Read Online A Silver Lining by Christine Murray - Free Book Online
Authors: Christine Murray
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her students, whereas Sally just wasn’t. Frankie extended her up-to-the-minute style to her teaching methods, bringing in DVD’s of cult television shows dubbed in German to encourage her students to develop an ear for the language. Because many of them were familiar with the storylines, they managed to follow a good proportion of the dialogue. With the senior students she introduced German soap operas. Sally Richards disapproved of her methods, but as Frankie’s classes managed to get decent grades on average (meaning that a large proportion of them passed) there was little she could say or do. She made up for this, however, by managing to make Frankie’s life as difficult as possible.
‘What’s the old bat done now?’
Frankie sighed. ‘She doesn’t think it’s appropriate that I allow third years to watch a sitcom with an age certificate of 15 because two of my students won’t be fifteen until the summer. It’s ridiculous!’
‘You’re joking? Sure, half of the class see worse when they’re drinking on the green! I mean, one of your students is pregnant . What does she think will happen? That their parents are going to call the schools in droves, complaining that their darlings are being corrupted?!’ asked Rose incredulously.
‘I don’t know, but she has a point. I don’t have a leg to stand on,’ said Frankie. ‘She said if the parents gave them written permission then they could watch it.’
‘Would you think about doing that?’ asked Rose.
Frankie shook her head slowly. ‘No. It just wouldn’t work. The girls like the fact that I treat them as adults, as much as I can. Asking them to get written permission to watch one episode of Gossip Girl in German per week would undermine that. You know yourself, if you gain their trust then break it they’ll make your classes hell. I’ll have to find something that cow can’t find fault with. God, there’s something about strip lighting and old linoleum flooring that make me long for a cigarette’.
‘There’s something about that last sentence that makes your life sound like a sequel to Trainspotting,’ said Rose.
‘Me? I’m as good as gold me. You’re the one who’s just moved in with an out of work actor boyfriend, that’s much more exciting. Nana Anna is great, but people don’t exactly envy me living with her.’
Rose wasn’t so sure about that. Nana Anna was in her early seventies and, despite problems with her hip, refused point blank to go anywhere in shoes with less than a three inch heel. She smoked like a chimney, so her and Frankie had lived together in a companionable cloud of smoke with their two cats, Badger and Florence, for the past ten years. Nana Anna loved television, and claimed that anything made less than twenty years ago was ‘new-fangled rubbish.’ Luckily, she’d taped lots of shows over the past thirty years and watched them on her ancient VCR, or watched classic DVD box sets that she got from her grandkids for birthdays and Christmas. She’d recently discovered the joys of UKTV Gold. Rose hoped to be half as interesting when she was that age.
‘Are you going home to London anytime soon?’ Rose asked offhandedly.
Frankie rolled her eyes. ‘I’ve lived here, for like, ten years. This is home now.’
Rose waved a hand impatiently. ‘Yeah, whatever. Anyway, are you going over to visit your parents soon?’
‘I might go for the Easter break. They’ll actually be in Nice then, so I’ll visit them there. That way I can see them and Dad’s family at the same time.’
‘That’s sounds lovely,’ said Rose wistfully. ‘Can I come too?’
‘You’re more than welcome to. Except then you might have to meet my mother.’
Rose ordered another coffee. ‘Come on Frankie, she can’t be that bad’
‘If I had a cigarette this is the point where I would take a long drag and look at you in a cool and appraising manner’, said Frankie.
‘I’ll never understand why when you have to narrate your
‘What’s the old bat done now?’
Frankie sighed. ‘She doesn’t think it’s appropriate that I allow third years to watch a sitcom with an age certificate of 15 because two of my students won’t be fifteen until the summer. It’s ridiculous!’
‘You’re joking? Sure, half of the class see worse when they’re drinking on the green! I mean, one of your students is pregnant . What does she think will happen? That their parents are going to call the schools in droves, complaining that their darlings are being corrupted?!’ asked Rose incredulously.
‘I don’t know, but she has a point. I don’t have a leg to stand on,’ said Frankie. ‘She said if the parents gave them written permission then they could watch it.’
‘Would you think about doing that?’ asked Rose.
Frankie shook her head slowly. ‘No. It just wouldn’t work. The girls like the fact that I treat them as adults, as much as I can. Asking them to get written permission to watch one episode of Gossip Girl in German per week would undermine that. You know yourself, if you gain their trust then break it they’ll make your classes hell. I’ll have to find something that cow can’t find fault with. God, there’s something about strip lighting and old linoleum flooring that make me long for a cigarette’.
‘There’s something about that last sentence that makes your life sound like a sequel to Trainspotting,’ said Rose.
‘Me? I’m as good as gold me. You’re the one who’s just moved in with an out of work actor boyfriend, that’s much more exciting. Nana Anna is great, but people don’t exactly envy me living with her.’
Rose wasn’t so sure about that. Nana Anna was in her early seventies and, despite problems with her hip, refused point blank to go anywhere in shoes with less than a three inch heel. She smoked like a chimney, so her and Frankie had lived together in a companionable cloud of smoke with their two cats, Badger and Florence, for the past ten years. Nana Anna loved television, and claimed that anything made less than twenty years ago was ‘new-fangled rubbish.’ Luckily, she’d taped lots of shows over the past thirty years and watched them on her ancient VCR, or watched classic DVD box sets that she got from her grandkids for birthdays and Christmas. She’d recently discovered the joys of UKTV Gold. Rose hoped to be half as interesting when she was that age.
‘Are you going home to London anytime soon?’ Rose asked offhandedly.
Frankie rolled her eyes. ‘I’ve lived here, for like, ten years. This is home now.’
Rose waved a hand impatiently. ‘Yeah, whatever. Anyway, are you going over to visit your parents soon?’
‘I might go for the Easter break. They’ll actually be in Nice then, so I’ll visit them there. That way I can see them and Dad’s family at the same time.’
‘That’s sounds lovely,’ said Rose wistfully. ‘Can I come too?’
‘You’re more than welcome to. Except then you might have to meet my mother.’
Rose ordered another coffee. ‘Come on Frankie, she can’t be that bad’
‘If I had a cigarette this is the point where I would take a long drag and look at you in a cool and appraising manner’, said Frankie.
‘I’ll never understand why when you have to narrate your
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