Spring Broke

by Melody Carlson

  “Wrong,” Vera told her as she stepped into her private office, firmly closing the door behind her.

  “No go?” asked Ellen. Naturally, the receptionist had heard the whole pitiful thing.

  “No.” Megan sighed. “I guess I’ll have to call Cynthia.”

  “Well, don’t call her until after lunch. She told me she plans to be in a consultation with the homeowners all morning.”

  “Thanks for the heads-up.”

  “Did you hear it’s another ten-thousand-square-foot house?” Ellen shook her head. “What’s up with these rich people building these huge houses? Haven’t they heard that the new rage is to build green?”

  Megan smiled. “It’s hard to imagine a house of that size being green, but I suppose it’s possible.”

  Ellen glanced over to where Vera’s door was still shut, then lowered her voice. “Don’t say you heard it from me, Megan, but I think Vera is planning to take some time off about the same time you were asking for. Maybe that’s why she was so stubborn.”

  “Or maybe she just can’t help herself.” Megan considered how peaceful the office would be with Vera gone for a week. It almost tempted Megan to stick around this place in her absence. That in itself would feel like a real break. Except that Megan really wanted to go with Lelani to Maui. And she’d promised. No, she couldn’t give up. Not without a good fight.

  Megan was relieved to get her work done without interruption. Monday always meant lots of ordering and checking on orders and paperwork, but Megan managed to get it all done by noon. She was just getting ready to head out to meet her mom for lunch when Vera stopped her.

  “I just thought you’d like to know that I spoke to Cynthia, Megan.”

  “Oh?” Megan slipped on her jacket and waited.

  “I told her you wanted to take spring break off.”

  “You did?” Megan frowned. Which way was this going to go?

  Vera made a catty smile. “Cynthia agreed with me. We’ll need you in the office since I’ll be gone that same week. Sorry.”

  “So there’s no chance?”

  “No. And, if you’ll recall, your employment agreement stipulates that you won’t have any vacation time until you’ve been here a full year.”

  “You mean if I stay a full year,” snapped Megan. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, this is my lunch break.” And, not waiting for a response from Vera, Megan walked out and stomped down the steps and down the walk.

  “You don’t look very happy.”

  Megan turned to see Margie at her regular post. “Hey, I didn’t see you this morning,” she said. “Is everything okay?”

  Margie smiled and looked up at the sky. “Everything’s fine. And if the rain holds off until nighttime, I’ll be happy as a clam.” Her brow furrowed now. “But you don’t look happy as a clam. What’s wrong?”

  Megan had fished several ones from her purse. She handed them to Margie and just shook her head. “I wanted some time off, but it’s not going to happen.”

  Margie thanked her for the money and tucked it inside her oversized man’s parka. “That’s why my life is so perfect.” She smiled to reveal her missing tooth. “I don’t have to ask anyone for time off.”

  Megan couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s true. Sorry to run, I’m meeting my mom.”

  “Tell your mother hello for me.”

  Megan nodded but didn’t point out that Margie had never met her mom.

  “Sorry, I’m late.” Megan found her mom already seated at a quiet corner table.

  “I took the liberty of ordering for you,” Mom told her. “Salmon chowder and a garlic bread stick.”

  “Yum!” Megan slipped off her jacket and sat down. “You know what I like.”

  “And blackberry cobbler for us to split for dessert.”

  “I should probably pass on the cobbler if I want to look good in my swimming suit.” Megan frowned. “Not that it’s going to matter.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I might not get to go to Maui after all.”

  “Why not?”

  “I asked for time off, and Vera told me no.”

  “But that’s just Vera, Megan, what about—”

  “Then Vera called Cynthia and told her why I shouldn’t be given time off.”

  “Oh.” Mom’s brows lifted slightly. “And why was that?”

  “Because Vera is already taking that week off. And because I haven’t been there a year yet, and the employment agreement says no vacation until you’ve been there for a full year.”

  “But isn’t that referring to a paid vacation? You weren’t asking for paid time off, were you?”

  “No.” Megan brightened. “That’s true.”

  “So, do you think Vera misunderstood?”

  Megan rolled her eyes. “Probably not. But she might’ve made Cynthia misunderstand.”

  “So are you going to talk to Cynthia?”

  “She’s out of town until Thursday, and it sounds like she’s pretty busy with a huge estate up in Astoria. I hate to be a pain.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t wait longer than Friday to book your flight. Phyllis, my travel agent, said it’s already hard to find two seats on the same plane. And I’m sure you and Lelani will want to fly out there together, won’t you?”

  “Of course.” Megan paused as the waiter set their orders on the table. She and her mom bowed their heads for a quick blessing.

  “I’m just saying you and Lelani should get your flights reserved as soon as possible, Megan.”

  “I know you’re right. Especially for Lelani’s sake. I’d hate to make her wait because of me and then end up not getting a flight herself.” Megan shook her head as she stuck her spoon in the soup. “And now I have a confession.”

  “A confession?” Mom leaned over with interest.

  “Yes, I snarled at Vera before I left the design firm. I acted like I might quit before my year is up.” Megan took a bite, savoring the sweet flavors of salmon and cream.

