by JoAnn Carter
Amanda turned and addressed the rest of her students. Fifteen squirming, energetic kids scrambled as she called, “Time to put your things away in your cubbies and line up at the door.”
As the children shuffled about, Amanda’s mind drifted. If I did have an assistant, this would be much easier, but would it be enough? Lord, what is it that You want me to do? I love each of these children, but… I’m just worn out. Please give me the strength I need.
Tiny hands tugged at the hem of her blouse. “Miss Manning, Miss Manning!?”
Amanda stooped to look into Callie’s expectant green eyes. “What is it, sweetie?”
The frail little redhead wrapped her arms around Amanda’s waist. “Oh, I just love you, that’s all.”
Amanda returned the hug. “What a sweetheart you are. How’d you know I needed a hug right now?” She looked into Callie’s freckled face. “I love you, too.” With a grin and a wink, she tousled the girl’s hair. “All set to get on the bus?”
Callie shrugged into her backpack. “Yep.”
“Yes.” Amanda gently corrected. “And I’m glad you got ready so fast.” Standing, she added, “Now how about showing me how good you are at standing in line?”
The final bell rang and Amanda walked with her students to the lobby. As soon as the students were loaded onto their buses, she headed back to her quiet classroom.
Amanda plopped down at her desk and glanced around. Sixteen student desks were arranged in four neat rows. In the back of the room, two long worktables were covered and scattered with remnants of sand and construction paper from their earlier learning activity. Amanda’s gaze fell to her favorite corner. The welcoming, tidy spot held the flip chart, surrounded by a rainbow assortment of floor mats circled at the base of the easel.
Carolyn, Amanda’s colleague and dear friend from childhood, popped her head through the doorway. “Earth to Amanda. Earth to Amanda.” Laughing, she added, “That’s a deep look. Everything okay?”
Amanda cupped her chin in her hand. “I love these kids, love my job.”
“But….”
“Since I was a little girl, all I wanted to do was teach,” she added softly, “but working year-round at Cone Heads sounds mighty tempting about now.”
Carolyn laughed. “Hang in there. It’s only two more weeks.”
Amanda simply stared at her.
“Know what I think? You’ve got the June Blues.”
Amanda took a deep breath. Leave it to Carolyn to try to make her feel better. Only problem was, she doubted it would work this time. She ran a weary hand over the back of her neck. “I hope it isn’t more than that.”
Carolyn crossed the room in three long strides “Talk to me,” she said, perching on the corner of Amanda’s desk.
I guess there’s no avoiding the inevitable. “I met with Mr. Murray earlier this week. Did you hear the enrollment for special needs is increasing for next year?”
“I did,” Carolyn said soberly.
They were both quiet for a moment.
Amanda folded her arms across her chest and exhaled heavily. “I’m worn out, Carolyn. Mr. Murray mentioned an assistant but, you know as well as I do, the budget is tighter than the dress shoes I wear on Sunday morning.”
“What you need is some breathing space.” Carolyn quickly came around the desk and tugged Amanda out of her chair. “I think it’s time we had a little treat. Maybe we can come up with a solution over something sweet and fattening.”
Amanda groaned good-naturedly and allowed her friend to lead her out the door. As they exited, Amanda blurted, “I’m considering giving up teaching. “
Eyes wide, Carolyn gasped, “Come on. You can’t be serious. You’re tired, that’s all. You need some good old-fashioned R&R. You’ll feel differently when—”
“No,” Amanda interrupted gently, “it’s not that simple. Class size keeps growing and, well, I just can’t do the job properly alone. The kids deserve more.”
“Listen to me.” Carolyn grabbed her friend’s shoulders and gave a gentle shake. “I’m not saying this because you’re my best friend. You’re a wonderful teacher. God has given you a very special gift. You can’t just throw it away.”
Amanda stood slump-shouldered, silent.
“No need to make any snap decisions. Why not just wait? See if Mr. Murray finds some money in the budget to get you help. Then you can decide, one way or another.” She gave Amanda another gentle shake, “Before you turn your entire world upside down.”
“But,” Amanda dared to voice one of her worst fears. “What if this is God trying to lead me somewhere else?”
Carolyn crossed both arms over her chest and tapped her foot. “So, maybe He is, but you can’t know for sure until you give it some time. Pray on it awhile. If God is directing you elsewhere, isn’t it best to wait and see His hand in things?”
Amanda knew Carolyn was right. Besides, she wasn’t one to usually make quick decisions or rush to judgment. “Okay,” she said, forcing an upbeat tone into her voice that she didn’t feel. “You made some good points. Least I can do is talk to Mr. Murray again.”
****
Tracy whistled a happy tune and took a seat behind the small cubical desk at the State’s Board of Education Building.
Don looked up from his computer, then sat back and pushed the desk chair a few inches back. “What are you so happy about?”
