26 26 As I entered the Infant classroom I was approached by a small serious-faced boy with bright blue eyes magnified behind large, framed glasses. His curly blond hair stuck out at the sides like earmuffs.
‘You must be the school inspector?’ he said with all the precocious confidence of a six-year-old.
‘Yes, that’s right,’ I replied.
‘Mr Phinn.’
Yes, indeed.’
‘We’ve been expecting you. Have you travelled far?’
‘Not too far,’ I told him, marvelling at his self-assurance. It is rare that one so young approaches the strange visitor in the black suit and with a clipboard. The children, as indeed the teachers, are usually in awe of the school inspector.
‘I’ve been looking forward to meeting you,’ the small boy told me.
‘Really?’
Yes, we’ve been reading some of your poems in class and I have to say that I find them quite delightful.’
I have come across many a bright little button on my travels around schools but this one sparkled.
‘That’s very kind of you. Every writer likes to hear such praise. I am pleased you enjoyed them. And what is your name?’
‘I’m Benedict,’ he told me, holding out a small hand which I shook formally.
‘Well, Benedict, shouldn’t you be getting on with your work?’
‘I’ve done it. When we’ve finished our writing, we’re allowed to select a book from the Reading Corner. I was on my way there when I thought I’d stop and say hello.’
His manner and speech were amusingly old-fashioned for one so young.
‘Well, that’s very nice of you, Benedict,’ I said.
The small boy studied me carefully for a moment with those penetrating blue eyes. ‘Mrs McGuire – she’s our teacher, but you probably know that already – well, Mrs McGuire says there are much better words to use than “nice”.’
‘I’m sure she’s right,’ I said, chuckling. ‘I’ll try to remember in future.’
‘And that there are much more interesting words to use in our stories than “said”. Do you like stories, Mr Phinn?’
‘I do,’ I replied.
‘Would you like to see some of mine?’
‘Perhaps later, Benedict,’ I told him. ‘I’m a little busy at the moment.’
‘Righto, I’ll get along then and choose a book. I like poetry, you know. I love the rhymes.’ He thought for a moment and then said, ‘Do you know, Mr Phinn, we’ve had a very interesting conversation, haven’t we?’
‘We have, Benedict,’ I replied, ‘indeed we have.’
He then patted me gently on the arm and said, before departing for the Reading Corner, ‘We must do lunch sometime.’