Mr Pope’s Diaries

by Patrick O’Connor

“YOU’LL never guess who I’ve just seen?”

Dave guessed that, by the sound of Nathan’s voice on the phone, he wouldn’t be able to guess.

In fact, Nathan didn’t even wait for Dave to answer before he told him.

“Popey, I’ve just seen Mr Pope, going into the library.”

Mr Pope was Nathan’s old maths teacher. When he was at school –which was over 10 years ago now - Nathan hated maths. But he hated Mr Pope even more.

Nathan was always whinging about being given poor marks in maths, about being picked on by the teacher, about always ending up in a detention supervised by Mr Pope.

On their last day of school Nathan raced out of the gates, turned round and looked back at the premises before screaming at the top of his voice: “Sod off Popey!!”

“Dave mate, I’ve got a great idea, I’ll get back to you,” gasped Nathan before ending the phone call.

Dave was frankly gobsmacked by Nathan’s crazy plan but as so often in their friendship, he shrugged his shoulders and went along with it. They had been pals since they were 10 but Nathan, as well as being physically much bigger and much better looking, was always the dominant one and always got his own way. Dave was never strong enough to resist.

“I just want to get my own back on the old bastard, give him a taste of his own medicine,” said Nathan when they met up later.

Dave looked worried but Nathan tried to reassure him: “Nothing too heavy, it’s just a bit of a laugh.”

Apparently Nathan had waited outside the library and then followed Mr Pope home so he could find out where he lived.

He then got on to his computer and quickly knocked up a very official looking invitation to a fictitious school reunion and posted it to Mr Pope.

The next part of his plan was made possible by the fact that Nathan worked at an estate agent’s who had just come into possession of a former community hall which was due  to be demolished to make way for housing.

It was still in a reasonable state and Nathan was able to get hold of the keys, thus providing the perfect venue for the ‘reunion’.

“We’ll bung some bunting up to make it look real,” said Nathan

“And then what?” asked Dave. “What happen when he turns up – if he turns up at all.”

Nathan was a bit vague about this part, except to say that he planned to give Mr Pope a piece of his mind.

“If he doesn’t turn up, then I’ll think of something else. It’s been on my mind for years.”

“What has?”queried Dave.

“Payback time.”

 

THE sound of ‘Say My Name’ by Destiny’s Child echoed around the empty hall. There was the odd bit of tatty furniture scattered about and Nathan had erected some rather feeble looking bunting.

 

Dave was curious as to why Nathan had brought his sound system.

“To provide some party atmosphere. He might find it strange there’s only one car in the car park but the music will indicate there’s someone inside,” said Nathan.

Moments later the door creaked open and Mr Pope hesitantly peered inside.

He was a small man, only about 5ft 5in tall, in his late 60s, bespectacled, but with a full crop of silvery hair, and just the beginnings of a slight hump.

“Oh hello, is this where the reunion is taking place, have I got the right place?” he said in a rather timid, low-key voice that they could hardly hear.

He moved towards them and Dave noticed a flash of recognition cross his face when he spotted Nathan.

“Mr Pope, nice to see you,” smiled Nathan, who at 6ft towered above the newcomer.

Dave felt a flutter of unease trickle through his stomach. A few minutes of polite chit-chat followed but with nobody else venturing through the door, Mr Pope soon began to look anxious.

“Is anyone else coming?” he asked.

“Oh for God’s sake tell him Nathan, this has gone far enough,” said Dave.

Mr Pope looked to Nathan.

“There’s no reunion, you daft prat. But now that you’ve turned up you’re going to have a stay a while,” said Nathan.

“Stay a while, I don’t understand.”

“This, this is your detention,” Nathan growled.

“Detention?”

“Don’t you remember me? Nathan Eldridge, form 5C maths, you were always picking on me, now it’s my turn.”

“Yes, I remember you.”

“What about Dave here?” asked Nathan.

“Err, no, I can’t recall your friend I’m afraid.”

“That doesn’t surprise me, it was only me you had it in for. Haven’t you brought anything with you?” asked Nathan.

“What? Brought what?” replied Mr Pope.

“I don’t know, pictures, notebooks, anything, the invitation said bring memorabilia. I’m curious about your recollections of that time. We all have memories of our school days don’t we, I just wanted to get an idea of yours.”

“No, I didn’t, I haven’t”.

Nathan grabbed hold of the old man by his lapels and thrust him down onto a chair. Dave was surprised by the sudden violence but before he could say anything, Nathan began searching Mr Pope’s pockets and emerged with a pair of keys.

“These to your place?”

A startled Mr Pope nodded.

“Anybody there?

“No, my wife died last year.”

Dave interrupted: “Nathan what are you doing, this is getting silly.”

Nathan ignored him and marched towards the door. Looking back over his shoulder, he shouted: “Keep an eye on him until I get back. And Dave, don’t let him leave!”