“I just had an interview with Milltown Elementary.”
“Oh, yeah?” Don raised his eyebrows and asked, “What position did you apply for?”
Tracy looked like a cat that just lapped up a bowl of cream. “They have an opening for a teacher’s assistant.”
“Hmm, you’d be good at that,” Don acknowledged.
“I hope so. I like working with kids.”
Don chuckled. “Since you have that goofy smile plastered all over your face, I take it things went well?”
“I think so.” Tracy reached for a pen out of the jar and began playing with the cap. “I’m looking forward to working with the real McCoy.”
Don threw his empty coffee cup in the trashcan next to his desk and asked, “What does that mean?”
“If I get this job, I’ll be working with kids, not just people who act like them.”
Don rolled his eyes, pretending he was insulted. “You kidding me? You’re the biggest kid I know.”
Tracy laughed. “Guess you got me there.”
“Seriously, I hope you do get this position.” Don leaned back in his chair and said, “You’ll be able to come back to work here by the end of June, right?”
“That’s the plan.”
“Well, good luck to you then. I wish I had the opportunity to leave here for a few months. It might help me get a little bit more perspective. All I see now is a mound of papers.”
“Speaking of which, I’ve got a lot of loose ends to tie up here if I do get offered that position. I’d need to start in August.”
“You will,” Don confidently said.
“I don’t know...” Tracy hesitantly admitted, “There could very easily be someone more qualified.”
Don shrugged off that possibility. “You have a good résumé. It’ll pull through for you. You’ll see.”
“I hope so,” Tracy said, picking up the pile of papers strewn across the desk. “I could use a little change of pace, too.”
Teacher's Plans
Teacher's Plans
Chapter Two
August
Despite being the end of the summer, a refreshing Vermont mountain breeze blew through the old farmhouse’s windows, making the white muslin curtains dance. Amanda found it hard to believe she had rented this converted one-bedroom apartment for four years now. She loved every nook and cranny from the wide pine-plank floorboards to the broad burgundy trim on the cream colored walls. Amanda sat curled up like a kitten in the window seat with a book. Every now and then, she’d look out at the beloved hills and sigh with pleasure. If only this sense of peace could las
t forever. She refused to think about the future, for fear it would shatter this delicate web of contentment.
The phone rang. She set aside her book and reached for it. “Hello, Amanda speaking.”
“Hello, Amanda. This is Michael Murray.”
“Oh, hi.” Out of habit, she tucked a wave of hair behind her ear.
“Good news.” Mr. Murray’s voice boomed over the line. “The school board has hired Tracy Atkins to be your assistant.”
Amanda almost jumped out of her seat. “Really? But the budget…?”
Mr. Murray chuckled. “Sometimes, things do work out. Tracy will start work during the teacher’s inservice.”
Amanda contained the whoop she was dying to shout. “Thank you so much, Mr. Murray, for everything. Wow, I can only imagine what it will be like to work with an assistant.”
Mr. Murray chuckled. “I think you’ll enjoy it.”
“Oh, I’m sure I will,” Amanda readily agreed.
“I’ll be in your school myself for part of the inservice, so I’ll see you then.”
“Great. Thanks for the call.” Her mind swam and she couldn’t wait to tell Carolyn.
Mr. Murray’s voice cut into her musing. “You’re welcome. Have a great day, Amanda.”
“You, too.” Amanda placed the phone back on its cradle. Thank you, Lord, that You are in control and You didn’t desert me and You never will. Thank You, too, that the administration finally sees the need for help in my class. Now I know this is where You want me to be. In Christ’s name, Amen.
****
The following week, Amanda sat behind the desk staring at her calendar as Carolyn breezed through the doorway. “Hey, Amanda, whatcha up to? Getting ready for the inservice?”
“I’m trying to figure out how to work the next few days. Can you believe there are only three more days before school starts?”
“I haven’t quite figured out how this happens, but I’m convinced the summer gets shorter every year.”
Amanda laughed. “But you wouldn’t want it any other way, would you? Life just isn’t the same without the kids.”
“That sounds familiar.” Carolyn said with at grin. “Say, when is your assistant arriving?”
Amanda looked at her watch. “She should be here in about half an hour. I’m trying to plan how we will divide the tasks before she arrives.”
“Don’t forget to introduce me. “
“Sure thing. I’ll bring her by as soon as I can.”
“Sounds good.”
Amanda turned back and worked almost ten minutes longer on her plans. However, she found it hard to sit still. “I give up!” she exclaimed in disgust as she walked over to the window and glanced out. The car pulling into the lot looked familiar.
She tried to remember where she had seen it before and like a lightning bolt, it clicked. Amanda ran out of her classroom to Carolyn’s room next door. “Carolyn, look out the window, that gray car is exactly like the one at the Superintendent’s building that made me look like a drowned rat. Do you remember me telling you about that?”
