“I don’t know… maybe early forties, or so.”
“Is she the oldest teacher at the school?”
“Yeah, by a few years.”
“So she pretty much rules… right?”
“I guess. I hadn’t really paid attention to all of that; but, now it kind of seems like it.”
She turned to look at me. It broke my heart to see her red puffy eyes and tear-streaked cheeks.
“I think that, after the two musicals and ballets, from last year, that a few of the other teachers got their noses ‘out of joint’.”
“Really, why do you say that?”
“At the end of each musical, it was you that the mother’s wanted to take pictures of with their daughters. I didn’t see any other pictures being taken with the kids and the other teachers. They all wanted pictures of you with their ballerina daughters.”
Bev looked at me in total bewilderment.
Then she started to put two-and-two together. Recalling the ‘cool’ receptions that we were met with at the bar after the musicals. How, the rest of the school year and these last few weeks, the other teachers were a bit ‘stand-offish’. She did mention that her two teacher friends, went on like they were genuinely happy and proud of what she had pulled off. So, she was puzzled by their recent attitude.
“I guess I didn’t notice all of that. I mean no other pictures being taken, and all of that. I guess I was just so wrapped up in how happy, and pleased the girls and their mothers were, that I didn’t take the time to look around. I’m glad you were there and took notice.
“Bill, I never meant to shut out the rest of the teachers… to make the whole ballet thing about me. It never was. I was doing it for those energetic little girls. That was why we had a second one, at the end of the year, so that the rest of the girls could be ballerinas too. They were having the time of their lives. And in the end, they each had a tutu and pictures to remember their third grade. I even had some of the second grade girls come up to me and tell me how much they were looking forward to being in third grade.
“I was thinking that with doing three this year, that the end of the year one would be with all of the girls.
“Bill, that is was teaching is all about, especially at this age. To make school fun. To make school something that they look forward to going to every morning. It’s why I wanted to be an elementary school teacher. Not with the older kids; but, with these little bundles of energy. You can see it in their eyes every day. And not just the girls… the little boys too.
Bev sat there as I went to refill her wine glass, and get myself a beer, before settling back down and pulling her into my warm embrace.
“What am I going to do?” she softly said, “I don’t want to give up on this. I know that I’m still the ‘newbie’ there. But, I’m afraid that if I don’t stand up for the girls, that these guys will think that they can walk all over me. I’m not a confrontational type of person. I just want to get along… have fun… make friends, and enjoy what I decided to do with my life.”
We each took a sip of our beverage. Thoughts going through my brain.
“Well, I think that are a few ways you could go: diplomatic, confrontational… And one that, I think would have the potential to alienate you from the rest of your colleagues.”
“I’m not following.”
“Let’s skip the last two, for now, and concentrate on the most gentle approach… the diplomatic approach.
“We need to come up with a way to get Karen on your side. To make her part of the whole process. Maybe ask for guidance, and help, on how to solve certain problems, which I know that you already know the solution for. Make it seem like the adding the ballet portion back into the musical was her idea. Let her take all the credit she wants.”
That got a sly grin from Bev, as she was beginning to see where this was going.
“So, I see two choices: a sit-down with the group, or a one-on-one with just Karen. Maybe after school at the bar that everybody goes to. The group would stick together and not give in… egos. A show of solidarity. I think the one-on-one is a better option, to keep it more personal. Let Karen get to know you. The personal side of you. She has to see what I see. Everybody sees it.”
That got a wide grin, as Bev leaned up and lightly kissed my lips.
For the next hour and a half, and over a frozen pizza, we sat at the kitchen table and laid out a road map on how to discuss this with Karen. How to talk about it, such that it would be in the girl’s best interest, regarding their school… to make school a fun place to go. First, we just threw out ideas, making no judgements on how crazy each was. Then we went back through the list, and crossed off the ones that were actually crazy. We kind of chuckled at a few of them.
In today’s world, we brainstormed. While the concept had been around since the 50’s, it wasn’t taught, at least not in the engineering and education classes that we had. In our minds, we thought we just discovered ‘The Promised Land’.
In the end, we had a list of topics, questions, requests for guidance and help. We geared it to gently bring Karen over. Bev said that she would tweak it in the next couple of days, as she was thinking of trying to set something up Thursday, after school.
“Bev, I truly believe that the sincerity in your approach, and your personality will win out. Take it slow. Be casual. I don’t have all the answers. I’ve never been in this kind of situation. I’m just giving you my thoughts. You can do it. I know you can do it. It’s in your passion. Bev, it’s what you have always told me…’Sometimes you have to take Chances, when you know what you want to get things to Change.”
There was quiet for a bit, as Bev digested what I had just said. I was wondering her thoughts. Bev came around the table and sat straddled me. Our faces inches apart. Gone were the looks of worry… the looks of defeat. What I saw was, ‘My Bev’. Alive and ready to tackle the world.
Bev straddled me, as I sat on the kitchen chair. She had pulled her skirt up and was sitting there with her panty-clad sex pressed against my crotch. Her hands, clasped around my neck. Her face inches away from mine. But, what really brightened my heart, was the big smile.
“Bill, I’m glad I came here and talked to you. After I came out of that meeting, I didn’t know what I was going to do. It felt like my whole world was crashing down on me, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. But, you’ve given me hope… a Plan. It’s why I love you so much. You always listen to me. Always want to try and help… always trying to fix things. I’m so lucky to have a smart and supportive boyfriend.”
I cupped her face in my hands, leaned upward, and kissed the top of her forehead, “And I’m so lucky to have a smart and determined girlfriend, who is also sexy and beautiful.”
This time, Bev pulled back, as our eyes, once again, met. She smiled, followed by a long tender kiss.
“I guess it’s the engineer in me… to fix things… to come up with solutions to problems. I’m glad you trusted me enough to come here, and ask for my opinion and help.”