“Oh, go on with you.”She smiled at Brenda and told her that it was true.“Well, I hope you get the job today.They’ve been looking for teachers since the mess up before.”She told her about thescandal from before, and it was terrible to hear how so many teachers had gotten into trouble over it.“Some of those teachers should have been fired if you ask me.Those Erickson men, they’re good ones too.Old lady Grable did them well when she passed away.I’m glad that she had them.There is no telling what that son of hers would have done had they not been around to keep him on his p’s and q’s.”
She hadn’t heard of Mrs.Grable, but would love to hear the story; but she was being pushed out the door to her interview, and it would have to wait for another day.Driving to the lot that surrounded the school, she thought she could see herself working here every day.Elaine thought that if she didn’t get the job, she’d be depressed again.It was difficult being out of work for so long, and she couldn’t wait to land herself some kind of job.
There were already two people in front of her when she got to the school.While waiting her turn, there were three more who came in behind her, and she wondered where they came from.No one at the desk seemed to know anyone who was applying, or perhaps that was a ploy.Perhaps they did know them and were pretending not to.
When she was next in line, she pulled out her resume and thought about what she was going to say about being out of work.She’d been out of the service for four months now, and she’d been traveling the states.All true, but she’d been looking for a place to work, too.After being in the service for ten years, she thought it was time she tried something else.That was all true.She looked up when the woman who had gone in front of her came out.
“Ms.Westcock?”She stood up and pulled her things with her.When one of the women sitting next to her put out her foot to no doubt trip her, she stepped over her and into the room.When they were both seated, Mr.Sheen laughed.“I do believe she was going to trip you up and make you look clumsy.She won’t get the job even if she has a perfect resume.I don’t want pranksters in my school.”
He looked over her resume and asked her standard questions.Why she wanted to teach at their school nearly tripped her up, but she decided that she wasn’t going to bullshit her way through the interview.She told him they were hiring and she thought she’d be a good fit for the job.At his laughter, she felt embarrassed.
“I’m sorry to laugh, but that’s about the most honest answer I’ve had in the two weeks that we’ve been interviewing people.I love it.”She told him how she’d been home for a few months now and was needing a job.“I know another service woman.She’s just retired as well.But she’s a doctor.Married to one of the Erickson men.”
“I’ve heard about the scandal.It was top news for a while.”He said that they’d never thought it would make the national feed.“I heard about it when I was in Kentucky for an interview.It’s all anyone can talk about is how they had padded their wants for their classroom.If I had an opportunity to have something for my room that usually isn’t provided, it would be a nice little fridge.I love cold water, and I’m sure some of the students would like one once in a while as well.”
“One of the teachers wanted cases of paper plates and napkins for her hog roast at the end of the year.She didn’t think that they’d look at the list all that hard and wouldn’t bother with a few extras, so she could use them.Plastic ware as well.”She said she couldn’t believe some people.“I was shocked.And to think that the Ericksons had donated all the extras that the teachers need is something that I just can’t get over.”
They talked for about half an hour, and she told him how she’d come to be in Tennessee when she lived in West Virginia.They were getting along nicely when she remembered this wasn’t a social call but an interview.He seemed to have been slightly embarrassed by it as well.Once she stood up and gathered her things, he told her that they had to do a background check, but for her to count on having the job if she passed.That was the best news she’s had all day, and she told him so.
“Good.I like you and think we can get along nicely as teachers here.Just tell me which grade it is that you wish to teach, and I’ll put your name in that slot.”She told him kindergarten.She loved the first-year students who came in to learn.“I have your name and file right here.While I usually call them in once a day to have the background checks, I’m going to send yours in right now.”She left theoffice while he was calling it in.
Excitement made her feel good, so when the woman who tried to trip her looked up at her, she stuck her tongue out at her.It was petty and childish, but she didn’t care.She’d tried to trip her so that she’d look foolish, and that wasn’t right.As soon as she was in her car, she did a little dance with the steering wheel.She had a job.She wasn’t the least bit worried about the background check.She’d done nothing wrong in all her life.
Now she just needed to find a place to rent until she got her checks from the service, and she’d be all right.Giddy with the knowledge that she had something to work with, she dipped into her stash and bought herself a much-needed coffee.It was something that she rarely indulged in, but today was something special.
~*~
Knox had just finished up the background checks on his staff when Locke called him to tell him that he had one more for him to do today.As he was getting the information from him, typing it into the program as he went, Locke was telling him how they’d hired a kindergarten teacher if things went well.
“That’s wonderful news.I know that the school was having trouble filling that slot.I would think that’s the easiest of all the classes to teach.They don’t know anything but what she teaches them.”Locke said he thought it would be the hardest because kids would be missing their parents and all, and be weepy all day.“I guess I never thought of that.I remember going to kindergarten and having the time of my life.I guess they have to know a whole list of things before they can get into the classroom.”
