All Snot What It Seems

I sat at the desk. Quiet now. Mr Walsh looked back at me. I was crying very hard. I was very ashamed. He could of course, see I was crying and stood up and crossed over to me. He reached into his pocket and gave me his handkerchief. It was ironed and folded neatly. “Stealing has consequences, Mr Dwyer. The sooner you learn that the better.” He said calmly. “I need you to think about them”. He stood beside and then gestured to leave the room. “I will speak with you this afternoon after class. Right now. Go and wash your face, the lunch break will soon be over. And a small suggestion, when you wash your face, don’t rub your eyes. It makes them red. Pat them dry.” He looked out to the playground. “Then go outside until the bell. Do not wait inside till class starts again.” He returned to his desk and sat down, looking out to the playground. I stood up from my desk and walked out the room. Blubbering, but trying to get some control. Still unsure of what was to come, by way of a punishment.

I went towards the toilets to wash my face as suggested. Then my nose already clogged needed blowing. I only had the handkerchief. Mr Walsh’s handkerchief. What do you do in that circumstance? What is the etiquette? Do I use his handkerchief to blow my nose? Filling it with my nasal slime and excretions. He gave it to me for a reason, but one would suppose it would be to simply wipe away the tears. Pat away, not wipe, as he said that makes your eyes red. Was I now to honk a blast of snot into it to clear my nose? Logically, it must have been a possibility when he gave it to me. I decided to hold my nose until I got to the toilet. That was a worse idea, as no sooner did I have to take a breath then I coughed. Snot sprayed out from my nose all over my hand and face. I was now leaking sticky slime as I made my way into the toilets.

When I exited, somewhat cleaner about the face, and with eyes that felt hot and red, although Mr Walsh’s suggestion of patting the eyes was good advice. I cautiously made my way out into the playground, feeling as if everyone was looking at me. Wondering if the word of why I had been spoken to by Mr Walsh, had already made it way around the grounds. There was no hiding from the guilt I felt. I waited off to the side of the school-rooms, looking about carefully to see what other students reactions would be to the report. Yet, Mr Walsh had said that the money belonging to ‘E’ and ‘K’ had been found and returned, so no-one would really know I was the person who took it? I was definitely still confused. There was more to come from Mr Walsh this afternoon but, in the meantime, I would have to sit through the afternoon class with this heavy guilt and now fear of the other students reaction.

(Continued tomorrow)