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Mulligan

Page 10

by K. G. MacGregor


  conversation with Miss Stevens a

  number of times, even thinking

  that her former teacher might

  reveal something very personal.

  "I'm… having second thoughts

  about going into teaching on

  account of what they're doing to

  Mr. Ulster." Darren Ulster was the

  band director who had taken

  Rhonda Markosky's place at

  Westfield High School.

  "What do you mean? What's going

  on with Mr. Ulster?"

  "There was this article in the

  paper last month about a guy

  who's being kicked out of the

  reserves because he's gay. The

  article mentioned that his partner

  was the band director at

  Westfield."

  Louise had had an inkling that

  Darren was gay, but these were

  things they all left at home.

  "So the next thing we know, the

  new superintendent announces at a

  school board meeting that Mr.

  Ulster's contract won't be

  renewed for next year. And since

  Mr. Ulster doesn't have tenure, he

  can't fight it. Mom sent me all the

  clippings because I was in the

  band. Of course, she and Dad have

  no idea just how close to home

  this all hits for me."

  The retired teacher was appalled

  at this news. Gay teachers weren't

  exactly visible in their county, but

  there had never before been a

  case in which one was fired.

  "Surely Mr. Meyer and the school

  board won't let that happen." Ted

  Meyer was principal at Westfield,

  and Louise's longtime friend. "Mr.

  Ulster's done a wonderful job and

  the students seem to like him a

  lot."

  "I don't know, Miss Stevens. The

  school board keeps talking about

  what a good job this new

  superintendent is doing, so it's

  starting to sound like he can do

  whatever he wants."

  For Louise, the serious turn of

  conversation had taken her focus

  from the game. Stepping aside,

  she waved a foursome through.

  "So you're concerned that being

  gay will be a problem for you if

  you go into teaching?"

  "Well, yeah. It's not fair that

  somebody can do a good job and

  be successful and still get fired

  for something that has nothing to

  do with teaching. I mean, it's not

  like he's even said anything at

  school. Even if he had of, he

  didn't do anything wrong." The

  frustration was evident in the

  young girl's voice.

  "You're right, it isn't fair. I…”

  Louise shook her head in

  disbelief, "I just don't think Ted

  Meyer's going to let that happen."

  "There's a school board meeting

  right after my semester ends, and

  a couple of the band parents have

  asked to speak on Mr. Ulster's

  behalf. I was thinking I might try

  to get on the agenda."

  "Really? What would you say?"

  "Basically, I'd tell them that I

  think that gay students need

  positive role models at school. I

  was scared to death of what I was

  feeling back in high school, and

  there wasn't anybody at all that I

  could talk to about it."

  Though it hadn't been said as a

  rebuke, Louise couldn't help but

  feel guilty at her secret. What was

  worse in her mind was that she

  knew that the girl probably

  suspected the truth, but was too

  respectful to ask.

  "That would be a very courageous

  thing to do, Michelle."

  "Yeah, but first, I have to tell my

  parents. I was thinking about

  saying something when we got

  back to Pittsburgh on Sunday.

  We'll only have a couple of hours

  to talk before I have to get back

  to school, but I think I should tell

  them in person."

  The older woman waved another

  group through. Louise felt

  honored to be among the few

  people this young girl trusted with

  her most closely held secret. She

  remembered well what it was like

  to worry about how her family

  would react. After college, she'd

  told one of her brothers, and he

  told the other one, but she'd

  never talked to her parents. They

  knew, she guessed; she brought

  Rhonda to Wheeling almost every

  time she visited and they always

  shared a room. But it was never

  discussed.

  "Those are big steps, Michelle.

  You won't be able to take any of it

  back, you know."

  The girl nodded grimly. "I think

  my parents will be okay. I mean,

  it's not like this is going to come

  out of the blue or anything. But it

  pretty much guarantees that I'll

  never be able to go back to

  Westmoreland County to teach."

  "Unless you and the others

  convince the board that this is

  stupid to even consider. They'll all

  be the laughing stock of the

  civilized world. This kind of thing

  just doesn't happen anymore." At

  least, Louise hoped it wouldn't

  happen; not to Darren, and

  certainly not at the place where

  she'd taught for 39 years.

  Louise looked up to see the

  familiar blonde driving their way.

  "You guys tired, or have you lost

  all your balls?" the pro quipped,

  coming to a stop in front of their

  cart.

  "Neither," the tall woman

  answered. "We're just talking

  about something serious is all."