“Preschool is what they recommend now.If kids don’t go to preschool, they’re behind in their needs.I remember going to preschool, and all we learned how to do was share the toys.I guess they have a lot of stuff they had to learn now.”He said that kids were getting smarter all the time.“I believe it.I know that when I’m having computer problems, I call Marcie’s son to help me out.I don’t have them often, but he also hooked up my wireless printer for me.For a wireless printer, it certainly had a great many wires.”
“You sound like an eighty-year-old man.”They both laughed.“Just so you know, I’d not tell that story again to anyone if I were you.They’ll make fun of you.”
“Probably.But it did confuse me when I had to hook it up to the internet, too.I don’t mean to sound old here, but I’m feeling it on somedays.”Again, he told him not to repeat what he’d said because he was sounding older all the time.“All right.Do you have anything on that person yet?I know that the first research is usually quick.”
“It says that she’d not had any arrests, no outstanding warrants, nor does she have any leans on a house.In fact, she doesn’t own one.”Locke said that was good to know.“As far as I can see, she’s okay to hire.I’ll do a deeper background check, but I don’t see any problems with her non-service record.I’ll do that one now.”
“I didn’t realize that she’d been in the service.I wonder if she’s heard of Shipley?I don’t know why she would, it’s a lot of people, but wouldn’t it be cool if they’d been friends or something?”He said he was sounding old again.“Why, because I want to see if my sister-in-law knows someone?Now you’re just grasping at straws just to make fun of me.”
“You make it too easy at times.”He read off the rest of the report on Elaine Westcock.“It says that she was in the service for ten years and retired in the last few months.She was an elementary teacher before she joined up and has been keeping up with her certification for all that time.She’s well qualified for the job, I think.”
“I’m glad to hear that.One less teacher that we have to worry about teaching at the school.”Knox read on about her stay in the service and was impressed.She’d been a duty nurse too and had worked on the front line.She might well know Shipley or at least know of her.He decided to call her to find out if she’d heard of Westcock.“I’m going to go to the doctor with Alex.You let me know when you get her military background check done, and I’ll let David know.I think he really wants this woman working for him.”
After ending the call with his brother, he finished up the paperwork that had been piling up onhis desk since the thing with the teachers.He’d been running point on the advertising and wording of things like what they required in a teacher for them.Even filing the contract they’d be required to sign once they were vetted to be teachers.The board approved the contract on the first go, and it made him feel pretty good about himself.He didn’t much get to do that sort of thing unless it was with his brother, Zander.
Both he and Zander were attorneys, but Zander did all the courtroom stuff.He’d do the research and write up what he’d found for his brother, so he didn’t have to go to the courtroom.It wasn’t that he didn’t know how to be there when a trial was going on—he usually sat in the courtroom with his brother while he was handling the case.Knox would get too nervous about going to the hearing and was terrified of messing up.They worked well together, and both of them loved what they did for their firm.
After he was able to clear off his desk, he made his way to the kitchen.He would get a snack about this time of day and wasn’t surprised when there were veggies and dip for him to eat.It made him sound like he was a kid getting his after-school snack, but he burned a lot of energy when he was working and didn’t care who made fun of him because of it.
“I have a list of people that we can hire to replace the two who have quit working here with you.”Shirley, his cook, told him she’d make the calls if he wanted her to.“That would be fantastic.I’m taking your advice and hiring three more rather than just the two, so that we have someone to work part-time.I’ll let you decide on which person gets the part-time position.They all three said they’d take what I could give them.”
“Very good.I’m going to be narrowing it down to one more in the kitchen, too.I need to retire soon, and having someone to just step into the role I’m creating will make it easier on you and your household.”He said that he hated to see her go.“Well, now that I’ve broken my hip and have had it replaced, I want to work at home more.It don’t bother me hardly, but by the end of the day, I’m hurting.”
“Maybe you’ll see something in the person we hire, and you’ll stick around for a bit longer.Not that I want you hurting, but we’ve had a good long time together.”She told him that they’d had nine years of being cook for him, and she was going to miss him.“I’m going to miss you as well.I will also miss your biscuits and gravy on Saturday morning.You make the best.”
“You just like my biscuits.I’ll teach the new cook how you like them.Never would have thought of covering them in bacon grease when I bake them, but they sure are tasty.”He was craving her biscuits then, but didn’t say anything to her.She’d be whipping him up a batch when he knew that she had already made several loaves of bread for the rest of the week.“You’re going to find you a girlfriend someday and forget all about me and my biscuits.”
