2 Sept 2012

The One Where I Jumped off a Cliff...(Metaphorically like!)

My friends and I at St.George's secondary school
 Don't you love telling stories and reminiscing?
This summer I got to hang out with my family and an aunt who I hadn't seen for decades nor ever really spoken to and so we loved telling stories and learning about each other.
So this month Sian's theme is too cool for school and it made me think of this random story...
Are we sitting comfortably? I will begin...

Throughout Primary and Secondary school I was friends with two sets of twins, I think it is true to say that you can tell which twin is oldest and youngest by their personalities and one is always the 'crazy' one. Naturally, being me, I was drawn to the crazier one in both sets of twins.
Which brings me to my story...
Kim (one of the twins) was quite mischievous and it seems that whenever we are together we end up causing some kind of trouble. We were in the same class together in Year 4, which makes us about 8 at the time of this little episode. We were lined up waiting for lunch.

Those who know me now will know two things about me:
1) I am criminally impatient
2) I love my food

As this story will attest neither of the above have changed much since I was little.
We were getting antsy as it was chips day and we wanted some. We had a rule at our school that you had to queue up outside of your classroom and the dinner lady would come and collect you for your sitting of lunch.
So Kim dared me to shout - "come on Aldren!"
Now MRS Aldren was the fiercest of all of the dinner ladies. She was HEAD dinner lady. She was a scarier version of Mrs Bucket from the popular UK comedy Keeping up Appearances.  She valued good old fashioned manners - like please and thank-you and waiting your turn.
This was a very risky dare.
This dare came with terrible consequences.
Therefore it was too tempting and I went ahead and hollered - "COME ON ALDREN!" Just as she rounded the classroom corner and I was caught red faced, in the very act of addressing the HEAD dinner lady rather rudely. I hadn't even said *PLEASE*!
Now my memory at this point goes hazy and it ends up with me sat in tears at the deputy head's table with my plate of fish and chips in front of me and a lot of explaining to do.
He asked the silly question of why I had done it.
Through snot and tears I stammered,
"Because K-k-k-kim told me to."
"Now Melanie if Kim asked you to put your chips in that bin over there would you?"
"N-n-n-oooo!" I was horrified at the suggestion.
"Why not?" Cue smug teacher face.
"Because I like chips!"
Such simple childlike logic.

I do remember that Kim was getting a similar grilling and had to write a letter apologising, which went like this:

Dear Mrs Aldren,

I'm really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really sorry.

Love,
Kimberley

Methinks the lady doth protest too much.

Here is a picture of us taken earlier this year - I have clearly now forgiven here for leading me astray!


Linking up to Sian's storytelling Sunday

15 comments:

  1. Great story and I love the imagery, you are very good at it, which is good as you are clearly quite naughty really :D

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  2. Okay, this story has to win the title of most intriguing title this month - and you definitely jumped off a cliff! This had me laughing out loud and I always think it's a sure sign of a great story when it triggers another memory..you have reminded me of the time I had to stand on the stage evry lunchtime for a week as punishment for too much talking..

    A terrific story. Thanks Mel!

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  3. This is a really interesting story. First, hard to imagine having two sets of twins at one's school, especially if they looked alike. And that one of those twins could lead you astray... The embarrassment of having to sit at the deputy head's table. That you are still friends! Only joking, such lovely photographs of you all. Irene

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  4. I love your answer to your HT! Lovely story
    Alison xx

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  5. Such a great story! You told it so well I could almost picture you all. Loooooved it!!! Thanks for sharing the story with your layouts!

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  6. lol! a great story and it reminds me of my middle son who would have said...i had to do it...a dare's a dare!

    super layout too. Thanks for your comment on my story today...i don't like salmon either, so i never buy or cook it...which may be the reason ds1 doesn't know what it is lol!

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  7. I love how you describe the event. "Through snot and tears" really played a picture in my mind. Thanks for your lovely story and the laugh it gave me.

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  8. LOL! Those dares seem like great fun until you get caught out don't they?! Great story and how lovely that you still know each other.

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  9. Oh how fun that you are still friends - through snot and tears was such a great line :)

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  10. I'm imagining soggy chips...but that was probably the least of your worries that day!

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  11. It is lovely that you are still friends. I love the sort of things kids egg each other on to do.

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  12. Ahhh the power of our mischievous friends lol

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  13. How funny! I got into trouble at school too, but mostly for chatting in classes. I remember a note I was writing to a friend being read out to the class - embarrassing, but thankfully we had the sense to write in code words so it didn't make much sense to most people! I was too scared to do dares! x

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  14. Ha ha, I love your line of 'But I like chips'. Working in school myself I would be horrified if a child shouted that out at me too......I was more sly at school and never got caught....except for talking too much.

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