Luck Be an Angel

by Liza O'Connor

She frowned and then glanced at the clock. “Oh, look at the time. The boys are probably sitting at the kitchen table worried about this exam you’re gonna give ‘em.”

  “It’s not that bad. There’s no pass or fail.”

  “Then everybody passes?”

  He nodded.

  She shook her head. “I never took a test like that.”

  “Why don’t you take this one, too?”

  Tilting her head to the side, she studied him. “Why?”

  “Wouldn’t you like to finish school?”

  She sighed. “Pregnant girls can’t go to school.”

  “Well, first of all, that’s no longer the case. Secondly, this is your home. You can do whatever you want.”

  Her eyes rounded in surprise. “You wouldn’t mind teaching me, too?”

  “Not at all.”

  She studied her feet for several seconds and then looked him in the face. “I’m sorry I tried to fire you right off. I’m glad you talked me reasonable.”

  “So am I.” As Ethan followed her from the room, he realized he felt a lightness of spirit he hadn’t possessed in a very long time.

  Chapter 4

  He stared at the twelve terrified faces seated around the kitchen table.

  “There is no grade on this. I just ask that each of you do your very best. If you don’t know the answer, don’t guess. Just move on to the next question. When you reach a whole page where you don’t know any answers, raise your hand and let me know.”

  He handed a booklet to Sara as she sat down next to Oliver.

  Oliver looked at her in shock. “Ma, you taking it, too?”

  “I am. Is that okay with you guys?”

  Oliver laughed. “Ma’s coming to school with us.”

  Five-year-old Tom threw his hands in the air. “Yeah!” Then he almost slid off the three phone books that enabled him to reach the tabletop.

  She straightened the phonebooks and pushed the bench in closer. “Now be very still,” she reminded him and kissed his brow.

  Tom raised his hand at the end of the first page. Ethan could tell he was upset because he hadn’t answered any questions.

  “I can’t read big words yet,” he whispered loudly.

  Ethan shook his head. “I’m sorry, Tom, I gave you the wrong one.” He walked over to his briefcase and pulled out the elementary pamphlets. He returned and gave one to Tom, Paul, and Oscar.

  Paul looked relieved, but Oscar resisted giving up the big boy’s test. “I can do it,” he insisted.

  Ethan reviewed the boy’s answers. “Yes, you can.” He ruffled Oscar’s hair. “Stay with that one.” He returned to his briefcase and pulled out the results charts, trying to figure out where Oscar was going to fall out. He suspected somewhere in the twelve-year-olds. He then counted down heads starting with sixteen to determine Oscar’s approximate age. The boy was either seven or eight years old.

  Why the hell would Briarville work so hard to kick these kids out? They were all well-mannered and one of them was possibly a budding genius. Another story angle.

  Tom raised his hand again. He had only made it halfway through his test. Seeing the other boys were still working on theirs, a fierce pout formed on his lips.

  “You did very well,” Ethan assured him.

  Little Tom shook his head. “They’re doing better.”

  Paul looked up from his test. “We’ve been to school before. You haven’t.”

  “Oh, yeah,” Tom said and leaned to the side so the phone books would slide.

  Ethan barely caught him before he followed down the avalanche of phone books.

  “Easy! When you want down, just tell me.”

  Tom grinned at him and nodded in agreement.

  “Now do you have some crayons?” Ethan asked, intending to give him busy work while the others continued their exams.

  Tom shook his head.

  “No crayons?” he repeated in surprise.

  Sara looked up from her exam and bit her lower lip. “Maybe I can get some tomorrow,” she whispered.

  Ethan wondered about her financial situation again. The boys’ clothes were clean, but nothing looked new. He suspected she bought them second hand and then passed them down the line. Except for the hamburgers, everything else at lunch had been garden grown or homemade. Even the rolls were from scratch, although he couldn’t imagine when she had the time to bake fresh bread.

