Room Mother Mary Toop Pauses for a Quick One.

Second Grade Room Mother Mary Toop is enjoying a quick smoke outside Cloverdale’s Train Station. She’s accompanying her daughter’s second grade class from St. Bartholomew's’s Catholic School on their field trip. The children are in the waiting room listening to Station Master Pipply explain the history of the building and railroading in the Confederacy. Station Master Pipply is known for excessive blather when it comes to his station, trains and railroad history. He enjoys hosting field trips but has one weaknesses readily noticed by teachers and parents - his lack of judgement concerning what interests a second grader.

Cloverdale Station Master Pipply
Eager to Blather.

Station Master Pipply prepares his curriculum for railroad enthusiasts and doesn’t see the need to rewrite them for younger audiences. He will however, change his delivery with children. With adult enthusiasts he speaks in normal conversational tones. He shouts at children. He thinks by shouting they’ll better understand his elevated vocabulary (much the same way people raise their voices when attempting to converse with someone that doesn't speak their language). His shouting serves another purpose. It prevents him from hearing the children complain to the teacher about how boring it is and when will they get to ride the choo choo train.

Mary Toop has heard the speech several times over the years and, feeling the need for a smoke, stepped away when the teacher wasn’t looking. In a minute or two she’ll feel normal and ready to deal with the children, their short train ride, lunch, potty breaks and the rest of the day.