Your Change is Coming Page 9

through reading lecture notes and the Children Act. Naomi work experience in practice was limited and brief. She got her job quickly with Ashworth District Council due to her qualifications and work placement and the shortage of social workers. Jill opened the door unexcitedly greeting her sister.

  "I thought you were working today, Naomi," announced Jill.

  "They gave me the afternoon off. I have been knocking on your door for ages. Didn't you hear me, Jill," said Naomi.

  "No, I was too busy on the phone to Jeff."

  "That explains it."

  "How long have you being knocking, dear?"

  "I have been knocking your door for a long time and what is wrong with you, sis," enquired Naomi.

  "Nothing is wrong with me, why?"

  "You wearing your cardigan inside out and you sound very miserable," grinned Naomi.

  "You haven't come here to gloat. Have you?"

  "Whatever gave you that idea?"

  "You have never really been in favour of Jayne attending a Lower Ashworth Secondary School. Have you, Naomi?"

  "It's up to you and Jeff to decide how to educate Jayne. It's none of my business."

  "Don't be so uptight."

  "I'm not."

  "Yes, you are, Naomi."

  "Why don't you make your point, Jill and stop being judgmental?"

  "I know we have our differences but we have both attended the Lower Ashworth Comprehensive School and we've done well for ourselves."

  "Not that again. I haven't come here to pick a fight with you, Jill."

  "Why have you come here then, Naomi?"

  "Can't I come to see my big sister?"

  "Yes, what's wrong, Naomi?"

  "I have been suspended from work until further investigation, "cried Naomi.

  "No way. What went wrong, love?"

  "I have messed up completely, Jill," sobbed Naomi.

  "What have you done, Naomi?"

  "A baby has died in my care."

  "How did that happen?"

  "I can't discuss the details of the case with you or with anyone."

  "Why, Naomi?"

  "It's all strictly confidential and I don't want to get you or myself into trouble with the authorities. Besides the panel made it clear to me that I should not speak to anyone regarding the case."

  "I don't care what the council had told you, Naomi. What did you do wrong?"

  "I was the lead social worker for baby G who died from non-accidental injuries and I failed in my duty to protect him. I feel absolutely gutted."

  "How dear, me. What are you going to do, Naomi?"

  "I can't fight this anymore, Jill. The evidence is stacked against me."

  "What will they do next?"

  "The Council will be forming an investigating panel to conduct a full inquiry into the death of the baby with no stones unturned. I'm finished, Jill. My career as a social worker is over."

  "No Naomi, you are not finished yet. I won't allow you to speak negatively in my house. There is still a lot of fighting left in you."

  "Social workers are treated like sacrificial lambs. They are led to the slaughter like your Jesus Christ was. The heads of social services will walk away scotch free. It's just not fair. Enough said about me, what wrong with you, Jill?"

  "Nothing is wrong with me, Naomi."

  "I have known you far too long to recognise that you look stressed. Has Jeff been playing away from home?"

  "No. You have never really approved of Jeff marrying me. Have you, Naomi?"

  "He is an unusual man. Isn't he?"

  "He collects fossils not women. Where is the harm in that?"

  "None whatsoever, is anything wrong with Jayne?"

  "Yes. Since you are suspended from work it is safe to say Jayne is pregnant."

  "Jayne is pregnant. You must be joking, Jill."

  "Yes, she is pregnant, Naomi."

  "She is far too young to be pregnant. Has Jeff been messing about with her?"

  Jill was annoyed by Naomi accusation of Jeff committing sexual abuse. For Naomi, Jeff doesn't fit into her concept of an ideal man for her sister.

  "How dear you suggest such a thing like that. He has never touched Jayne in any inappropriate manner or way. If he did I would divorce him before Bolt reached the finishing line."

  "I am just wearing my social worker hat on as I have read about numerous cases of sexual abuse within the family and we have never ruled out anyone in our inquiries."

  "You can rule out Jeff from of your inquiries."

  "Is a bump showing on Jayne?"

  "No."

  "Have you found a pregnancy test in the waste bin?"

  "No."

  "Have you spoken to Jayne about being pregnant?"

  "No."

  "How do you know she is pregnant then?"

  "I have just found out only by reading her emails today."

  "Did she say she was pregnant in her emails?"

  "Yes."

  "Do you know who and how old the father to be is?"

  "I don't know his age or how it had happened. He called himself by the name of Harry and he is a pupil at Lower Ashworth Secondary School."

  "I can't believe Jayne is pregnant. She is such a decent girl. There must be a mistake, Jill."