  Marty picked up right away on her

  partner's tone and knew it wasn't

  something to joke about. "Is there

  anything I can do?"

  "No, but thank you." Louise cast

  her a look that said she'd explain

  later, and both women watched

  the golf pro disappear to the next

  hole.

  "That was really nice of her to

  stop," the youth remarked.

  "Yeah, that's the way Marty is.

  I'm lucky to have her… for a

  friend," she quickly added.

  "Hey, Petie!" The golf pro

  squatted down to greet the

  excited terrier. "I'm home, Lou!"

  She heard her lover talking in the

  study.

  "He can't do this, can he?" Louise had finally reached Ted Meyer at

  his home to get to the bottom of

  the Darren Ulster mess. "I just

  think this is awful, Ted. What kind

  of message does that send to the

  kids who are starting to deal with

  this kind of thing? And what does

  it tell them about how they should

  treat people!"

  Marty tiptoed into the room and

  sat down on the couch. She could

  hear the exasperation in Louise's

  voice, and couldn't imagine what
/>   had her so upset.

  "So when is the hearing?" Without a word to her lover, the taller

  woman lovingly ran her hand

  through the blonde hair. "Who's

  going to speak on his behalf?"

  The golf pro couldn't piece

  together what the conversation

  was about, but she'd never seen

  Louise so obviously irritated.

  "Look, Ted… I need to talk to

  someone here about this before I

  make a decision, but if there's

  anything at all I can do to help

  Darren, I will." Her voice held a

  barely perceptible shake. "Yes, I

  think it does."

  "What is it, Lou? What's wrong?"

  Louise related the tale from

  Michelle and the confirmation

  from her former boss. "Michelle's

  going to lay it all on the line to

  speak up about this at the school

  board meeting. I tell you, it makes

  me ashamed."

  "Lou, you have nothing to be

  ashamed of. You and Rhonda lived

  in a different time."

  "I know, but that 19-year-old

  girl's risking everything because

  she wants to do what's right, and

  I'm still sitting on this big secret,

  hiding my head because I'm too

  afraid to speak up."

  "This isn't your battle,

  sweetheart."

  "But it is, Marty. Battles like this

  belong to all of us. I've just never

  had the nerve to do my part."

  Louise gulped to gather her

  courage. "I want to help him, and I

  think I should."

  Marty tried to convince her that

  she didn't have to do this, but in

  the end, Louise made the difficult

  decision to journey to Greensburg

  to speak to the board. Even their

  friends Shirley and Linda, who

  had also taught in the county's

  school system, had thrown in their

  support. In the three years since

  they'd left Pennsylvania, they'd

  reveled in their newfound

  freedom.

  By the time she'd made up her

  mind, Ted Meyer had been unable

  to add Louise's name onto the

  board's agenda at the last minute;

  instead, he promised to relinquish

  to her his allotted time. So like all

  of the others, she would be given

  four minutes to state her support

  for Darren Ulster.

  "Call me when you get there,"

  Marty asked as they pulled to the

  curb at Southwest Florida

  Regional Airport.

  "I will."

  "And call me tonight when it's

  finished." She squeezed the long

  slender hand one more time.

  "I will, sweetheart. I love you."

  Leaning across the car seat, she

  planted a sweet kiss on her

  partner's cheek. Louise knew that

  her lover sometimes struggled

  when she was confronted with the

  specter of Rhonda. She wanted

  Marty to know how much she

  appreciated her extraordinary

  effort to accept all of this. "Thank

  you for being so understanding."

  The next 24 hours would be

  grueling for the 64-year-old

  woman. Louise was set to fly to

  Pittsburgh, changing planes in

  Charlotte. Ted would meet her

  plane and the two of them would

  hopefully grab a quick bite to eat

  before going to the school board

  meeting. When it was over, she'd

  stay the night at his home, and his

  wife Dottie would drive her back

  to Pittsburgh in the morning to

  catch an early flight home.

  Under other circumstances, she'd

  have enjoyed a chance to visit the

  school and see some of her

  former colleagues. But she'd

  promised Marty that she'd go

  with her to the Christmas party at

  the club tomorrow night; and

  besides, after the remarks she'd

  make tonight, she wasn't sure she

  could face her fellow teachers.

  Wouldn't some of them be

  surprised to know that the two old

  maids had been cavorting for 31

  years, she thought, chuckling to

  herself.

