Rebel Part One (standard:drama, 3822 words)
Author: BC Grant	Added: Nov 01 2010	Views/Reads: 3025/2002	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
This is a story about how a person in a bad situation can change from a young boy to a killer and then to a secret agent

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

language. It was also decided to change the family name from Loper to 
Walker, which in fact was a direct translation from Afrikaans into 
English. These were hard decisions for an Afrikaans family to have to 
make, but both decisions were going to be the most important, that they 
could ever have to make. Jak also changed his name to Jack, and that of 
his wife to Sparrow, which in turn were direct translations. For in his 
wisdom, although he had already built up his successful import and 
Export Company, to a point where none other in South Africa could 
compete against them, Jack knew that Afrikaans was a dying language and 
that in the not too distant future, Afrikaans would become a language, 
hated by most of South Africa's inhabitants. All through his early 
school years, Paul showed the educators, that he was in fact a very 
bright youngster, never, until he reached grade ten, getting less than 
a symbol B plus, or on most occasions, a symbol A, for his work. Paul 
mostly attended public schools and it was only towards the end of grade 
eight, when his marks began to slip, that it was recommended that Paul 
be sent to a private school. Jack Walker chose the very exclusive boy's 
school Archbishops in Cape Town, but Paul lasted exactly three months, 
then it was requested of Jack to remove him from the school, as Paul 
had made it a habit to sneak away from the boarding establishment 
during school weeks, to run about town and generally wreak havoc, thus 
casting an embarrassing cloud over the school. So, in April of 1981, 
when Paul was asked to leave Archbishops, Jack arranged for Paul to 
attend the Alberton Academy, a very exclusive private school on the 
outskirts of the town of Alberton, South of Johannesburg. The Alberton 
Academy, or so they advertised, specialised in problem children, and 
they took young Paul Walker in. Jack was amazed, Paul's marks seemed to 
improve, and he passed grade ten at the end of 1981, with marks far 
exceeding that which anybody had expected. It was only after the 
Christmas holidays, after Paul had returned to the Alberton Academy in 
January 1982, that all of the trouble started, and that is where the 
important part of my tale starts. As fate would have it, Paul had 
involved himself with some senior boys during the 1981 period at 
Alberton Academy, but now they had left, leaving him to be the only one 
left, of a group that all of the pupils of the school feared and 
respected. Paul fell into this role very easily and found that he 
enjoyed being the bad boy on the block. The pranks and downright 
nastiness that surfaced within him was so intense, that he soon found 
himself visiting the office of the headmaster more regularly that he 
was actually in class. The headmaster, William Pritchard, had on 
numerous occasions, called on Jack Walker, who in turn always pleaded 
with the man to keep young Paul on, and not to expel him from the 
school. These periods of pleading, normally turned out to be a bribing 
session, wherein Jack Walker would offer the school large donations of 
cash. The principal, knowing the immense authority that Jack Walker 
wielded in the business community, always accepted the money, for as 
exclusive as the Alberton Academy was, they always needed funds for 
‘new projects and extra expenses', which were not originally budgeted 
for at the beginning of a financial year. Also, William Pritchard 
enjoyed receiving praise, something he always got once he had solicited 
more funds out of a well to do parent. But even a greedy, self-admiring 
man, such as Pritchard, would also run out of patience, and on this 
fateful day, he finally did. 

