Unwanted child - страница 6

There was a sports room, where there were children's exercise machines, a football and fighting ground. In this room, children were deliberately provoked into conflicts in order to identify their leadership skills, team spirit, stress resistance and other useful qualities.

A low platform was erected near the entrance to the Education Centre for the first school day. On it, the presenter, teachers, director and older children who have been in the institution for at least one year performed. Thus, demonstrating what they have already learnt from teachers and coaches. As the holiday was not only for new students, senior students, there were a lot of people gathered. All of them watched the festive show, which consisted of dancing, singing and handicrafts.

Lars, a little tipsy because he had had a couple of beers before going out, stood emotionlessly in the centre of the crowd with his son, glancing around every now and then. Theodore held his father's hand tightly, seeing almost nothing but the backs of the people ahead of him. Caring fathers put their children on their shoulders so that they could see the performance better. But Lars was not such a father. He stood silently among the other people, as if serving a punishment for his misdemeanours.

One of the last numbers was a children's song. Many people were amazed at how the children, who had studied only a year or two at the education centre, had already learned to sing, hitting the notes exactly and feeling the rhythm. Not so long ago, they could not even speak. However, nothing so humbles and amuses the gathered mums and dads as the successes of young talents. Naturally, those children who had a certain talent for music and dance performed. In all probability, these children will go on to study vocal art and play some musical instruments. The song ended to great applause from the audience. In the middle stood the vocal teacher, and on the sides of him, holding each other by the hands of children of different ages. All of them, at the signal of their teacher made a simultaneous bow to the audience, which prompted the audience to clap even more fiercely and louder to support the little artists.

After the performance, the CEC headmistress came on stage again. She was dressed in a bright luscious pink bouffant dress. Taking the microphone on the stand, the headmistress thanked the children who had performed and invited the parents for a short tour of the educational centre where their little ones would be studying for the next three years.

After entering the main door of the CEC, the tour group found itself in the main hall, to the left and right of which were administrative and training rooms. In the middle of the hall was an escalator leading to the upper floors. It was unusual in that it worked in two directions, switching automatically depending on the time. For example, now the time was 10-00, and it was moving upwards. And at 10-30 its direction changed and the steps started moving in the opposite direction. The escalator itself was fenced on all sides with protective glass fences so that kids could not get on it without being accompanied by adults.

Headmistress: ‘This is the main corridor to get to any classroom. Mine, is at the very beginning. It's right here. And just beyond that is the teachers' lounge area. The toilets are at the end of the corridor.’