faces staring up at them.

A lad with tufty hair and one collar turned up beneath his school jumper shouted out, “Golden eagle.”

“Yes, now, what a special bird. And what do eagles like to eat?”

Aileen raised her hand again and called out, “Fish.”

“That’s right. One of their favourite treats is salmon. And they like to nest in the cover of our hillsides and swoop down to feed from the loch. It is the perfect home for them. Now”—Alice flipped over her paper—“tell me, can you think of another animal who has made Newland its home?”

Roxanne raised her hand again. The class pointed to Roxanne. Annoyingly, this made it difficult for Alice to ignore her.

“Yes, Roxanne.” Alice hoped her fixed stare would help manage Roxanne’s answer. It was wishful thinking.

“Tyrannosaurus Rex.” Roxanne proceeded to raise her hands in a small-claws gesture and began to roar. The class screamed with pleasure and began to repeat Roxanne’s impression. It was Jurassic Park on speed.

It took a further five minutes for the prehistoric excitement to settle and for Alice to then bring the lesson to a close.

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