The voice of William Pritchard could be heard thundering down the halls
of the administration block of the Alberton Academy. A second voice, 
not quite so deep, but nonetheless very close to the depth of a man, 
answered back as fast as the headmaster could finish a sentence. ‘You 
have no respect for anybody' shouted Pritchard. ‘Untrue.' came the 
reply from Paul Walker. There was a moment's silence. ‘All you ever 
think of,' ranted Pritchard, ‘is yourself.' ‘Well maybe,' came the 
reply, ‘that is all there is worth thinking about.' Another silence 
ensued. ‘Well I, and this school, have had just enough of your mean 
pranks and terrible attitude towards our teaching staff.' said 
Pritchard. ‘So!' snapped Paul Walker ‘So, I am now going to call your 
father, and tell him that you are suspended permanently from this 
school.' said the headmaster in a quiet voice. The shock was evident on 
the face of the young man as Pritchard delivered this news to him, he 
thought for a few moments before answering... ‘My father would never 
allow you to do that.' he said smugly. ‘ Don't be so sure, young man,' 
cautioned the principal,' there is no way that we are going to allow 
your father's money to change our minds this time, the whole board of 
governors, have decided that it is time for you to move on. I have 
booked a call to your father in Cape Town, and I think that once I have 
spoken to him, he will see that what I am saying to him is in fact the 
truth, please wait outside until I have finished my call to him, and I 
will call you in afterwards to tell you what he says.' The young man 
stood staring at Pritchard for a long minute before he turned on his 
heel and marched out of the office into the hallway, where there were 
two hard wooden chairs, for students to sit on while they awaited their 
fate, these chairs were known in amongst the senior boys, as the 
dragon's lair, for it was here that they awaited the dragon, otherwise 
known as the headmaster. Paul Walker took a seat on one of the chairs 
and waited. ‘ I wonder what that stupid prick thinks he is going to 
achieve by phoning Cape Town, my dad's away on a business trip and the 
only one who can speak to him is Anne, and she likes me, or I think she 
does, she has been a great substitute mom since Mossie died, yes I 
called her Mossie, it was her request that I do so, something about 
making her feel younger. I don't reckon that there is much this 
arsehole can do until dad is back from London, I don't think he'll 
dare.' Inside his office, headmaster Pritchard sighed heavily as he 
sank back into his comfortable leather chair, he had been surprised at 
the reaction that he had gotton from Paul Walker, and had felt the hair 
on his arms and on his neck rise as the young man had stared at him. He 
knew that this whole mess was going to cause a great deal of problems 
at the school, as the Academy relied heavily on Jack Walker for funding 
whenever the need arose. He knew that Jack Walker was not going to be 
happy about the whole situation, but enough was enough, the boy had to 
go. The whole situation had now arisen when Paul, had caused so much 
strife in the science class, that the elderly science teacher, had 
suffered a nervous breakdown, and had been admitted to a hospital in 
the Johannesburg area which specifically dealt with mental problems, 
her return was not assured, as her doctor had advised Pritchard that 
very morning, that the lady's condition was indeed grave. Pritchard 
pressed the call button on his intercom, and asked: ‘Mary, were you 
able to contact Mr. Walker in Cape Town?' ‘Mr. Walker is London at the 
moment, Mr. Pritchard, and will only be returning tonight on his 
private plane.' ‘Please get hold of Anne Thomas, his personal 
assistant; I can't wait until tonight to speak with him.' ‘At once sir, 
it will only take a minute or so.' Mary answered. ‘What happens if he 
decides to act without waiting for dad to come back? I really hope that 
he doesn't try, ‘cos that will be the end for him, of that you can be 
assured.' Once again headmaster Pritchard sighed deeply, the moment of 
truth was nigh. 