  "Does this feel good?" Louise

  asked as she rubbed her friend's

  aching feet. Rhonda stood for

  most of the day, usually moving

  back and forth across the band

  room to work with individual

  students or instrument sections.

  At the end of the day, her feet

  were swollen and tired, and Louise

  would massage them for

  sometimes an hour or more.

  For Rhonda, it was sure handy

  having a roommate who was so

  generous. And it was divine to feel

  Louise Stevens' hands on her

  body, even if it was only to relieve

  the soreness in her feet. "It's

  wonderful, Lou!"

  Unbeknownst to Rhonda

  Markosky, Louise relished any

  excuse to run her hands along her

  friend's legs, or any other body

  part that seemed to need

  attention. She enjoyed the fact

  that their friendship included

  such physical closeness.

  "My shoulders and back are

  what's aching tonight, though. I

  had to stow all those heavy

  instruments in the lockers. I'm

  going to have one of the kids come

  in over the summer and help me

  move all the tubas and bass drums

  to the bottom shelves and put the

  lighter stuff up top." Today had

  been their last day of school.

  "You want me to rub your

  shoulders?"

  "You don't have to do that."

  "I don't mind. Why don't you get

  changed into your nightgown and

  lie down on your bed? I'll come in

  in a minute and see if I can work

  some of the soreness out," Louise

  offered innocently.

  "Are you sure you don't mind?"

  "No, not at all. I'll go put my

  pajamas on too. That way, when

  you fall asleep, I can just go on to

  bed without making a lot of noise

  to get ready."

  "Okay, if you're sure."

  A few minutes later, Rhonda was

  face down on her bed with Louise

  beside her, firmly kneading the

  stiff muscles in her back.

  "Do you, uh, want me to use some

  lotion to make it feel better?"

  That would mean that Rhonda

  would have to lift her gown, Louise

  knew.

  "Sure."

  Louise marveled at the expanse of

  skin as Rhonda tugged the gown

  above her head, laying it beside

  her on the pillow. Acutely aware

  that the woman was now

  completely naked beneath the

  covers, she warmed the lotion in

  her hands before spreading it

  smoothly across the broad back.

  "That feels great," Rhonda

  murmured.

  It certainly does, Louise thought,

  as her hands s
troked the

  flattened planes. Pushing up from

  the base of the spine, she

  pressed the heels of her hands

  into the taut muscles on either

  side all the way to the shoulders,

  trailing her fingertips softly down

  the sides so that they barely

  brushed the sides of Rhonda's

  breasts. Each time, she began her

  ascent a half-centimeter lower,

  almost at the top of the beautiful,

  shapely behind, not quite visible

  from beneath the covers. If

  Rhonda allowed her to, she would

  repeat this motion for hours.

  In all her life, Louise had never

  been so sexually aroused. Though

  she felt guilty over her own

  enjoyment of this massage, she

  got no signal from Rhonda to stop.

  Instead, she heard a deep sigh

  from the woman beneath her.

  "Lou," Rhonda said softly as she

  started to turn over.

  At once, the taller woman leaned

  back, suddenly afraid she had

  crossed a line. But Rhonda rolled

  completely onto her back, her

  breasts now exposed in apparent

  invitation. The woman's hazel eyes

  were pleading, and she reached to

  clasp Louise's wrists in her hands.

  Louise sat frozen, afraid to move,

  and afraid not to. Did Rhonda want

  this too? Her answer came when

  the other woman led her hands…

  "Are you finished with this?" the flight attendant asked, gesturing

  toward the empty cup in Louise's

  hand.

  "Yes, of course." Louise spotted

  the airport below as they circled

  to land from the north. Her life

  had been full of moments of truth.

  Tonight would be another.

  It was after four o'clock when

  she exited to baggage claim at the

  Greater Pittsburgh International

  Airport. Her former boss greeted

  her with a warm hug. They'd

  spoken not a word about what she

  would say this evening, but he'd

  gotten a subtle confirmation of his

  suspicions when she'd asked him

  to prepare a couple of

  photographs from Westfield's

  yearbook for presentation on a

  screen.

  "It's really good to see you again,

  Louise. You look great. I'd say

  that retirement agrees with you."

  He wheeled the car into traffic

  for the hour-long trip to

  Greensburg.

  "Thank you, Ted. I think life in

  general agrees with me now. I

  know that when I left here, I was

  filled with sadness, and now I

  have happiness back in my life

  again."

  "And does this happiness have a

  name?" he probed gently.

  "Marty." Louise knew from the

  look on his face that her answer

 

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