  The TV in the living room was nice, but he was willing to lay odds that she won it as a door prize. He should keep a list of the things she claims to have won and have someone verify if she did. He knew the house had been a major win, but how lucky could one woman be? Her luck was yet another angle to take the story.

  He was amazed all the boys were still progressing through their pamphlets. He rose and walked around the table, reviewing their answers. Astoundingly, Oscar could still answer the questions. He had to be near eighth-grade level now. Joe and Oliver were beyond their grade level as well. He stopped at Mike. Mike was still on page one. He watched as the boy squinted and frowned at the page.

  Was it possible that the boy had vision problems? Mike was eleven. Wouldn’t the school have noticed?

  Ethan leaned over and whispered in his ear. “Come with me to the living room. I have a special test for you.”

  Mike’s head hung low as he followed Ethan.

  Ethan noticed his hang-dogged look. “Remember what I told you? There’s no failing this exam. However, I do want you to take a new test.”

  “Because I’m stupid and clumsy?”

  “No. Because you’re special.”

  Mike didn’t look convinced, but he took in a deep breath, released it, and nodded he was ready.

  Standing across the room, Ethan asked him to let him know when he could identify the letter in his hand. He then held up a seven-inch tall letter B. Mike didn’t call it out until the page was two feet from his face.

  “Problem discovered,” Ethan said and sat down beside Mike.

  “I’m clumsy and stupid, I know.”

  “No, Mike. You just need glasses. Did they not give you an eye exam at school?”

  “They put us at the end of the line and when it came to our turn, they said test time was over.”

  Ethan rubbed his back. “We’ll get this fixed, and you’ll be surprised at the change in your vision. But today, I’m going to read you the questions so you can take it. Okay?”

  Mike smiled up at him. “You’re the best teacher ever.”

  ***

  Ethan spent the evening grading their exams. Except for Mike, Tom, and Sara, the rest were all far above their age levels. Mike was significantly below, but Ethan suspected his sight problem had caused that. Tom was in line with other five-year-olds and Sara’s education level was that of a twelve-year-old. Her seven-year-old son knew far more than she did.

  He sighed. What was her story? How did she become trapped in this cycle of baby making? And who the hell is the father who keeps returning to give her more?

  A gentle knock on the door interrupted his angry thoughts. He opened the door and invited Sara in.

  “I know you said there wasn’t no pass or fail, but I’m guessing they must tell you something.”

  He nodded. She looked so worried. “They tell me you’ve got some very bright boys.”

  She radiated a light of joy about her. After a moment, she grew somber again. “What about Mike?”

  “Mike has a vision problem. Instead of a regular doctor, you should take him to an eye doctor. Hopefully, all he needs are glasses.”

  “And that will cure him?”

  “I think so.”

  “Then he’ll be smart in school like the others?”

  “He’ll have some catching up to do, like his mom, but I don’t see any reason why either student cannot succeed.”

  She hugged him.

  He waited to see if she intended to make this more than a hug, but after a count of three, she released him and stood back. “I’m glad whatever brought
you here, brought you here.”

  She left him to suffer his guilt alone. What had brought him here was his desire to get a story. He doubted she’d ever talk to him again once she discovered his reason for inserting himself into their lives.

  Chapter 5

  An hour after Sara left his room, the radio station announced a free eye exam and glasses to the twenty-fifth caller. Sara called and Sara won.

  The next morning, she woke early to go to the radio station and pick up her winner’s certificate. Ethan loaned her his car so she wouldn’t have to hire a taxi. She decided to bring Mike with her, just in case the doctor had an opening right away.

  Ethan made note of her lucky win. With subtle questioning during class that day, he added fifty-three other lucky wins to his list. He sighed. No one was this lucky. This had to be a list of lies. Yet, the most outrageous item on the list: winning a house, he knew was true. His paper had covered the contest. Delander auditors attested to the results.

  While the boys worked on math exercises, he stepped in his room and called Jacobs.

  Jacobs answered the phone with a question. “Found a story?”

