Part 9 (2/2)
Whoops and backslapping, fists pumped in the air. Paula's face flushed beneath a s.h.i.+ning lamina of sweat.
”Good work.” Tony raised his thumb, nodding to Josh as well as Paula. ”Well done, team. So, let's sit down for the wrap-up.”
The delegates had filled in their online feedback forms after the afternoon break, when they were relaxed, not rus.h.i.+ng to get home. Tony was a professional, and knew exactly how to direct corporate training.
”So.” He spoke as they took their seats, and a list of checked-off bullet-points appeared on the wallscreen. ”There's our objectives from the start of the week and, well... those ticks or check-marks might be a little hint” he smiled at the delegates' laughter ”that we've achieved them all. So this is like the finale of special forces selection, and I hereby declare you all special operatives in systems development. Well done, everyone!”
There was applause, the pus.h.i.+ng back of chairs on carpet, then the shaking of hands and the delegates slipping out, chatting and laughing as they went. Tony, Vikram, and Pete went with them, saying final farewells in the corridor. At last there was quiet, as Josh turned to regard the empty room. A last tidy-up, and they were done.
”f.u.c.k it.”
He had wanted the training to finish. Now there was an empty weekend to face. Going forward felt awful; going back in time was impossible.
Sophie. I could have saved you, if I'd been there.
There were six board-halves lying on the floor, the relics of three teams breaking simultaneously, boosting their self-belief, the confidence they could achieve anything they wanted. (Like Sophie, whole and well.) Slotting pieces together, he created three unbroken boards, then tossed them into the air. Lightning flew through his nerves as his fists cracked one, one-two one, one-two and the shards were down once more. and the shards were down once more.
”Not bad.” Tony had returned. ”Braced at the edges is one thing, but boards in the air? Good focus in those punches, well done.”
Josh did his best Bruce Lee voice: ”Boards... don't fight back.”
”Uh-huh. So you're OK, then?”
”Sure am.”
”Lying sod.”
”Sure am.”
”You know,” said Tony, ”Vikram could teach your course next week.”
”I thought he was teaching genetic algorithms.”
”Sylvie can do that.”
”I don't know...”
”If it's the money, we can come to some arrangement. You bill me for next week as course development, and I'll pay you. You can actually write a course later. What do you say?”
In the end Tony would probably want more than five days' effort for the money, but this was still was a favour, and a big one.
”When do you need to know?” asked Josh.
He really didn't feel like teaching next week, but what else could he do?
”Sunday lunchtime, latest.”
In the Regiment, before a mission, you came clean about any weakness, told the commander in private necessary, because the boss needed accurate information to obey the Seven-P Principle: Proper Prior Planning Prevents p.i.s.s-Poor Performance.
”OK. Good.”
”So what are you up to this weekend, mate?”
Josh found himself wincing. He stared out the window over Docklands.
”Going to Hereford.””If there'd been a change, you'd have told me, right?”
”Sophie's the same. I'm going to see her teacher, not sure why. Other than she asked.”
”A good-looking lady teacher?”
Josh, not knowing the answer Kath was female but he had no opinion about her looks ignored the question.
”She wants me to meet the parents of another boy injured in the... When it happened. I think she's trying create a mutual support group.”
”Maybe she's got the right idea. You ring me anytime, all right?”
”Yeah. Thanks.”
”And call me lunchtime Sunday for sure.”
”You got it.”
Josh arrived twenty minutes early, but Kath Gleason was already sitting there, at a clean aluminium table in front of a cafe, at one end of a colonnade.
”h.e.l.lo.” She looked up from her milky tea. ”I thought I'd get here in plenty of time.”
”In case I came early, then changed my mind?”
”No, I just thought... you'd be super-punctual, and all.”
Most often, Josh had missed parent-teacher evenings, while Maria had attended. Had she and Kath Gleason talked about his military service, and the itinerant life of a corporate trainer? Or perhaps, since this was Hereford, Kath had drawn independent conclusions, for many of the ex-Regiment guys continued to live in the area, unable to tear themselves away from the life.
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