Unwanted child - стр. 13

There was a short silence. The headmistress finished filling out some paperwork and took her attention away from them and continued to answer the question: ‘From tomorrow, Theodore and his other classmates will start their first day of school. We always advise parents to support the baby in the first week and attend his first classes, at least for a while.’

Lars (emphatically): ‘I think there's no need for that. He can manage on his own.’

Headmistress: ‘Again, it's up to you. You are his father. We are only giving advice. As the boy will have to face a new society, hitherto unfamiliar to him. Therefore, certain changes may occur. Both psychological and…’

Lars: ‘Do you have psychologists?’

Headmistress: ‘Yes, of course.’

Lars: ‘Well, there you go. Then they will do their job in case of such changes.’

The headmistress looked regretfully at Theodore, who was sitting on a chair next to his father and wiggling his legs back and forth, looking at the books.

Headmistress: ‘Okay, I understand you. Then sign here and here. And you are free to go. We'll be expecting you tomorrow at 9:00.

Lars signed the papers handed to him by the headmistress and lifted his son from his chair and said goodbye. The boy paused for a moment and turned to the woman sitting at the table and waved his little hand at her. She smiled and waved back at him. The father tugged his son's hand and they walked away from the room.

The next day came. Early in the morning, the parents took the children to the Children's Education Centre. Some on foot, some by car. Every now and then the transport stopped near the entrance to the educational institution, dropping off the little passengers with their mothers and fathers at its doors. The Davels approached the building of the CEC. The door was swinging open as back and forth parents entered and exited. Theodore's father was in a remarkably good mood, believing he was finally rid of the cursed child for most of the day. The Davels equalled the other boy and the man. The child looked fearfully towards the CEC, unsure of what to expect from this new place. His father held his back as if to encourage him to take that step forward. The man bent down and whispered in the baby's ear, ‘It's going to be okay. We're going to go in there together and see what's going on!’

The child smiled in response to his words and moved forward confidently, scrambling up the small ladder leading to the entrance with eagerness and unintelligible sounds. Theodore smiled as he saw the way his peer was rushing to get into the building. Lars pulled his hand out of his son's small palm. So much so that he lost his balance from surprise and fell to the pavement. After which the man said: ‘That's it, go. You know the way. We were here yesterday.’ Lars turned his back on his son and silently headed in the opposite direction, leaving the child alone. Theodore, dressed in a grey summer jumpsuit at first, didn't understand what had happened and looked at his father with bewilderment, who soon disappeared from sight. Parents of other children passing by him began to pay attention to the child and stop with questions: ‘Whose boy are you? Where are your parents? Are you here alone?’