Dave yelled out “wait” but his pal had gone.

 

IN the hour before Nathan returned, Mr Pope constantly pleaded for his release but Dave stood, arms firmly crossed, in front of Mr Pope, and just shook his head.

 

He knew matters had got out of hand but was reluctant to upset Nathan.

Then Nathan returned, with a smirk on his face and clutching four leather bound diaries.

“Guess what I’ve got.”

Mr Pope rushed off the chair and frantically tried to retrieve the diaries but was pushed backwards by Nathan.

“What are they? “ asked Dave.

“These, mate, are Mr Pope’s very private memories of our school days or to be more precise, my school days.”

“No, that’s not right, you’ve got it all wrong, you don’t understand,” said Mr Pope, arms outstretched in a pathetic looking attempt to persuade Nathan to let him have the diaries.

“Found these hidden away in a drawer in the back bedroom. Just listen to this entry Dave: ‘The boy is so beautiful, so graceful, I am in awe of him. Can’t stop looking at him. I dream about him every night. I daren’t say anything to Grace.”

Dave looked at Mr Pope who whispered sheepishly: “My wife.”

“Nathan, don’t, this isn’t right,” said Dave.

“ ‘It is an all-consuming passion, it is the most genuine feeling I have ever encountered’”, continued Nathan. “This is so sick, I’m going to puke. “

Mr Pope cast a worried glance towards Dave and pleaded: “Please let me explain.”

“Explain what, you dirty perv, you’re a sick paedo, I ought to take this straight to the coppers, get you locked up,” shouted Nathan who was by now quite flushed. Mr Pope made another move towards the diaries.

“Sit down you poof!” Nathan ordered.

Mr Pope returned to his chair.

Dave butted in: “I’ve had enough of this Nathan, you’ve had your fun, now let the old guy go. He’s harmless.”

“Harmless! You call all this stuff harmless.”

“That’s it I’m off, I’m having nothing more to do with it. “ At that Dave ran out of the room.

Mr Pope’s eyes followed him, desperately seeking some assistance.

For a moment the room was deadly silent and the two men stared at each other.

“What I don’t understand is if you had the hots for me that much, why the poor marks, why all the hassle, why the detention?” asked Nathan.

Mr Pope seemed to regain some poise and when he spoke, he was a lot more composed.

“I know it’s a bit of shock for you but you were never ever meant to read those diaries. They were private, nobody has seen them. I should have destroyed them.”

Mr Pope’s calm demeanour seemed to make Nathan even angrier. “No, I’m sure wifey would have blown a gasket if she’d have clapped eyes on them,” he screamed.

“Please let me explain. I was a happily married man and a very conscientious teacher. But then you came into my life. No-one was more shocked than me at the impact your presence made on me. It wasn’t as if I was interested in boys, it was just you Nathan, nobody else.  Please believe me when I say that it wasn’t dirty, it wasn’t perverted, I’m not a paedophile, you were nearly 16.”

Nathan grabbed hold of Mr Pope’s jacket by the lapels and glared ferociously at him.

His former teacher stared directly at him and with even more confident tone said: “I made no attempt nor would I have done, to have any sort of physical relationship with you.  Did I?

Nathan was wild-eyed with fury. “Did I?”asked Mr Pope again.

Nathan realised his grip. “So what, you got your sick kicks out of treating me like some sort of dunce?”

“Nathan I was in turmoil. Yes, I admit there were desires but I fought them by being extra harsh on you.”

Nathan laughed scornfully. “Harsh, that’s putting it mildly. You were always on at me, always giving me hassle. So why all the detentions?”

“My dear boy, I have no defence for that, I was just indulging myself. I put you in detention on the slightest pretence just so that I could gaze on you a little longer. I’m so very, very sorry.

“It was inappropriate behaviour, utterly unprofessional. But I also knew that once you left school there was no way I would have pursued you. I couldn’t do that to Grace. Once you left school I put it all behind me, never to be revisited.”

“So why are you here then? Why come to the reunion? “ glared Nathan.

“Okay, okay, I thought about you every now and then over the years, I couldn’t help it, probably more so after Grace died. But I would never have done anything about it, never sought you out. But then the invitation arrived and my heart leapt a thousand miles.”

Nathan spat out: “You sick bastard.”

“When the invitation came, I couldn’t resist it. Of course I didn’t know if you would be here but I had to come, the chance to see you again was too much to resist.”

At this moment, Mr Pope stretched out his hand and gently stroked Nathan’s arm.

 

THE room continued to be silent, but in the background the sound of the police siren grew in intensity.

 

When Dave entered with the two uniformed police officers, Nathan was sitting on the floor cradling Mr Pope in his arms, his lifeless face a mangled, blood covered mess.

“Nathan for God’s sake, what have you done?”

Nathan had tears trickling down his face. He looked up and sobbed: “He said he loved me….”

© Patrick O’Connor 2010