by Helen Gray
“We promised to take Bingo to his box every forty-five minutes so he could go to the bathroom, and we didn’t do it,” Gabe confessed quietly.
“Why was that wrong?”
“Because we broke a promise?”
“That’s right. Anything else?”
“Was it bad for Bingo?” Garrett asked, his chin quivering.
“Well, I’m sure it wasn’t good for him,” Toni allowed. “It made him, uh …”
“Stink,” Garrett supplied solemnly.
“That’s true. He shouldn’t have been forced to get messy that way, and that sack was probably hot and sticky.”
“I’m sorry,” Garrett mumbled.
“Me, too,” Gabe echoed.
“Are you really?” She looked from one to the other.
They both nodded.
“Good. I want you to write a note to Mr. and Mrs. Zachary. Explain what you did and why it was wrong. Then you should apologize. Can you do that?”
“You mean we write a note together?” Garrett asked hopefully.
She shook her head. “No, I mean you each write your own note. And I want them ready when the Zachary’s come to get Bingo this afternoon. Now go clean his box and fill his food and water bowls. Then we’ll eat and get ready for church.”
The sermon that morning compounded Toni’s guilt. The pastor talked about how people let themselves be caught up in their demanding schedules and spend so much time doing good for others that they didn’t spend enough time with their own families. His admonition to slow down and spend time with God and their families struck deep inside her. She wanted to block out his words, pretend they didn’t apply to her. But she couldn’t.
She poured her energies into hobbies, pleasures, activities, her job—all good things—but fruitless if her own family was neglected. Yet, when she tried to evaluate the busyness of her life, she didn’t see what she could eliminate or do differently. She worked hard to take care of her family. She was here in church with them. What more did God expect of her?
Tears of frustration welled in her eyes.
I’m doing all I can, God. Please don’t ask any more of me. I have responsibilities. I have to protect Garrett.
*
After church they ate at the Zinger. When they got home, Kyle took his truck to the car wash, and the boys went to their rooms to write their notes. They were still there when John and Jenny arrived at four o’clock.
“We can’t stay. I have papers to grade,” John said when Toni offered to take their coats.
“Gabe. Garrett,” she called down the hall.
The boys crept into view and stopped at the edge of the living room.
“Hey, what’s the matter?” John asked at the sight of their solemn faces.
“Here.” Gabe stepped forward and handed him a sheet of paper. “I’m sorry.”
Garrett did likewise. “Here.” His note was folded into a small square. “I’m sorry, too.”
“May we be excused?” Gabe asked politely.
Toni studied their discomfort. “For now.”
They wasted no time escaping back to their room.
Puzzled, John opened Gabe’s note and began to read. When he finished, he handed it to Jenny and unfolded Garrett’s. He read it and looked up at Toni. Then he placed a hand over his mouth and began to sputter. He passed the second note to Jenny.
Fighting for control, he eyed Toni. “Did you read these?”
She frowned. “No. They just finished, so I didn’t have time to do that.”
“Garrett says what they did was wrong because he would not want to be in a bag of pee like that.”
Jenny, who had just finished the notes, began to shake in silent laughter. “Tell the boys I’ll be checking with them in the future about puppy sitting. It sounds like they’ve learned not to take shortcuts.”
“I’m embarrassed, and I’m not sure you should do that,” Toni said apologetically. “But thanks for being good sports.”
John headed for the utility room. “Let’s take the rascal home.”
Soon after they left, Kyle returned. “I’d like to see if I can catch Dana Smith at home,” Toni told him as soon as he entered the house.
His accusing look made her feel guilty, but not enough to change her mind.
“All right, I’ll watch the boys,” he said in resignation, reading her determination.
She grabbed her coat and left. Having a pretty good idea how to find Dana, Toni drove to a housing development about ten miles from town near the river and stopped at the fire house she knew served as the community information center. It didn’t take long to get directions to Dana’s house.
There were four homes on the block to which she was directed. Toni parked in front of the one at the end of the street. There were no vehicles there, but she got out and went to the door anyhow. She knocked and waited. When no one answered, she knocked again.
A car occupied the driveway next door, so Toni went over and knocked on the door of that house. An elderly lady, white haired and wearing thick glasses, answered the door. She squinted out at Toni. “May I help you?”
“I’m looking for Dana Smith, but she doesn’t seem to be home. Do you have any idea where I might find her?”
“I have no idea where she is,” the woman said. “The last time I saw her was back early in the week. She put several suitcases in her car and left. I haven’t seen her since.”
Toni’s suspicions ramped up another notch. “Thank you.” She returned to her minivan.
*
Monday morning Toni was working at her desk when Phil Norton poked his head inside the doorway. “Got a minute?”
“Sure.” She motioned the resource officer inside. “Have a seat.”
“Thanks.” He dropped into the chair near her desk. “I checked the schedule and saw that you don’t have a class this hour. I don’t have much, but I wanted to let you know that Donnie Fisher is working as a mechanic at Lonnie’s Garage and Body Shop.”
“Did you learn anything about his behavior?”
