A Town Called Nowhere

Olsson School

There is one school in Nowhere that serves the entire community. It's a bigger school than one would think would exist for such a small area, but students come from all over to learn there. Not that it's their choice to come to Olsson School. There are no others, not now that the council for the district decided to take away even more funding from an already decrepit budget. 

A teacher unlocks the front door to Olsson School first thing in the morning. He's relatively young, only graduated from teaching school a few years ago. This is his first job- well, first job where it counts, he reminds himself. He doesn't like to recall the days where he worked at an ice cream parlor. The high schoolers he teaches now are more civilized than the people who used to order double scoops of mint chip. 

The teacher struggles with the lock for a few minutes. The frost likes to build up on it. There's been more than one occasion where he's had to ask someone who lives across the street for help. Today, though, the lock finally gives in, and the teacher steps inside. The lights flicker on, one by one. He walks inside his classroom and brews a cup of coffee.

Technically, there is a set start time at Olsson School. Also technically, no one listens to it. The locals like to say they operate on "Nowhere Time," anywhere between 10 minutes and 10 hours late. The teacher likes to start at 8:50 sharp, regardless of when students straggle in. Today, he writes on the chalkboard, we will be studying the Great Northern War. He sits down and polishes his nameplate. 

The first student comes into the room at 9:15. 

"Sorry, Mr. Arning," he says. "My bus was late, and I--"

"Sit down," the teacher says. "And my name isn't Arning, anyways. It's Hendersson. You would've thought you might have picked that up by now."

The student nods. Mr. Hendersson straightens his bow tie. They learn about the Great Northern War. By the end of the class, at least twenty other students have come in and taken their seats. People from Nowhere may be hopelessly inadept at looking at their watches, but they always get to where they are going. Eventually.