  "There is no mistake, Naomi. I have read her email and she is definitely pregnant."

  "Have you told Jeff?"

  "Not yet. He'll go crazy."

  "Sis, you need to contact him and confront Jayne. Her friends at school will have a full knowledge of this pregnancy."

  "I'll wait until she returns from school, Naomi."

  "Why wait. Let's us go to the school and take Jayne to McDonalds. At the school we can gently coach the answers out of her."

  "Can we first turn off the computer to reduce the ozone layers, Naomi?"

  "Okay Jill."

  They both went upstairs into the study and noticed Jayne school planner was resting on the computer desk. The planner was opened.

  "She had forgotten her planner," said Naomi.

  "She is such a dopey miss. She'll get a detention for forgetting her planner."

  "The planner is opened. Why don't we read it, Naomi?"

  Naomi lifted up the planner from the table and she passed it over to Jill who proceeded to read it out aloud.

  "Your assignment will be based on a teenager that is impregnated by a fictitious character called Harry."

  They both breathed a sigh of reliefs that Jayne's pregnancy was all fantasy. Jill hugged Naomi tightly forging an even stronger bond between the two sisters. Naomi had rediscovered the friendship of her sister. The planner brought them closer together. The renewed sisterhood and the negative outcome of Jayne's pregnancy reassured Naomi that she had a fighting chance to succeed against the disciplinary proceedings brought against her by the social services and with the loving support of her elder sister she had nothing to fear.

  There was a rattling sound of keys outside the front of the house which was heard by Jill and Naomi. It was Jayne. She opened the front door.

  "Why have you come home so early, Jayne?" said Naomi.

  Jayne's eyes were filled with tears. Her black eyeliner was smudged on her cheek bones.

  "Jesus! What has happened to you, Jayne?" asked Jill.

  "Have you fallout with your best friend?"

  "No mum and I don't want to talk about it. I hate school," cried Jayne.

  Jayne ran upstairs to her bedroom. Jill and Naomi followed her because Jayne was not her boisterous self. Something or someone had troubled her.

  "What wrong with you, Jayne?"

  "The Headmaster told me off for lying in the classroom. I hate him," cried Jayne.

  "Tell me more, Jayne."

  "Miss Hope is a bitch, mum. I hate her."

  "Why do you hate her, Jayne?"

  "Because she has accused me of doing something which I had never done and that Audrey Beckford is a grasser."

  "What did Audrey Beckford did?"

  "She told Miss Ho
pe I drew graffiti on the toilet walls."

  "Did you?"

  "Yes. So did Vicky, Kathy, Katie, Suzanne and Annie. Miss Hope ignored my side of the story. She is a big fat liar."

  "Did Audrey report the other girls to Miss Hope?"

  "No. She doesn't like me, mum. I'm the only one she reported to the Headmaster."

  "Never mind dear we'll see the Headmaster about this."

  Jill examined her closely and saw that Jayne was very upset. She was absolutely angry with the Headmaster.

  Jayne's eyes were still filled with tears as she conversed with her mum.

  "The Headmaster refused to believe me, mum. I was telling him the truth, mum. The other girls were involved too."

  A primary school photograph of Jayne fell out of her trouser pocket. Jill was stunned by the revelation of the photo whilst Naomi silently stared at it. It was a picture of Jayne taken whilst she was going to Lower Ashworth Primary school.

  "Where on earth did you get this photo from sweetie?" said Jill.

  "I found it" and "It's my photograph," argued Jayne.

  Jayne became increasing more agitated by her mother and her aunt persistently questioning her about the picture.

  "Where did you find it, Jayne?"

  "I told you before. I found it, mum." Jayne said irritably.

  Twelve

  She knew Jayne wasn't telling the whole truth because Jayne couldn't keep a straight face.

  "For the last time, Jayne, where did you find it?

  Jayne hesitated in her response to her mum and eventually said when pressed, "I found the photo inside of Mr. Bates wallet."

  "Mum, what is Mr. Bates doing with my picture?"

  "It has nothing to do with you, Jayne," Jill said harshly.

  "It has everything to do with me, mum. It's my picture."

  Naomi looked shocked. She was amazed that a complete stranger had kept a picture of Jayne for a number of years. Naomi thought Mr. Bates must be a child molester. Jill shouted, "Hand over the photo to me, Jayne."

  "Okay mum. But it's mine not yours."

  "Is there something you want to tell Jayne and myself?"

  "I will reveal all to you in due course, Naomi. Let us go to the school, Jayne."

  "No mum. My hair is horrible. I