Phil tilted his head. “If you mean how he treats other people, especially girls, the answer is yes. The person I talked to says the guy likes to knock his girlfriends around.”
Uh oh. “That’s often a power thing. He controls the relationship. A girl can’t break up with him if she wants out, because he has to be the one who ends things.”
Phil nodded. “I think you’re right. The girls won’t report the abuse because they love him, or they’re too afraid of him to do it. If they do report it, they end up dropping it.”
“The counselor needs to know about this. Maybe she can get Jodi to talk to her.”
Phil glanced at his watch. “You have class in a few minutes. Would it help if I talk to the counselor?”
“Thanks.” She was glad for the help.
*
Two figures slipped through the doorway into the dark room. One of them switched on the light while the other locked the door behind them. Then, giggling, they embraced.
There was a small, almost imperceptible click.
One of them froze. “What was that?”
They listened and heard only silence.
“It was nothing,” the other said. The embrace resumed.
“We better go,” one of them whispered later. There was another click, but neither of them heard it.
They put things back in order and left the room.
*
Tuesday morning Kyle left early, telling Toni and the boys good-bye well before time for them to head for school. He had promised to be in sometime Saturday evening.
“Can we go eat Chinese tonight?” Gabe asked as he climbed into the front seat of the van.
“May we,” Toni corrected automatically.
“May we?” he amended, rolling his eyes at the injustice of being the son of a teacher.
“Hm, that does sound good. All right.”
He beamed. “Do you think we could walk down to your room after school today?
”
Toni shook her head. “No, nothing’s changed.” She looked back to include Garrett in her statement. “I want to be sure you’re safe.”
“I understand,” Gabe said, but his tone indicated he was beginning to feel restricted.
“You think someone is trying to hurt me, don’t you?” Garrett’s question from behind them was barely audible.
Toni turned in the seat to face him and tried to be honest. “It’s possible, and I’m not taking any chances. I know you want to be free to do things like you always have, but I need to keep you where I can feel that you’re safe.” She hoped he understood.
His expression was sober. “Is it because my dream made you find the body?”
“That’s a possibility,” Toni admitted, wishing it were not true. She wanted to hold him and assure him, but knew he would resist such coddling.
Toni believed she had a special bond with her children, but there was a new strain since the incident in the parking lot. She didn’t want to smother them, but she simply had to keep them safe. Neither of the boys had become argumentative or belligerent, but they were quieter and less spontaneous, obviously worried and trying to not show it.
She and Kyle had told them about the attack on her at the lake, but had made as light of it as they could, implying that it was probably a hunting accident. They had hidden the section of the newspaper that contained the story about it and cautioned their friends and colleagues to not discuss it in front of them. Hopefully they would not hear about it from their classmates. If that happened, she would have to figure out another way to keep them from feeling more worry than they already did.
Toni shifted in the seat so she could make eye contact with both of them. “Listen, guys, I know you don’t like the way things are, and you probably feel you’re being treated like babies, but your safety is very important to me. I hope it won’t last much longer.”
“I think Dad is worried about you—about us,” Gabe said in his grown-up manner.
“He is,” Garrett seconded, his brown eyes troubled.
“Which is another reason for us to be careful. He needs to know that we’re taking care of one another.” Toni glanced down at her watch. “Uh oh. We’re about to be late.”
The day began in a normal fashion. During third hour Toni went to confirm whether or not Dana was back on the job. When she entered the administrative office, the secretary grimaced. “If you’re looking for Dana, she’s still out sick.” She grabbed a ringing phone.
A man and woman, both wearing dark business suits, emerged from the bookkeeping office. Ryan Prewitt, looking harried, came from the superintendent’s office next door. “How about some coffee?” he asked the visitors as they met near the secretary’s desk. “We have a pot in the lounge.”
“No thank you,” the woman said. “We’re just going to the car for some more boxes.”
Ryan watched them go out the door before he noticed Toni. His navy blue suit and pristine white shirt looked sharp, but his tie was askew. He tugged at it. “This is stressful.”
Toni gave him a sympathetic smile. “I understand.” Inwardly she was elated. Unless she missed her guess, those two visitors were auditors. If so, it meant something was actually being done. “If there’s any way I can help, let me know.”
“Maybe you and your students could clone me, so I can be in two places at once,” he quipped, taking the coffee pot from its perch and filling his mug.
“I think you’re doing fine,” she said, wanting to encourage him. “Maybe things will settle down soon and the board will hire a replacement superintendent.”
“I sure hope so.” His sigh was heartfelt.
Toni returned to her classroom, and the day proceeded fine after that—until seventh hour. While distributing materials, she noticed Dustin Guthrie and Sidney Rayford sitting in adjacent desks near the back of the room. They wore angry expressions and were not flirting as usual.
Jodi sat two rows in front of them, staring silently ahead. Her eye had turned a veritable mixture of colors—green, yellow and purple. The swelling had gone down in her lip, though.
Toni went to the white board and picked up a colored marker. “Here is what you should see in the microscope.” She began a simple drawing of a dividing cell and hoped they were paying attention.