  “A hundred of them. I still haven’t decided which way to go.”

  “Well, perhaps I can help. Any evidence of prostitution?”

  “Absolutely none. Given the similarity of the kids, I’m guessing they all have the same father.”

  “Interesting. Get blood samples and we’ll know for certain. What other angles are you working?”

  Ethan ran down a long list including denial of services and harassment from Child Welfare. Jacobs remained quiet until he mentioned her statistically improbable luck. “Keep on that. That’s good. And we can help from this side. I’ll put Little Turner on it. He deserves a shot.”

  Ethan wasn’t keen on having an amateur working his background. However, Jacobs squelched his complaint when he suggested Carlton as the alternative.

  “Turner will do,” Ethan grumbled.

  Jacobs laughed. “I thought you’d see the light. So what about the kid trauma angle?”

  “So far, I’m not seeing trauma. These are the best loved kids I’ve ever seen in my life.”

  “No one cares about that. Keep digging. You’ll find something. No family is as happy as they pretend. Trust me, I know.”

  “Well, Mike has grown up believing he’s stupid and clumsy when all he really needed was a pair of glasses.”

  “There you go, parental neglect.”

  “More like school neglect. They purposely refused to provide the boys with basic eye exams which the state pays every child to have.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “The boy told me.”

  “Maybe he was just protecting his mother. Abused children do that, you know.”

  Ethan sighed. “The moment Sara found out he needed eyeglasses, she won a contest for a free eye exam and took him in.”

  “Seriously? Send me that lucky list as soon as you can.”

  Chapter 6

  Ethan returned to his students. He checked up on each boy’s work. Oscar had finished his and was helping his elder letter-mate Oliver with his math.

  Joshua looked up at Ethan. “Oscar’s cheating.”

  “Am not,” replied Oscar. “And who would I cheat from? I finished before all of you.”

  Ethan settled his hand on Oscar’s shoulder. “I’ll have to send for my college math book.”

  Oscar grinned. “Cool!”

  Just then Sara returned with Mike wearing cheap black glasses.

  “I can see now!” Mike declared in a joyous voice.

  “Good for you!” Ethan laughed until he noticed Sara’s face. She seemed worried and upset.

  Joshua noticed as well.

  “What’s wrong, Ma?”

  “Nothing. Everything is fine.” She handed Ethan his keys. “Thank you for letting me use your car. It was very kind of you.”

  “Any time.” He studied her face trying to decide if he had imagined her look of distress before.

  She then reached in the sack she carried and handed Tom crayons and educational coloring books. “Look what I won at Toys R Us.”

  “All right!” Tom exclaimed. “I got crayons!”

  Ethan asked to see the coloring books. Tom proudly handed them over and watched as Ethan flipped through them.

  Tom’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Are they good?”

  Ethan chuckled and ruffed up the boy’s hair. “They are just what you needed.”

  Tom ran to his mother and wrapped his little arms around her right leg. “Thanks, Ma! You’re the best!”

  She knelt down and kissed her five-year-old. “You should thank our guardian angel, not me.”

  Ethan looked at her. Guardian Angel? Had she met someone while in town?

  She frowned as she realized he had heard her. “Well, I’d best check on the babies, and then I’ll be back for lessons. Don’t wait on me, though. Mike can’t wait to learn.”

  Ethan’s attention returned to Mike. The boy was amusing his brothers with his declarations of sight. “I can see hairs in your nose, Colby.”

  “We all got hairs in our nose,” Colby replied.

  “I can see the lines between your teeth, too.”

  Colby rolled his eyes.

  “And blood vessels in your eyes.”

  “Can you see this?” Colby asked and held up his fist.

  “Hey, you’ve got hairs on your fingers.”

  Ethan led Mike to the table. “And you’ve a lot of catching up to do. First, I need to determine your reading level.”

  For the first time since he arrived home, his smile disappeared. “Well, at least I’m not clumsy anymore. Thanks for helping Ma cure my blindness.”

