Chalk Dust & Broomsticks, Chapter 10

Primrose Primary School is officially opened, marked by the release of 500 blue balloons.

Chapter 10- Blue Balloons and Blast-Off

It took a long time for Miss Pink to get all the Nursery children back across to the Nursery building, after the fiasco in the hall that day. Once they were settled, she went into the Nursery kitchen to make a cup of tea and calm herself down. While she was waiting for the kettle to boil, she heard the telephone in her office ringing. Quickly she went to answer it.

"Can I speak to the Head Teacher please?" said a cheerful voice.

Miss Pink explained, without going into too much detail, that the Head Teacher was currently unavailable. "Can I take a message, or ask her to ring back?"

"Yes, please. My name is Alex, and she knows the number."

Miss Pink's heart skipped a beat. She touched the drawer of her desk. Inside was the mysterious letter, addressed to Althea and signed 'Alex'. Curiosity had forced Miss Pink to read it, and now that she knew what the words said, she couldn't simply hand it back. The future of the school depended on her silence--and on her being very, very careful.
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The Spell Prep

Two weeks into October, a consignment of five hundred blue balloons arrived at Primrose Primary. They were for the official opening of the new amalgamated school, to be marked by reporters, a local MP cutting the ribbon, and a mass balloon release. The children were ecstatic.

Upstairs in her cozy cottage at Woodend, Shirley prepared. This was her special room, filled with shelves of glass fish bowls containing such natural forms as shells, feathers, rose petals, and pinecones. She reached up and took down a blue balloon and some coloured stardust. Next, she took down her hazel wand.

Her three black cats, Sparkle, Little Mo, and the greedy, bow-tied male, Bast, watched her, purring. They helped with her spells. When Shirley cast her magic circle, she always made sure her three adorable familiars were safely inside. This balloon, she thought, would carry a message far more potent than the ones the children wrote.

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The Laughing Gas Mutiny

Gerald, the school caretaker, who lived in the caretaker's house, next door to the school, had a shady past and an enormous bunch of keys. The headteacher had a similar bunch of keys but hers lacked a key to the boiler house. Therefore, in the unlikely event that she needed to go into the boiler house, she had to ask Gerald to let her in. The school keys were kept in the headteacher's office, but Gerald wore his on his belt and could be heard coming down the corridors long before he arrived where he was going.

Gerald could always be relied upon to get things cheaply. He had purloined canisters of gas to fill the balloons for the Grand Opening and stored them in a spare classroom.

On the morning of the big day, Dora, some parent volunteers, and a dignified member of the Governing Body set about filling the blue balloons. The gas canisters were old stock, and a slow leak was soon underway. This caused the ladies to start giggling, their voices turning into high-pitched, Donald Duck quacks.

Althea, patrolling the corridors, stopped outside the spare classroom and peered in. What she saw were the ladies acting drunk, laughing and rolling about amongst a bright blue sea of balloons.

Althea slammed the door open. "What is going on in here?!" she demanded.
"Ah ha ha ha ah ha ha," giggled Dora, her voice squeaking. "We're blowing up balloonoohoonzzz, ahh ha ha ha." She couldn't stop laughing. Balloons were whizzing about in all directions.

"Yes, Althea, ha ha ha ha, we've nearly finished!" chirped the usually dignified Governor. "Only we can't stop laughing, ha ha ha ha ha hee hee."

Althea, her face like thunder, insisted they come to their senses. Tears of laughter were streaming down the faces of the volunteers. Then, miraculously, Althea started to smile herself. Quickly, she turned and left, closing the door behind her. They're all mad! she thought.

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Lift-Off

That afternoon, the Grand Opening took place. The helium-filled blue balloons were brought out and secured under a net in the playground, ready to be released by the local MP.

Mrs. Morgan, the MP, a Governor, and Althea walked into the playground. Parents clapped loudly.

"The children have been writing messages to send away with the balloons," said Althea. "We are hoping that some will travel a very long way and spread the news about our new school."

Mrs. Morgan stepped forward, made a short speech, and used scissors to cut the ribbon. Ooo's and ahh's from the children sent the balloons on their way, the little message cards fluttering like butterflies.

Althea had been standing among the balloons when the ribbon was cut. Some of the cords became caught around her arms. This, coupled with a sudden gust of gigantic proportions, caused Althea to be hoisted into the air. Her legs dangled beneath her as she was whisked right up before being dropped a few seconds later onto the roof of the boiler house.

"My God," said Mrs. Van Gogh, "Did you see that?"

Cameras were clicking away, capturing Althea's utterly undignified landing, legs akimbo, either side of a chimney pot.

The smallest child in the Reception Class was the only one to see Shirley clicking her fingers just before Althea "took off."

"How do you do that?" the child asked.

"I'll show you tomorrow," replied Shirley, the corners of her mouth turning ever so slightly upwards.

"She'll be furious when she gets down," someone else said, hiding their giggles behind a handkerchief.

"Fetch Gerald!" others shouted. "Fetch the caretaker! Gerald, Gerald, Gerald!"

Two days later, a blue balloon came to rest in a market in Marrakesh, the very place where Althea had purchased her exotic perfume. Tied to the blue balloon was a small ticket which read: "A. Gardner, Langwich, England."

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