Only in Paradise

by Michelle Monkou

  “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Be respectful at all times. Being a bully is no better than being a coward.” Abigail’s voice dropped at each sentence, along with her head, as she now looked at her feet.

  “Class, did you hear that?”

  “Yes, sir,” the class answered.

  Collin stared at each girl. Then he turned to Athena. “You should have no problem with the remainder of the time.” Then he exited the room without another glance.

  Constructive criticism was one thing. Being usurped for no reason other than controlling issues was something entirely different. But there would be a time to address the issue.

  “Abigail, you may take your seat. Let’s continue. Sarita, please read. It’s your turn.”

  The session continued without further incident. Three students needed extra help with reading. Athena talked to them as a group, offering to help them during their one-hour lunch break, starting at the beginning of the following week. She reminded them to tell their parents.

  The girls looked enthusiastic, except for Marigold. Deciding not to push the matter, Athena resisted questioning the girl for the time being.

  Despite the shorter school day, the time felt laden with more attention on individual needs. She looked forward to the lunch break, sitting in a chair, falling into a state of exhaustion.

  “Hey, why don’t you head back to the house and put up your feet for a few minutes.” Lorraine stuck her head in the classroom.

  “I can’t. I should eat with the girls.”

  “Sorry to pop your balloon, but the girls won’t want you sitting with them. Gives them time to talk about us.”

  Athena shared the laugh. “Then maybe I need to eat with the other teachers. You know, I have to bond.”

  “Look, unless you’re planning to catch the next plane out—and there will be times you’ll feel that way—go get your head together. Don’t let these children know that you don’t have the stamina.”

  Athena nodded. “I won’t be long.”

  Lorraine waved at her and left.

  Athena looked around the empty classroom, desperately trying to squelch the feeling that she had taken on more than she could deal with. Her biggest fear was that her input wouldn’t make a difference. A small number of teachers battling against poverty and old mind-set from the parents gave the impression of a challenging walk up a steep mountain. Fear unsettled her. But maybe she had too much arrogance to think that she could be like her grandmother. She rotated her shoulders, trying to loosen the tension locked from her neck, radiating out to each shoulder. Appreciating Lorraine’s advice, she opted to multitask and kick up her feet. With the first grading assignment under her arm, she headed to the house trying to shake the guilt of leaving her peers and her students.

  The house was a bit warm under the midday sun. Ceiling fans whirred noiselessly. Hopefully the place wasn’t unbearable for Cicely. After knocking and announcing herself, she entered the room.

  Cicely played solitaire on her bed, barely looking at her entrance. The usual vibrant attitude that had been her trademark had disappeared. The blond hair needed washing. The pallor of her skin looked nothing like the suntanned, carefree woman. Her eyes also appeared pale.

  “I’m scared, Athena.”

  “About what, sweetie?”

  “That Collin will send me home.”

  Athena smoothed away the loose hair from her face.

  “Don’t you worry about that. All of us convinced him to back off.”

  “Really?”

  “You need to come out of this room. Then you’ll see firsthand how much people miss you.”

  “You’re like my angel.”

  “And you’re like my little sister, if I had one.”

  Athena got a glass of lemonade and a ham sandwich before heading for the porch. From the front of the house, she had a direct view of the covered, open area where everyone sat for lunch. She walked to the side of the building for more privacy.

  A white wicker lounge chair, a hammock and a single chair were her furniture choices. The upright chair didn’t appeal to her, but the hammock was at the other extreme. Besides she wasn’t sure that she could get in without the hammock flipping over and depositing her onto the floor. And there was no elegant way that she knew how to get in and get out. The lounge chair won.

  She eased herself into position, kicking off the shoes with kitten heels. She wiggled her burgundy nail-polished toes, stretching her foot and relaxing it, while emitting a sleepy yawn.

  The voices from the school area drifted softly through the air. She slid down against the headrest, planning to enjoy the island breeze for about five minutes. Then she should feel refreshed to get to the papers that needed grading. Athena crossed her legs at the ankles, folded her fingers over her stomach and listened to the rhythmic pattern of the waves against the coastline.

  With a small staff and student population, Collin didn’t think that he should have any problem locating Athena. Yet after searching the classrooms and the common area, he couldn’t find her.

  “Lorraine, Thelma, have you seen Athena?”

  “She’s taking a breather.” Lorraine took a bite out of her sandwich, motioning toward the house with her head.

  “Is there a problem?” Collin looked at his watch, seeing that she had forty-five minutes remaining for her breather. Teachers didn’t have the luxury of nap time in the States. He hoped she wasn’t planning to take advantage.

  “It’s her first day, Collin. Remember how we all were,” Thelma chimed in.

  “It may be her first day here, but she’s an experienced teacher.” Collin readjusted his shades. He didn’t care if these women wanted to frown at him. His job didn’t allow for friends. It was all about the children.

  “Collin, she’ll be fine. Give her a break. We need her,” Lorraine urged.

  Instead of responding, he turned and headed toward the women’s house. Before Cicely’s incident, he hadn’t planned on using Athena as a solo teacher. Her orientation was supposed to be a gradual one. But that was in an ideal world. And around here, ideal, or even normal, was far from reach some days.