  “But, surely, you’re not going to quit, are you?” Mom looked concerned. “You know what a tough job market it is out there. And really, it’s a good job for you, sweetie.”

  “Good? In what way exactly?”

  “Well, I think it’ll look good on your resume.”

  “Like that matters.”

  “It does matter if you want to look for another job. They say that it’s better to search for your next job while you’re still employed.”

  “Who says?”

  “Oh, you know, those talking heads on TV.”

  “Yes, yes, those brilliant talking heads.”

  “But I do think it’s true, Megan. If I were interviewing someone for a job, I’d be more impressed if she was still employed. That would say that the person had come to me because she wanted to work for me, not because she desperately needed the work.”

  “That makes sense.”

  “And what about teaching jobs? Have you been putting in applications?”

  “I heard that it was still too soon.”

  “Who told you that?”

  “A teacher friend. She said they don’t start really looking until after spring break.”

  “I’ll bet there are exceptions, Megan. Like what if a teacher gets sick? Or has a baby? Or is forced to move? You never know. If I were you, I’d start looking around. You know what they say about the early bird.”

  Megan made a face. “But I don’t even like worms.”

  “Very funny.”

  “Are you still planning on coming to help Kendall this week?”

  “Sure.”

  “Because you might want to call her first.”

  “Why’s that?”

  So Megan explained about yesterday’s fight and how K
endall announced this morning that she was scrapping the idea of a garage sale altogether.

  “Do you think she meant it?”

  “Who knows? I mean Kendall is pretty unpredictable. She often says one thing and then does something totally different.”

  “But you said she’s broke and needs money.”

  “That’s true. But Kendall doesn’t exactly look at things like bills and working and responsibilities in the same way we do.”

  Mom made a wry smile. “That can get a girl in trouble.”

  “You got that right.” Okay, Megan was thinking about the pregnancy as much as finances, but she’d been loyal not to mention Kendall’s pregnancy to anyone, including her mom.

  “Well, I’ll give her a call and see what we can do.”

  “Thanks. And I’ll warn you, she’s a little bummed right now.”

  “Kendall?” Mom looked surprised. “She’s usually such an upbeat person. I can’t imagine her being too down.”

  “And she’ll probably get even more depressed when she finds out that Lelani and I are going to Maui.”

  “She doesn’t know?”

  “No. We haven’t told her or Anna yet. Anna will be home tonight, though. She called me before work. Apparently she and her mom have been into it.”

  “That’s too bad. I hate it when mothers and daughters don’t get along.”

  “Well, if you knew Anna’s mother, you’d probably understand why. Right now, she’s picking on Anna’s boyfriend. She’s worried they’ll get married and the kids will be all mixed up because Anna is Catholic, Edmond is Episcopal, and his new stepdad is Jewish.”

  Her mom laughed. “That does sound like an interesting mix.”

  “According to Mrs. Mendez, it’s a formula for disaster or World War III.”

  “Speaking of boyfriends and religion, how was Marcus’s church?”

  Megan broke her garlic stick in half. “It was actually rather nice. I was pleasantly surprised. The music was a jazz group. And the meeting was like a coffeehouse, a very cool coffeehouse, that was set up in the basement of this beautiful stone church in the old part of the city.”

  “Sounds interesting.”

  “It was. The guy who spoke was in his early thirties and has been a missionary in Latvia the past ten years. But he wasn’t the least bit stuffy. Really, it was a very cool experience.”

  “So you think you’ll go back there again?”

  “I think so.” Megan peered at her mom. “You really don’t mind?”

  Mom smiled. “Not at all, Megan. I think it would be great for Marcus, and you, to find a church that you feel comfortable in. Isn’t that what it’s all about?”

  “I guess.”

  “And you can always come back to your old church to visit.”

  “And you can visit this church—I mean if we start going regularly. To be honest, we didn’t really talk about it. But I could tell that Marcus liked being there. I’ve never seen him listen to a preacher with so much interest.”

  “That’s wonderful.”

  “It’s making me see him in a different light.” Megan wondered how much she wanted to divulge to her mother.

  “Aren’t you glad you didn’t give up on him?”

  Megan smiled. “Yeah. Thanks for encouraging me not to, Mom. It seems like you were right.”

  “Well, time will tell. And what does Marcus think about you going to Maui?”

  “He doesn’t know yet.”

  “Do you think he’ll mind?”

  “He’ll probably be jealous.” Megan frowned. “Well, if I even get to go, that is.”

  “But if you do go, I’m sure he’ll understand that a big part of why you’re going is to provide moral support for Lelani.”

  “That and to have some good plain fun.”

  “Well, anyone who doesn’t have fun in Maui shouldn’t be allowed there.”

  “That’s right. And, while we’re on the subject … if I do get to go, do you think I can borrow your luggage? Or will you be off on some big new trip by then?”

  “No big trip for me after we get back from Victoria. Although Phyllis just told me about a European tour that sounds tempting, but that wouldn’t be until next fall.”

  Megan’s lunch hour was winding down. “So, you’ll give Kendall a call then?”

