Forever Young: Blessing or Curse (Always Young Trilogy) (3 page)

Here
it comes
, Dorrie
thought, heart sinking.
Candace feels bad, but hasn’t a choice.

“Of
course, you know Lauren, my administrative assistant.”

Dorrie
nodded.

“It
turns out Lauren has missed being home with her child for the past six months
following maternity leave. She regrets that the important milestones in her
baby’s life keep happening in front of the babysitter and not the child’s
mother. Though it will be a hardship financially, she’s decided to be a
stay-at-home Mom. I applaud her for her willingness to sacrifice money for the
sake of her family, and fully understand where she’s coming from. You can never
replay those important moments.”

“I
know I’d feel the same, if I had the opportunity,” Dorrie said.

Given
the chance, she’d probably have spoiled her child rotten. Unfortunately, such a
blessing had never occurred. No matter what her mind had longed for, her body
had refused to cooperate by producing a child to love.

“Lauren’s
decision comes exactly at the right time, Dorrie. Since you’re adept at
handling our programs, I’m hoping you’d be interested in trying your hand at
the combined position. Our budget could spare an extra one hundred dollars a
week, which I know isn’t much considering the added responsibilities, but I’m
guessing would come in handy for you right now. What do you say? I have to warn
you, if you’re not comfortable with the change, I’m afraid I’ll have to let you
go.”

She
wasn’t fired, thank God.

“Oh,
please, I’d love to stay. The job sounds perfect and the extra money would be a
great help. I enjoy working here and can’t bear the thought of leaving. Thanks
so much for asking me.”

“I
couldn’t not think of you. You’ve done a terrific job since coming aboard.
You’ve always gone out of your way to help Lauren. She’s told me how you often
complete her tapes and do various projects for her. That diligence will stand
you in good stead, making it easier for you to assume the dual role.”

“I
hate not being busy, so I don’t mind the extra work.”

“And
I like your attitude. Then, it’s settled to everyone’s satisfaction.”

Dorrie
couldn’t believe it. For a change, something had gone right.

***

A
few days later, when she’d stepped into the kitchen after work, she noticed her
answering machine blinking. She clicked on the message and found Mr. Remington
had called about a job opening. Just as well she needn’t apply. Going to work
at the same place her husband had died would not have been pleasant. She could
get by with the extra hundred a week at the school.

Still,
no sense in burning bridges. To be polite, she returned his call the next
morning. “Thanks for the offer, Mr. Remington, but I’ve had the good fortune of
getting a promotion and raise at the high school, and have decided to stay
there.”

 “I
understand, Mrs. Donato. I’m glad things worked out for you.” 

He
sounded more peeved than glad. Maybe she’d imagined the inflection in his
voice. After all, with the job shortage, he could choose from any number of
applicants.

On
Saturday, New Year’s Eve, she made an early night of it so she wouldn’t be
reminded she had no one to kiss at the stroke of midnight. When Jeanne and
Larry’s friend, Keith, one after the other, called the next morning to wish her
a Happy New Year, she felt a little better.

After
she became accustomed to the additional work responsibilities, the days settled
into a predictable busy pattern. If only she didn’t have those long weekends to
fill in the empty house with only the radio and television for company. She got
a certain measure of comfort in the mornings sitting in the backyard, watching
the swallows fly into their cacti nests, and listening to the doves and pigeons
coo while making their rounds. Also, she kept the hummingbird feeder filled
with nectar, so she could watch the flutter of the hummingbird’s wings as they
enjoyed their treats.

The
nights still proved difficult. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get
used to that empty space beside her in bed. To think Larry’s snoring had
bothered her so much she’d sometimes wished he’d go to the guestroom and sleep.
She’d gladly suffer the noise if she could get him back even one night.

Being
by herself in the dark still made her uneasy. To save electricity, she
alternated between which lights to turn on or off. If she got a dog, that would
solve the safety issue, but it wouldn’t be fair to leave the poor thing home by
itself all day.

***

Dorrie
glanced at the school desk calendar and frowned. Twelve weeks had passed since
her world had collapsed. She’d done her best to get on with life, but the
pieces would never fit back into place.

She
broke off her ruminations when Mr. Landscomb, the sixth grade teacher
approached, with a lip and nose-studded student in tow. The man was reputed to
be a stickler, but, judging from the energetic students in his classroom, he
had small choice if he were to survive.

“Ms.
Donato, I’d like you to inform the principal this young lady has committed an
infraction of our school’s rules and requires disciplinary action from the
principal. As you’re aware, it’s against school policy for students to wear
face rings or studs, yet this student has chosen to flaunt authority.”

He
pointed to the young girl sporting the offending jewelry, along with blue dyed
hair, tattered jeans and a tie dyed tee shirt reading, “Express yourself.”

Restraining
herself from bursting into laughter at the student’s decorative display, Dorrie
bowed her head and nodded. Still tempted to laugh, she grabbed a notepad and
pen. “What’s her name?”

“Stephanie
Dalton.”

“Okay,
I’ve got it. Thank you, Mr. Landscomb. I’ll make sure she’s attended to.”

The
thin man nodded, and hurried down the hall to his classroom, no doubt wondering
what mayhem had occurred in his absence.

She
gave the girl a kind smile. “All right, Stephanie, why don’t you sit here on
the bench until the principal is free to see you.”

Forehead
knit, the girl plunked onto the wooden seat. She clasped her hands tightly in
her lap and stared straight ahead, blinking rapidly. The poor darling. Dorrie
had seen such cases before. Getups like this were often worn in a desperate bid
for attention from the parents. How sad.  

After
getting the go ahead, Dorrie escorted the young girl into the principal’s
office. Candace would sort things out. She always did.