  The porch ahead of him was empty. He walked up to the door and knocked. Several seconds passed before the door opened.

  “Cicely, what are you doing out of bed?”

  She waved him away, partially covering her bruised face with her other hand.

  “Sorry to bother you.” He shifted about, not sure what to do. Every time he thought about her and what happened, he wanted to punch someone’s face in. “Are you in pain?” He winced.

  “Not really. But I’m still a bit woozy on my feet.”

  “Go back to bed. I was looking for Athena.”

  “Maybe she’s in her room. I’ll check.” She opened the door farther, inviting him.

  He glanced around, marveling at the tidiness of their house compared to the men’s house.

  Cicely stepped out of the room. “Don’t see her. Maybe she went back to the classrooms.”

  Collin looked back at the school, wondering if he’d missed her. He wasn’t giving up his search.

  “Collin, I really want to stay here.”

  “I know, Cicely. And you’ve got Athena in your corner.”

  “She told me that, but I can tell that I don’t have you in my corner.”

  “But you do. More than you will ever know.” Collin looked away, not wanting anyone to know that he had relied on his connections with Ambassador Piedmont to eject a man and his wife off the island or risk the locals’ wrath. He lightly touched her face.

  “I’ve been putting ice on my face.” She turned so he could see the progress of her healing.

  However, the blackness had a yellow tinge and was still swollen. The doctor had visited this morning, but only said that she was on the mend. Her discoloration made his knees weak.

  “In a day or so, I can use makeup to hide it.”

  “Whatever you need, Cicely.” He turned to leave,
but a flash of color fluttering in the breeze caught his eye. “You go rest, okay?” He waited until she’d retired to her room before turning back to what had captured his attention.

  As he approached the window, he saw Athena’s still form in the lounge chair. Not the position that he envisioned, but he found it disturbingly preferable. He climbed out of the low window, resting his frame against the windowsill.

  Serene was the only way to describe her. Again long legs. The swell of her breasts. The calmness of her features punctuated by a provocative mouth. Her skin color.

  He couldn’t withstand the temptation to linger over the beauty of her body, especially those legs. Her soft brown skin glistened flawlessly, tempting him as if he could take his finger and scoop a dollop of caramel. And when he could resist no longer, he admired every nuance and curve of her mouth. He sat back enjoying the precious moments afforded him to admire openly.

  Unfortunately a loud island bird gave its piercing whistle. A frown crossed her forehead and then she stirred. Collin tried to slip back into the window, but ended up bumping his head, emitting a loud grunt.

  “Oh!” Athena’s eyes opened wide, alarm blazing through her mortified gaze. She hurriedly swung her legs off to the side of the chair, alternating between smoothing her hair and clothes in the process.

  “Sorry…I came to look for you.” Collin debated whether he should sit or stand.

  “What time is it? Didn’t mean to fall asleep. The air. The place.” Athena stopped talking; she worked at her bottom lip.

  “You’re not late. I only wondered if you were okay.”

  “I’m fine.” Athena stood and picked up a set of papers that were tucked under her leg. “I’d better be going.”

  Collin nodded. He wasn’t prepared for her to leave, but he had no reason to delay her.

  She had descended the stairs when she turned back. “One thing…”

  “Sure.”

  “Please don’t interrupt my classroom again. Just like you’re doing to me, the girls are also trying me out. The slightest sign of weakness doesn’t help my cause. If you have a problem in the way I’m doing something, then we can talk about it later.”

  “Then don’t give me cause to step in and take control.” Collin hadn’t expected this reaction.

  Athena looked as if she had more to say. He stood and walked toward her. She could think what she wanted about his methods, but he was the boss.

  “I hope this isn’t about you and me. About…well, you know…” She wiped her mouth, which only drew his attention to her lips’ softness.

  “In no way am I linking our mutual misbehavior to my role as school administrator and as your boss.” He shoved any memories of her body against his, raising his senses with sensual thoughts and inappropriate images.

  “Misbehavior, is it?” A smirk lifted the edge of her mouth. She sauntered off.

  Collin didn’t view their short relationship as combative, but he did feel as if he’d lost a point with this last exchange. Her smug reaction to his role didn’t sit well with him. That smile was enough to incite him to remove it.

  While she walked toward the classrooms, he chose the opposite direction and headed for his office. With tons of paperwork on his desk, he could be occupied for several hours. But contrary to what she desired, he would continue watching her every move.

  The first week passed with no further intervention necessary. Collin still monitored Athena’s progress, sometimes making his presence felt and, other times, getting Lorraine’s or Thelma’s feedback. From everything he observed and the reports he received, Athena displayed the great strengths that he’d expected from her résumé.

  Yet he had a few reservations that she may not be diplomatic when necessary. He wanted a softer touch with the families. Not everyone appreciated Athena having their child stay behind for tutoring. And whenever he introduced the possibility of his being the negotiator with the family, she refused his help.