They were not. Sidney turned and hissed in Dustin’s face, her expression one of fury.
“Hey, knock it off, you two,” Robbie Detheridge snapped, not bothering to whisper. “Some of us want to hear what Mrs. Donovan is saying. We don’t need to listen to you two arguing about a broken date.”
Dustin shot to his feet, anger reddening his face.
Robbie also stood, and they faced off in hostility.
“All right, that’s enough.” Toni raised a hand in a cop-like signal.
“They started…”
“No arguments,” Toni snapped before Robbie could say more. “There will be order in this class, or the matter will be taken up with Mr. Douglas in the office. Do I make myself clear?” She glared at one, then the other.
“Yes, ma’am.” Robbie eased back into his chair.
Dustin weighed the matter for several moments before slowly resuming his seat. Sidney sat back in her chair, arms folded over her chest, and sulked in silence.
“Now, as I was saying,” Toni said, resuming her lecture and demonstration.
She wasn’t sorry when the class ended and the students left. Why did kids have to be so rude to one another?
“Hi, how was your day?” John greeted her from his doorway across the little foyer between their rooms.
“Don’t ask,” she said with a grimace and started back into her room.
He followed her. “That bad, huh?”
“Just the last hour.”
The phone rang, startling them both.
Toni snatched the receiver. “Yes.” There was no need to identify herself, since whoever was calling her extension knew who they were calling. There was no caller ID.
“Hi, Toni,” Kelly Graham’s voice greeted her. “Do you have time to stop by my office for a chat before you go home?”
“Well, “Toni hesitated. “I need to pick up my boys.”
John tapped her on the shoulder. “I’ll go get your boys if you need to do something.”
“Just a moment.” She pulled the phone away from her ear. “Kelly wants me to stop by. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“It’s no trouble,” he assured her.
She returned to Kelly. “I’ll be right there.”
“I’ll bring them to my room,” John said, heading up the hall while Toni went the opposite direction.
“Hi, Toni. Thanks for coming.” Kelly sat at her desk, hands folded in front of her, as Toni entered her office and took a seat.
“What’s up?” Toni asked.
“I caught up with Jodi Garrison today, but I’m not sure it did any good. I spoke to her about her excessive absences and the effect they’re having on her grades. She insists she really has been sick and that the black eye is from a fall. I suggested she see the nurse, but of course she refused.”
“Are you aware that her new boyfriend is Donnie Fisher?”
There was a moment of silence. Then Kelly spoke deliberately. “I wasn’t. I thought she was being abused. Now I’m sure of it.”
“I don’t think she’ll ever admit it. She’s afraid.”
Kelly nodded agreement. “I’ve talked to Ken, and I’ve assured the girl I’ll help her in any way I can if she’ll just come to me. We have no choice now but to call Protective Services.”
Toni rubbed her forehead in frustration. “So many students live with broken or dysfunctional families, neglect and abuse, to say nothing of the peer pressures they face.”
Kelly emitted a weary sigh. “I know. We help where we can, but it never seems to be enough. I wish we could do more.”
“I appreciate your attempt at intervention.” Toni stood to leave.
“Let’s keep a
n eye on her. Maybe one of us will get an opportunity to help her.”
Toni hurried to John’s room and found him and the boys enjoying Popsicles and playing tic tac toe on the white board.
“Great stress release,” John quipped, drawing a line from corner to corner of the diagram.
She grinned. “You boys ready to go?”
They threw their sticks in the trash can. “We are now,” Gabe said for both of them. He gathered his backpack and trombone.
Toni faced John. “We’re eating at the Chinese Buffet. Can you and Jenny join us?”
“That’s funny,” he said with a grin. “She said just this morning that she wanted to eat out tonight rather than cook. What time?”
“Why don’t we meet there at six?”
“We’ll be there.”
*
When Toni and the boys set out for the restaurant at a quarter to six, the weather had turned worse. The temperature was dropping, and snow flurries whirled in the air. It looked like it was gearing up for another snowstorm. She hoped it didn’t get bad enough to cancel school. Disrupted schedules caused problems, and any days missed had to be made up later.
“I’m having cashew chicken,” Garrett announced from the passenger seat beside her. Gabe was taking his turn in the back. Toni had rejoiced when they stopped bickering about who got to ride in the front and started taking turns.
“Crab Rangoon and honey chicken.” Gabe smacked his lips loudly behind them.
John and Jenny were just pulling into a parking spot when Toni turned in at the restaurant. Once inside, the adults settled at a table by the east window, and the boys sat at the next one. They all placed their orders for iced tea, filled their plates at the buffet, and then sat down to enjoy themselves. They rounded out the meal with dishes of ice cream.
John put his spoon beside his empty plate and looked across the table at Toni. “You started to tell me about your last hour class. What happened?”
“It looked like Dustin and Sidney were getting close to a physical fight. Either of you have any idea what’s going on there?” She looked from John to Jenny.
“I might.” John raised an index finger. “I had lunch duty today, and I overheard Sidney tell some friends that she and Dustin were supposed to go out last night, but he broke the date.”
