John Ward
My name is John Ward, I am married to Margaret [Marge] Ward. We live in Cuckney now where I'm the Time Keeper for the Cuckney Time Trials and bike races. I've dabbled in racing, but I never became the serious cyclist that Jenny Bond, the Women's World Champion is.
It was while at Bristol that I met my wife Marge, back then, she was Marge Sinclair. We met at Bristol University in the library. I saw a petite redhead hunched over a book almost as big as she is. I introduced myself to her and we soon became a couple. Like me, she was raised to show common courtesy and reserve any judgement.
We found that we have a lot in common. We both like Disney movies and cartoon as well as shooting billiards. And we both enjoyed simply riding in the woods. I'd escort her whenever she went exploring nature for any rare plants. We'd cycle out to the sights and make a day of it to explore nature in all of its beauty.
We were soon a couple. Even though she was not as into maths as I was, we both loved to cycle around in the local woods. She found several flowers on our nature rides and earned top honors for her schoolwork. She even adopted a kitten that was wondering in the woods.
We were married by the end of the year and after graduation, we started a family. We have two children Joshua and Matilda. Josh is named after my dad and Matilda after Marge's mum. They are going to Bristol University now, Josh wants to help his Grandpa with his restaurant, so he's taking cooking and business management while Mattie wants to be a doctor. We are so proud of them and know that they'll do well.
Marge loves flowers and became a florist. Me, I earned a degree in Teaching, and Mathematics. I love numbers and thought that I'd make a good teacher. But I found that I was not able to inspire the students until I got over my stage fright. When I stopped being afraid of the students, I found that I was able to help them learn.
I applied for a position at Warsop College where Bill Woods was about to be instated as the Headmaster. He is a kind and caring man who loves children and wants only the best for them. We met at Bristol University where he was earning a degree in Education Administration. We found that we had a common interest in students welfare.
Bill saw the students as his adopted children. He has children of his own, but he wants the best for all children. Marge and I have two grown children, but no grandchildren yet. Marge loves children of any age and volunteers to help out in the nursery at the community center.
After I had been teaching for five years, I met Jenny Peters again, but now she was married to Dave Bond and had two babies, Julie and Drew. They had bought a house in Warsop and Dave was working as a sales representative for a timber company. Jenny had earned her degree in Geography and had been accepted at Warsop College as the new geography teacher.
I taught Maths there for a few years before the Inland Revue hired me to be a Tax Inspector. My job is to make sure that people and local merchants pay the proper taxes to the Government. That can be very difficult if fraudulent claims are filed, then I have to fine the party or have them imprisoned which I hate to do.
When Bill found out that I knew Jenny, he told her that he would tell the students about her racing results to inspire them. She thought that it was a good idea and hoped that would help her students. Bill also had me introduce her to the faculty and students and tutor her on school policy.
Soon after, I left Warsop because Inland Revue transferred me to Cuckney where I soon
became the department head. Marge opened up Marge's Flower Shop where she sold flowers and taught about plants.
When I met Jenny, I was in the park when I saw a cute, blonde girl racing on her bike. Her Mum was right there watching her. That's how I met Jenny Bond and her Mum Josie Peters. I was on the local cycling team and offered to take them to see the Time keeper so that Jenny could register. Although she was too young to race, she was able train with us. I got to looking forward to watching her speed around on her bike.
I had the honor of presenting her with her first racing bike, Mum and Dad had bought me a new one and they let me give Jenny my old bike. She was delighted with the bike and was soon riding it and training in earnest.
It was during a race in my senior year in school that I wrenched my back. I had to retire from racing after that, but since I loved racing, I became the Timekeeper. But after I went to Bristol University, I dropped out of active racing. I was too busy with schoolwork to do much timekeeping. But I was the Timekeeper whenever Jenny raced, but that was it.
Jenny married Dave Bond and had two children with him. When they moved to Church Warsop, I mentored Jenny as she was new to teaching. I had earned my Teaching Certificate years earlier because I'd retired from racing after I wrecked and hurt my back, now I can't sit on a bike and ride without feeling pain shooting up and down my spine.
When her son Drew Bond started showing up at the Cuckney Time trials, he looked like a girl thanks to his friends, I couldn't resist acting like really was a girl. At times, he was Gaby, and because he signs in as D. Bond, I also started calling him Dee.
I must admit that I am having a bit of fun at her son Drew's expense, I saw him at the Easter cosplay convention where he was Chi Light. Me, I was one of the judges, but in my Gandalf costume, you couldn't see that it was me.
That boy keeps on showing up for the races wearing makeup or earrings. I have no doubt that his cousin Maddy is the reason why. I've not let on that I know that Drew is really Gaby just for fun. Hearing him complain to his family and friends makes it even more humorous.
I am also informing his Headmaster Mister Woods about when Drew races, and I have passed on the information to my fellow Timekeepers so that Mister Woods can tell the school about whenever Drew races.
As I understand it from gossip, Drew gets very shy whenever Bill tells about his racing exploits. But he is a very good cyclist and should take pride in what he has done. I bet he wonders how Bill gets the information that I send Bill.
Drew will never figure out that it is me that is doing it, I hope that he never does. If he ever found out about me knowing that he's Gaby, I have no doubt that his parents would be very mad.