Carolyn rose from her seat to look out the window. “Sure. Which one is it?” As Amanda pointed out the window to the car, a tall, distinguished-looking man wearing dark sunglasses, a navy polo shirt and tan pants got out. As they watched him emerge, he turned and faced their way. He walked toward the school with long purposeful strides. His dark, wavy hair and broad shoulders were striking. Carolyn let out a whistle. “I don’t think I would care if he splashed me. Who is that guy?”
Amanda looked him up and down from his shiny shoes to his dark hair and thought, typical yuppie . Again, she had that vague feeling, even seeing him from the distance, she had seen him somewhere before.
“You kidding?” She glanced at Carolyn and complained, “Just looking at him makes me feel frumpy. He’s...well, so put together. That is so …not…” throwing her hands up, “not life!”
“Umm...” Carolyn murmured as she continued staring out the window.
Amanda pulled at her worn denim shirt with spots of paint on it as she walked away from the window. “Who cares? I’m going to clear my head. Wanna grab a soda? I still have ten or fifteen minutes before my assistant should arrive.”
At the word soda, Carolyn finally looked away from the window. She grinned and sheepishly muttered, “Sure, but I, um…didn’t quite catch everything you said. I was kind of...ahh, preoccupied.” She walked toward Amanda and added, “But, I did hear the soda part and I’d love one. Then I think I’ll be off on a mission. I’m going to find out who our mystery man is.” She grabbed Amanda’s arm as they headed out the door.
After her quick break with Carolyn, Amanda sat at her desk, feeling refreshed. She quickly became engrossed in her teacher’s plans. As she tapped the pencil on her planning book, she thought about her first week and what she desired to accomplish.
“Miss Manning?”
Amanda startled at the deep voice, which called her name and jumped in surprise. Her eyes locked into a deep blue gaze and she could feel her heart slam against her chest wall. She knew those eyes; how could she forget? He was the guy from the ice cream store who had Wilma tied in knots.
Amanda tried not to let her chin drop as she swallowed hard. “Can I help you?”
“I hope so. Are you Amanda Manning?”
“Yes, I am.” Amanda answered as she tried to figure out what he could possibly be doing in her classroom.
Holding his hand out to her, he said, “Great. I’m Tracy Atkins.”
Amanda reached out to shake his hand when his words hit her full force. She withdrew her hand like she just touched fire and squeaked, “You’re who?”
“I’m your new assistant. The principal said to meet you here.”
Silence engulfed the room. Tracy shifted his weight to one hip looking slightly uncomfortable for the first time. “He said you would be expecting me.”
Amanda tried to cover up her shock. “Um, right…it’s just…” You’re a man—not just any man—a drop dead gorgeous man! She felt like she was drowning with no way out; she needed time to gather her wits. “Were you by any chance at an interview in the Board of Education building on June 13th?”
Tracy, clearly puzzled, answered good-naturedly, “Yes, I believe I was.”
“Did you drive a gray car to that interview?”
Wearing a puzzled expression, Tracy hesitantly replied, “Well, I would think so. It’s the only car I have.”
Now more flustered than ever, Amanda plopped down in the chair behind the desk, Great. This line of thought isn’t helping me to pull myself together one bit. Amanda murmured, “I believe we’ve already met.”
“I thought so, too.” He said with a dazzling smile. “You work at the ice cream shop, right?”
Amanda wondered just what else he remembered about that visit and felt herself blush to her hair roots. Of all the people in the world who could be hired for this position… God, this isn’t funny! Help me to handle this situation. She lifted her prayer and then tried to take a deep steadying breath, but wound up coughing instead. Finally she said, “Yes, I work there over the summer, but I was actually referring to something else. You see, I was also at the Board of Education building on the thirteenth, rushing to get inside when your car sprayed me with mud.”
It was his turn to look shocked. “I’m so sorry, I had no idea.”
As Tracy watched her, Amanda wondered if his blue eyes could see right into her soul. She felt like she was socked in the gut and the wind was knocked out of her. She tried to wave it away. “I figured as much.” Confession is good for the soul. At least that’s what her mom always said. She stood up, put her hands on the desk, and took a deep, cleansing breath. “Now it’s my turn to extend an apology to you. I was expecting a woman for my assistant. You took me by surprise, and then to find out you’re the mysterious owner of the gray car…”
Tracy laughed. “I think my first impression of you was correct after all.”
“A
nd what was that?” Amanda inquired with raised eyebrows.
“Ah, being the gentleman that I am, I’d rather keep my thoughts to myself, lest you think I’m prone to flirting…”and with a serious face, Tracy added, “which, in case you’re wondering, I am not.”
Amanda felt her face grow warm again. “Anyway, does that mean I’m forgiven?”
“Of course.” Tracy took a tentative step toward her chair and offered her his hand once again in a most gallant way. “Perhaps,” he suggested, “we could start all over?”
