Honesty Is Not The Best Policy

Thursday is my day off.

This Thursday I was on sick-cover, which means I have to phone up to see if anyone is ill and, if so, dash out to some unknown far-flung school to teach all their lessons.

And that means bye bye to your day off.

Glancing down the sick cover-schedule, I noticed they had me down as Robert Rowles for 24th Aug. So, when it came to the Thursday, I was so bloody knackered I thought about claiming my name wasn’t on the list. “Who’s Robert Rowles?” I would ask.

But on the 24th I had an attack of conscience, and actually phoned up head office to see if anyone was ill and ask if I was needed. Luckily I wasn’t.


Felt better knowing I had done the right thing. Except I hadn’t. Turns out there really is a guy called Robert Rowles.

Head bloke Duncan spoke to me about it later.

“Good job you didn’t speak to a bloke called Jamie when you phoned in earlier on“ he said

“He would have probably asked you to come in anyway, even if you weren’t Robert Rowles. It would have been close enough for him”

I thought I was doing the right thing by ringing in, but nearly came a cropper there.

There’s also a guy on the list called Stephen Rowley. I am going to have to be careful.


Other minuses: next month I have two six-day weeks.

Some plusses: Next month there is a school holiday on a Friday and a Saturday. My days off are Thursdays and Sundays. Four days off in a row. Woo-hoo.