  “I will.”

  Megan paused as she reached for her bag. She was tempted to tell her mom about Kendall’s pregnancy simply as a forewarning about her mood swings but stopped herself. No, she would continue to respect Kendall’s privacy. “Thanks for lunch, Mom.” Megan gave her mom a hug. “I better get back before Vera thinks that I’ve really quit.”

  “And don’t forget to start putting out teaching applications,” her mom reminded her. “I really don’t think it’s too soon.”

  Megan brightened. “You’re right. Hey, there could be a disgruntled art teacher out there right now who has suddenly decided to give up his job and take a pilgrimage to Tibet where he will study to become a monk.”

  Mom grinned. “It could happen.”

  As Megan walked back to work, she thought maybe it could happen. And maybe pigs could fly too!

  “Is Vera back from lunch yet?” Megan asked Ellen as she hung up her jacket.

  “Are you kidding? She never takes just an hour.”

  “Great. I think I’ll give Cynthia a jingle.”

  “Good luck.”

  But when Megan called, she was dumped into Cynthia’s messaging service. Unsure of how to put it, Megan simply asked for Cynthia to return her call at her convenience. “It’s not any kind of an emergency,” she said finally, “I just wanted to ask you something.” Then she hung up.

  As Megan continued to work, sifting through a pile of stuff that Vera had dumped on her desk, Megan couldn’t help but feel like this was unfair. Because, like her mom had pointed out, it wasn’t as if she was asking for paid time off. And she’d been a faithful employee, often going beyond what was expected to make a customer happy. And she often worked overtime without even being compensated for it. Really, how easy would it be for them to replace her? She was tempted to write a letter of resignation right now.

  On the other hand, she knew that this job was valuable work experience, and her mom was probably right that it would look good on a résumé—especially if she stuck to it for more than just her “almost” six months. If she was smart, she would revise her résumé and start sending it out to the local schools. She should be checking out job Web sites and filling out applications to teach art … or to teach anything. Really, wouldn’t any kind of teaching job be preferable to working for Vera?

  Of course, Cynthia might be disappointed. Really, Cynthia had been great to work for. It was too bad that Cynthia was stuck with Vera. So what if Vera was well connected to wealthy homeowners in dire need of redecorating? Was it worth it? Sometimes Megan thought Cynthia had sold her soul to the devil just to make a successful design firm. And the sad part was that Cynthia had the talent to make it without Vera. But from what Megan could tell, Cynthia hadn’t believed in herself or her ability. She had been impatient. She had wanted success early on. And she had gotten it. But she’d also gotten Vera. It seemed a high price to pay.

  Megan hoped that she’d remember things like this when it came to making choices in her own life. Although she prayed about major decisions and tried to let God lead her, she still suspected there could come times when she, like Cynthia, might be tempted to run ahead of things—to break or slightly twist the rules to accomplish whatever it was she was trying to attain. But she hoped that wouldn’t be the case. She hoped that she’d learn from the mistakes of others and not fall into those same traps herself. Still, sometimes the school of hard knocks taught the most memorable lessons. That is, if a student was paying attention. Fo
r someone like Kendall, maybe not so much.

  Finally, the workday came to an end and Cynthia still hadn’t returned her call. Megan was tempted to call again but knew that would appear pesky. So she turned off the light in her tiny office and gathered up her things to go home. Vera’s office was dark too, and it looked like she’d already left, but Ellen was still at the reception desk.

  “I just heard from Cynthia,” she told Megan. “She said today was crazy, but she did get your message and will try to get back to you tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Thanks.” Megan forced a smile. “See ya.”

  As Megan walked toward home, it began to rain. Naturally, she hadn’t brought an umbrella. Most native Oregonians didn’t carry one. Still, the idea of having something overhead to keep her dry was appealing. As she hurried toward Bloomberg Place, she prayed. First she asked God to make a way for her to go with Lelani to Maui. Of course, she asked him to close the door if he didn’t want her to go. Next she asked God to help her find a job more suitable to who she was—something where she could make a difference in a person’s life, not simply their dining room drapes. And, finally, she prayed for Kendall. She asked God to soften her heart toward this perplexing girl. “Show me how to be a better friend and to not be so judgmental,” she prayed as she turned onto the walk that led to the house. The raindrops were falling in big splats now, and she hurried inside and shut the door against the wind.

  She spun around and plowed smack into Kendall. Trying to recover, she nearly stepped on Tinkerbell. Megan hopped aside, and the little dog yipped and jumped behind Kendall with her tail between her legs.

  “Sorry,” said Megan. “I didn’t see you two there.”

  “I cannot believe you!” Kendall glared at her in anger.

  “I said I’m sorry.” Megan peeled off her soggy jacket. “It was raining cats and dogs outside. I was just trying to get into the house. Sorry I ran into you. Are you okay?”

  “No, I am not okay.”

  Megan frowned at her. “You look okay.”

  “Looks can be deceiving.”

  “What?”

  Kendall waved her arms dramatically. “I try to wear a happy face, but underneath it, I am crying. My heart is broken.”