Sure
enough, after a few minutes Stephanie re-emerged, sans studs, at least in any
visible areas. Not only that, she seemed more relaxed. Par for the course.
Candace had just the right touch.  A few minutes later, Candace stepped
out of her office.

“You
handled that situation well, as usual,” Dorrie said.

“Thanks,”
the principal said in a strained voice.

“Is
something wrong, Candace?”

The
principal motioned to Dorrie. “Why don’t you come into my office. I need to
speak to you.”

Dorrie
wondered if she’d not performed well at her new position. She’d done her best
to handle her duties, but no matter how hard she tried to focus on work, her
mind still tended to wander.

Questions
crept in like,
If I hadn’t  encouraged Larry to apply for the Institute
job, would he have given up and be alive today?
, or
If I’d gotten to the
parking lot a few minutes earlier, could I could have warned him in time?
She’d never know the answers to those or any other questions tormenting her.

Dorrie
stepped into the principal’s office.

“Please
close the door and sit down,” Candace said.

The
door squeaked as Dorrie closed it. She slowly sank onto the cold chair.Candace
frowned and shook her head. “There’s no easy way to say what needs to be said.”
She sighed hard and seemed to catch her breath. “Ignoring this situation won’t
make it go away, so I may as well get it over with. The budget cuts weren’t
enough. Our district is in the hole. Foster High is getting axed.”

Dorrie
gasped. “No, you can’t be serious.”

“I’m
afraid so. The sad truth is our school is closing.”

“That
can’t be.”

“Here’s
the letter explaining everything.”  Candace passed over a printed sheet on
district letterhead.

We
regret to inform you that budget shortfalls force us to centralize the county’s
school districts. As of February 13, students of Foster and Darwin High Schools
will attend Greenberry High School. All staff at the Foster and Darwin schools
will be terminated and receive one month’s severance pay, no matter how long
their tenure. Health insurance benefits will remain in effect throughout the
month, after which Cobra will apply.

“That’s
crazy. I’ve heard terrible rumors about Greenberry. Foster has much higher
standards. Whoever made this decision is way off base.”

Candace
sighed. “Quality doesn’t count in the scheme of things. Since Greenberry’s in
the middle, geography wins.”

“I
don’t believe this. You’ve done a terrific job. Losing Foster will be a huge
blow to the community.”

“Thanks
for the compliment, Dorrie. I’ve done my darnedest to provide a quality
education for our students, but I’m afraid in the present economy sacrifices
are in order.”

“That
shouldn’t be.” 

Then
again, lots of things shouldn’t be. Panic spiraled in Dorrie’s stomach, making
her nauseous. She’d counted on this job to keep her sane and pay her bills. Now
she’d need to start over and search for a new position in the tight job market.
She had no guaranty she’d find another job soon, especially one as ideal as
what she was losing. Too bad she’d not taken Mr. Remington’s offer. No doubt
that position had been filled by now.  

“You’re
such a great principal, Candace. With your credentials, any school will be
lucky to get you.”

The
principal sighed. “I’ve been thinking over the situation, and I’ve come to the
conclusion I’m meant to do something different with my life. My folks aren’t
getting any younger, and New York isn’t exactly a hop, skip and a jump away.
Occasional holiday visits really aren’t enough. It would set theirs and my mind
at ease if I lived closer to them. There may not be any principal positions
available there, but I could settle for something else. It would be worth the
sacrifice.” 

Nodding,
Dorrie said, “I don’t blame you, Candace. I’d do the same.”

She
wished she had parents to visit. She didn’t remember much about Dad because
he’d passed away after his bout with lung cancer when she was in second grade,
but Mom was a different story.  

Dorrie
often remembered the good times, like when they’d gone to the zoo together when
she was a little girl, and when she was older, sharing popcorn at the movies.
Such remembrances were tinged with sadness as Dorrie’s mind also flashed back
to the image of her mother pretending she wasn’t in pain while her condition
deteriorated. She’d been a good woman and hadn’t deserved to suffer. Dorrie
blinked rapidly to keep a tear from falling.

“I
know this must be hard on you, with only a few weeks’ notice, especially in
your current situation. If you need a reference, I’ll be more than happy to
provide one for any of the positions you’ve held here: administrative
assistant, receptionist or the combination. You’ve admirably filled them all,
and I couldn’t have asked for a better worker. Please, I want you to take
whatever time is necessary to find something decent, even if you need to use
school hours to do so.”

“Thanks,
Candace. I appreciate your understanding and help. You’ve been such a great
boss. I doubt I’ll find another half as good.”

Candace
flashed a warm smile. “I’m sure you will, Dorrie. You’re diligent, punctual and
have much to offer. Now, listen, you’re the first I’ve told. There will be many
others I’ll call in, until I’ve spoken to them all. Please don’t let anyone
know of the situation beforehand. I owe it to each of them to personally
explain what has happened. It’s the least I can do, and what every staff member
deserves.”

“Don’t
worry, Candace. You have my word.”

Frowning,
the principal reached for the phone, “Well, I best get on with the chore.”

Dorrie
stood up to leave. With her mind in a fog, she stepped out of the principal’s
office. She didn’t envy her the task of breaking the news. It would be horribly
hard for Candace, since she was such a caring person and had known the majority
of the staff for ages. Dorrie had only been there a short while, yet dreaded
leaving. And what about poor Mr. Landscomb? The man had poured his heart and
soul into his job for over thirty years. He could have retired ages ago, yet
this place was his life. Where would he go? What would he do? What about the
other teachers, the cafeteria ladies and the cooks? All would face unemployment
with small chance of finding a new job soon.

She
ached for them almost as much as herself, but dare not dwell on their
predicament. She had her own plight to resolve. If she didn’t find a job
immediately, she’d be in trouble.