In Cape Town the telephone rang a soft melodious tone, the hand that
reached out to answer it, belonged to one of the most beautiful young 
women that could be found in the Republic of South Africa. Anne Thomas, 
personal assistant to Jack Walker, was not tall, standing only 5 feet 
in her stockings, however, what she lacked in height, she made up for 
in the beauty that the Creator had deemed fit, to bestow upon her. The 
voice that went along with the beauty, was as one would describe, ‘as 
something out of this world.' ‘Anne Thomas.' she answered. There was 
crackling on the line, which to Anne told her that the call was one, 
which was originating a long distance away. ‘ Miss Thomas, would you 
kindly hold the line for headmaster Pritchard at the Alberton Academy?' 
came the voice of Mary, the secretary at the Alberton school, where 
Jack had at last, with a great deal of bribery, been able to place his 
son Paul, after his expulsion from a number of well to do Cape Town 
schools. ‘I certainly will do so.' replied Anne, who knew that the call 
that she was about to take could only mean trouble, or another cry for 
more funds to be donated into the school coffers. There was a short 
wait, which was accompanied by low-key crackles and whistles, after 
which headmaster Pritchard came on the line. ‘Miss Thomas, Pritchard 
here,' came the man's clear voice, ‘I am afraid that we have a little 
problem with Paul here at the Academy.' A sharp feeling of dread filled 
Anne's body, for this type of call had been coming more and more 
frequently, during the last few months, and the only way that Jack 
Walker had been able to get around the problems, was by writing a large 
cheque to be included in the school funds, however, Anne had a feeling, 
after hearing the tone of voice used by the headmaster, that a simple 
cheque was not going to repair the damage that had been caused by young 
Paul Walker this time around. ‘How may I help you Mr. Pritchard?' asked 
Anne in a pleasant voice, which she certainly did not feel, under the 
circumstances. The headmaster, in a careful diplomatic way, told Anne 
about what the latest thing was, that Paul Walker had done, including 
exact details of the condition of the victim of his latest prank. Anne 
listened carefully, making various notes whilst the man was talking to 
her; the look on her face clearly showed that secretly, she agreed with 
the man on the line from Johannesburg. When the headmaster had finished 
telling her about the whole sorry episode, he paused for a moment and 
said: ‘ The board of governors have unanimously decided that the only 
way that we can rectify in part the problem at hand, is that we expel 
Paul from the school with all due haste.' Although Anne had expected a 
harsh form of punishment, she found herself shocked by the decision of 
the headmaster and the school's board of governors. ‘Is there no way 
that we can ask yourself and the board to reconsider the matter.' asked 
Anne, however fully knowing what the answer would be. ‘ I am afraid,' 
answered the headmaster, ‘ that there will be no further discussion of 
the matter by either myself or my board of governors, the boy must go, 
and immediately, in fact,' he raised his voice in emphasis, ‘ the boy 
must be off the premises by eight o'clock this evening.' Anne was 
astounded by the amount of time that was being given to Paul to leave 
the school premises, but thought only that the school heads must regard 
this last transgression of Paul's in a serious light. ‘Mr. Pritchard,' 
said Anne in her most reasonable sounding voice, ‘Mr. Walker is out of 
the country and is only due to return later tonight, is it not possible 
to allow the youngster to stay at the boarding house until tomorrow, 
when I can assure you, that his father will personally come and fetch 
him from the Academy, at about mid morning tomorrow?' There was silence 
on the line for a while before the principal of the School replied. ‘ 
Miss Thomas, we have spoken on many occasions in the past, and I regard 
you in the highest esteem, as well as trusting you,' he paused for a 
moment, ‘ but if I keep Paul on the grounds for a moment longer, the 
staff will go on strike, and the pupils will all leave their classes 
and go home, whether permission is granted or not, their parents in 
turn would find out about the whole sorry story, and they would 
withdraw their children from the school, this we cannot afford' There 
was a further short pause, and when the man spoke again, his voice, or 
so it sounded to Anne, was quavering,' We are all very afraid of young 
Paul, so he must go, he will be given enough money to stay in a Hotel 
tonight and will be told to report here at twelve noon tomorrow, 
Saturday, at which time, I trust that Mr. Walker will have arrived to 
attend to the problem and take his son home.' Anne was taken aback by 
the fact that the headmaster had told her, that all of the staff and 
pupils were in fact scared of Paul. ‘ He must have changed a lot since 
I saw him last,' she thought, ‘ I always thought him to be a dear young 
chap, always eager to please, specially me, he must have changed a lot 
since I last saw him, just a little over eighteen months ago.' ‘Mr. 
Pritchard,' she finally managed to say, ‘If you and your staff and 
pupils feel so strongly about the whole matter, please make sure that 
Paul has enough money to sleep in a hotel for one night, as well as 
enough money for food.  I will, she continued, ‘ ensure that Mr. Walker 
is in fact at the school by noon tomorrow, and on behalf of Mr. Walker, 
I would like to apologise to you and your staff for what has happened.' 
‘My dear,' replied Pritchard, ‘it is not your place to apologise, or 
the place of Mr. Walker, the two of you are also victims of this whole 
mess, just as we are here in Johannesburg, my heart certainly does go 
out to Mr. Walker at this time, and I would like to request that you 
please convey my most sincerest apologies to Mr. Walker, about this 
whole distasteful matter.' Anne thought for a moment on what the poor 
man had just told her from the Alberton Academy before answering: ‘Mr. 
Pritchard, we will never hold you responsible for what has happened, 
that I can assure you. ‘I can say,' she continued, ‘that I speak for my 
employer as well as myself at this time, and that you will have our 
fullest support at all times.' ‘ My thanks to you my dear,' answered 
Pritchard, ‘ I just feel as if I have failed Mr. Walker, after all I 
practically promised that I would be able to bring young Paul under 
control here at the Academy.' ‘Please don't worry Mr. Pritchard, Mr. 
Walker will understand.' said Anne. ‘ Thank you my dear,' came the 
man's relieved voice, ‘ I will, as soon as I have spoken with young 
Paul, advise you of what hotel he will be staying in for tonight, in 
case you or Mr. Walker would like to check up on him.' ‘Thank you Mr. 
Pritchard, and bye for now.' replied Anne. ‘Goodbye my dear, until 
later then.' Anne listened for a while after headmaster Pritchard had 
replaced the receiver on his end, in fact until the exchange equipment 
disconnected the line completely and caused a high pierced howling 
sound to come from the ear piece of the telephone receiver in Anne's 
hand, hearing the loud noise from the telephone receiver, Anne replaced 
the device with speed, as if she had been handling a poisonous snake. 
She knew deep down within herself, that the assurances that she had 
given to the headmaster, were in fact true, and that she did in fact 
speak for her boss, because for the last four years, Anne Thomas and 
Jack Walker had been involved in a mutually beneficial affair. There 
was not anything that she did not know about her boss, right down to 
the type of toothpaste, that he preferred to use. There was only one 
thing that Anne could not shake off, it was the feeling of dread, dread 
that something was going to happen, although she did not know at this 
point what that something was, she looked up at the calendar on the 
wall, not at the picture of the panoramic Drakensberg, but at the date, 
it was the 18th of April 1982, she felt sure that this was the date 
that some kind of disaster would befall the entire country, the focus 
however would fall on the good family name of her employer, lover and 
friend, Jack Walker. 


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