  “You’re not stupid either. Whatever you don’t know now, I’ll teach you.” Ethan handed him the reading comprehension test and told him to let him know when he reached a page he couldn’t answer anymore.

  He then put Tom to coloring his numbers before returning to his other ten students. “We’re going to work on history now. Everyone open your history books.”

  Chapter 7

  Knowing the boys had a ton of chores to do, he called an end to class at two. He had talked and had more fun today than he had in a very long time. He was surprised he didn’t feel exhausted, but honestly, he felt exhilarated.

  He sought out his missing student and found her in the laundry room filling an impressively large washing machine.

  “You win that?”

  She nodded and continued piling in the clothes. “Door prize at the new Lowes store in Fayetteville.”

  “Did something happen today when you went to the doctors?”

  She bit her lower lip and shook her head. Once the clothes were in, she added soap and lowered the lid. She turned and faced him. “The talk has started. And it’s ugly. I was told to find some other town to…”

  She turned back to the washing machine. By her shaking shoulders, Ethan knew she was crying. He had always felt like running from the room when women cried, but today, he wanted to run to this woman, pull her into his arms, and protect her from harm.

  The realization shocked him to his core. He stepped back and tried to leave the room, but he noticed the tiny cot pressed against the wall. That was her bed. She gave up her room to live in a damn laundry closet so he could have a decent place to sleep while he dug about her secrets, searching for a story to sell.

  He forced himself to step forward. “What exactly did they say?”

  She sighed and wiped her eyes dry with her sleeve.

  “Pastor Hucklebee stopped me coming out of Toys R Us and told me he’d heard all about me taking in my lover. He asked if I was planning a marriage in my future. I tried to explain who you were, but I could tell by the look of disgust on his face, he didn’t believe me. I finally stopped talking. Weren’t doing no good ‘cept wasting time.”

  Her fingers worried the end of her long braid for several moments before she continu
ed. “He said since I’d decided to flaunt my sins, that I was no longer welcomed in Briarville. I could steal my devil’s goods elsewhere.”

  “Steal?”

  She looked up at Ethan. The pain etched in her face, physically hurt him. “He thinks my luck at winning things comes from the devil. It don’t! It comes from my guardian angel and he’s good. He’s got nothing to do with the devil.”

  The dangling of such a promising lead caused the reporter in Ethan to take over. “I’m sure he is. Does he live in Briarville?”

  Sara stared at him as if he were nuts. “I’m talking about a real guardian angel. They live in heaven.”

  Ethan nodded. “Yes, of course. I imagine yours must be a very busy fellow. It is a fellow?”

  She nodded. “I think it’s a he. I see him in my dreams sometimes. He’s got the most beautiful wings that sparkle all the colors of the rainbow. What do you call the shiny surface of a pearl?”

  Her question took him by surprise, thus it took him a moment to reply. “Iridescent?”

  “That’s it. He’s got iridescent wings wider than our driveway and the most beautiful smile you ever did see.”

  “Have you ever seen him when you’re awake?”

  She frowned. “No, of course not. If I did, they’d take away my boys and send me to the loony farm. But it’s okay to have dreams. That don’t mean you’re crazy.”

  “That’s true. I’ve had some crazy dreams, but that doesn’t mean I’m crazy.”

  The tension in her face eased. “So tell me one of your crazy dreams.”

  Ethan shook his head. “I don’t think we know each other that well. You might find them so disturbing, you’d be afraid to let me teach your boys.”

  She shook her head. “No, that’s not happening. If I didn’t cow to Pastor Hucklebee today, then no dream of yours is going to scare me off. Although I might need to use your car on occasion. Driving all the way to Fayetteville with all the boys will cost me a fortune by taxi van.”

  He frowned, realizing he failed to ask for her documentation when he offered the car. “You do have a driver’s license, don’t you?”

  “I won a Chevy van five years ago, so I got me a license.” She claimed this as if it had been a grand accomplishment.