‘Fair point, but let me introduce myself first. I know you’re Pippa so it’s only polite to tell you my name: I’m Kam.’
‘Hi, Kam. Pleasure to meet you. She reached out her paw and raised her eyebrow. Kam laughed out loud and shook her fur-clad hand.
‘That’s the first time I’ve ever shook hands with the Easter Bunny.’
‘Well, make the most of it. I suspect you won’t get the chance again in a hurry.’
‘Ha, no. probably not. It’s been an absolute pleasure meeting you, Pippa. You are a fun-fur-clad superhero and I can’t thank you enough.’
‘No worries, glad to be of help.’
‘You’ve put a spring in my step.’
‘Really? That’s bad.’
‘Not as bad as a recedinghareline.’
‘Just stop!’
‘I know, I’d besthopto it.’
‘Seriously. I help you and this is how you repay me?’
‘It’s been anegg-citingmorning so far. Icarrotwait to see how the rest of the day pans out.’
‘Get out of this car park before I call security.’
‘Is that the scary looking woman I met earlier?’
‘Oh, we have many. Prison-guard facial expression, scrapped-back hair and trouser suit, or predatory yummy-mummy wearing ladybirds? Oh shit. I shouldn’t have said any of those things. Forgive me. Oh and forget – please forget – I said that as well. Most unprofessional.’
‘I’ll keep your secret seeing as you fixed my car. Although, I’m half tempted to go back inside for another explore. But I guess it would be sensible to get to your dad’s and keep my fingers crossed that it is just the wire thing.’
‘Good plan. Nice to meet you, Kam.’
‘And you too. I owe you one. Here.’ He balanced the last egg box on top of the other two. ‘It feels wrong not helping you carry this. Are you sure you can make it back inside?’
‘Of course I am. Now stop your chitchat or I won’t be back in time and we’ll have some very sad children.’
‘Okay, go. And thank you.’ Kam headed back into the car but couldn’t help but watch her and really hope he got the job. ‘Oh!’ he wound down the window and shouted out ‘Remember, don’t worry, be hoppy!’
Chapter Three
Pippa entered the infant playground, with a broad grin on her face. Kam had been a bit of a departure from the regular school day and she hoped he got the job.
‘Ah good. We wondered where you had got to. Can’t have our Easter Bunny disappearing today. Although you do seem to have lost your head.’ The head of the PTA greeted her in her characteristic tone – faux politeness barely veiling constant criticism. The faux politeness usually being fairly quickly dropped.
Pippa loved her job as a teaching assistant but this woman, Marion Marksharp, and her fawning and freakily identical acolytes, drove her scatty and she was fairly sure she wasn’t paid enough to deal with the levels of stress the head of the PTA brought with her. Any more than three minutes of talking to the woman and Pippa started to panic she would develop a rash. Following Marion around as she marched from playground to playground barking commands and shoving over-excited pupils out of the way was not Pippa’s idea of a happy springtime celebration.
However, she was at work, so breathed deep, counted to three and then answered the woman standing in front of her, shaking with righteous organisation.
‘It’s in the staffroom, Marion, I’ll just…’
‘No need. Sarah, get the rabbit head from the staffroom, and bring it to the infant playground. Thank you.’ Marion issued the command into her walkie-talkie.
‘Now, let’s just run through everything one more time. Eggs spread out fairly amongst both playgrounds: check?’
‘Actually, Marion, I’ve got some extra. That’s where I was. I had to fetch them from the car.’