  He packed his briefcase, heading for home. His father, a widower, was flying in for a week. Although he didn’t really have a lot of time to spend with him, his father made a trip to the island twice a year.

  He visited in July because his mother died that month from a stroke, and in October because that’s when they were married.

  Collin tried to suggest other months, but his father wouldn’t budge. After ten years since his mother’s death, he came to realize that his father needed to do this as part of his grieving.

  “Clarissa, I’m heading out for the day. If anyone needs me, I’ll be at home.”

  “Ivan is coming in this evening?”

  Collin nodded. His assistant had been flirting with his father since the school opened during his visit. However, his father was completely clueless to her attempts. Collin didn’t like playing matchmaker, especially with employees.

  “I hope he pops in tomorrow.” She picked up her small compact and flipped it open.

  “Can’t promise anything.”

  She primped in the mirror, smoothing down her eyebrows and then removing the excess lipstick from her mouth. She snapped the mirror shut. “I’ll be ready whenever he gets here.”

  Collin took his briefcase and headed for the car. Nothing about this place lent itself to make him believe in people falling in love. From his point of view, the place represented a lofty ambition to teach and educate the future generation, nothing more.

  “Mr. Winslow! Mr. Winslow!”

  Collin hit the brakes. The security guard pointed to something or someone behind his car. He looked up at the rearview mirror. He stuck his head out the window.

  The sight behind him alarmed him. Clarissa’s short, stocky body shuffled in a quick step, waving at him. The security men were also beckoning him to follow. Collin emerged from his car, not guessing at what could be the problem.

  “Please come quickly,” Clarissa urged, breathless from the exertion.

  Collin broke into a run. “What is it?”

  “It’s the new teacher and Marigold’s mother.”

  “What?”

  “Marigold’s mother, Luisa, is furious. I think she might punch Athena.”

  Collin didn’t wait to hear any more details. Instead he turned up the speed and headed for the classroom. As he got near the building, he heard the raised voice of Luisa. She had a reputation for being hotheaded. The others had faced the woman’s fiery disposition and knew how to defuse the situation.

  Athena’s responses seemed to be inciting Luisa into a fury. He hurried down the hallway, wondering why Luisa was here in the first place. School had been over for an hour. He opened the classroom door.

  Athena was making a point, holding up one finger, then two, and now three. Luisa, on the other hand, had a vein raised in her neck as she screamed a string of curses in Spanish. Her hands were firmly planted on her hips—a good sign, so far.

  They both looked up at him. Neither looked happy to see his appearance. He took a deep breath and forced himself to stay cool and calm and be willing to play King Solomon.

  Chapter 7

  Drama in her life was in full supply. Athena dreaded the sudden appearance of Collin followed by Clarissa and the other teachers. Their stares fastened on her. Why should she expect anything better? The new teacher had screwed up once again. Her best intentions had sparked a war. All she’d suggested was to make herself available to tutor Marigold. Maybe she’d have to try a different approach.

  “Mrs. Fuentes, I understand your goals for your daughter. Marigold had shown so much potential that I thought it was a good idea to teach her beyond what is in the class.”

  “Filling her head with nonsense is a waste of time. She’s old enough to earn an income now.”

  “She can be more than a maid. She can be anything that she wants to be.”

  “She’s my child.”

  “Mrs. Fuentes, I know that and respect your position. I only wanted to give her options.”

  “Now that you’ve filled her head, I won’t be
able to get her to accept her life.”

  Collin cleared his throat. “I can try.”

  “No, you’ve done enough.” Marigold’s mother swung her attention to Collin when he stepped into the room. “You promised me that you wouldn’t interfere with my family. I may not have a husband and a fancy house. But I have to do what I have to do to keep the little roof over our head. Every minute that Marigold is here is a minute away from earning money on the big island. I need her to bring in money.”

  Athena was quite willing to stand there until the sun set to prove her point. Marigold had so much potential that Athena hurt not being able to go full blast with passing on knowledge.

  “Everything will be all right, Mrs. Fuentes. I’m sure Athena has your child’s best interest at heart.” He reached for her hands and looked earnestly in her face. “Look, Marigold has shown great potential in her math and science classes. Her reading needs improvement. But I feel sure that she can get the student voucher to attend a private high school. We need all the time available to strengthen her skills. And as a crucial part of the team, we need your cooperation.”

  She opened her mouth to respond. But Collin cupped her hand in his before she uttered a word.

  “Trust me.” He kept her within inches of his face.

  “I’ll trust you.” She looked at Athena with an entirely different expression.

  Athena clasped her hands in front of her. She felt useless and embarrassed that, once again, Collin entered the fray to set things straight. Her teaching skills had never been a question in her mind, but in this unique environment clearly there was a lot for her to learn.

  She observed Collin walking out with Mrs. Fuentes. His hand still covered hers. Her shoulders drooped from the release of tension after the woman left. Now that Collin had stepped in, she surmised that in a few minutes, he’d summon her to his office for the official dress down.

  Athena bit her lip, welcoming the pain, rather than give in to the tears ready to introduce her self-pity party. She moved around the room, collecting work to be graded that evening.