Marlena’s best friend at work was Kate Roberts, a fellow first grade teacher. They had met 8 years ago when they were both hired fresh out of college to teach at Salem Elementary School. For Marlena, Kate was practically her only friend. They would hang out outside of work but it was always a drag because Kate was already married and had a 3 year old son named Phillip. Kate had the life that Marlena wanted, the life she yearned for.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Kate laughed, as she and Marlena lounged around her classroom preparing the next week’s curriculum. “You honestly think that will work?”
“Why wouldn’t it?” Marlena challenged. “I know for a fact that a good plenty of my students have divorced parents. What’s the harm in trying to find a man close to the classroom?”
“First of all, if you found a suitable guy, you’d be dating a student’s father. That doesn’t strike you as odd?” Kate wondered, as she flipped through a stack of papers.
“Not in the slightest, and if anyone here as a problem with it then I’ll just transfer to another school.” She rationalized.
“Hey, Marlena calm down. You haven’t even met anyone yet and already you’re planning a transfer.” Kate exclaimed. “Why can’t you just meet a guy like other women do at bars?”
“Bars?” Marlena echoed in disgust. “I have never stepped foot in a bar and do not plan on doing so anytime soon . . . if not ever.”
“You’re too uptight; you need to live a little.” Kate insisted.
“This is coming from a woman whose evening after work consists of going home, cooking dinner, bathing a baby, grading papers and then crashing at her computer around midnight. Boy Kate, you sure do know how to live.” Marlena teased.
“I’m not the one who’s still single.” Kate reminded. “I lived my single days, now I am happily married with a wonderful son. They are who I live for.” Marlena looked up from her grade book and smiled sadly at the framed picture Kate was admiring.
“Sweetie, don’t get all down on me now. We still have a whole week’s worth of lessons to plan.” Kate joked with a smile.
“Yes, the lessons, let’s hop to it. I have some new and wonderful ideas for math activities next week.” Marlena proclaimed.
“Hold it, hold it, hold it.” Kate declared. “We can’t continue until you let it all out, just let it out Marlena.”
“Let what out?” She wondered innocently.
“Out with it.” Kate urged. Marlena shifted uncomfortably in her chair and then sighed irritably.
“You know me too well. I was just thinking that you really do have it all.” She sighed. “If I could be half as happy as you are I would be set for life.”
“If this plan of yours can bring you that ultimate happiness that you and I both know you deserve, then I am behind you 100%.” Kate replied. “Heck, you can even scope out the daddies in my class.”
“You really do think my idea is loony don’t you?” Marlena giggled.
“Let’s put it this way, it’s not exactly a traditional way of going about finding a man.” Kate replied. “But if it works then I say more power to you.”
“What do you think Mike will do when he finds out?” Marlena asked in horror.
“Good question.” Kate laughed. “I mean, he is the principal so he could write you up if he thinks it’s inappropriate.”
“Then we’d better not let him find out.” Marlena grinned.
“Did anyone ever tell you, you can be real sneaky sometimes?” Kate chuckled.
“This is my future happiness we are talking about here; I think I reserve the right to be a bit protective.” Marlena defended.
“When are you going to put your plan into motion?” Kate asked.
“First thing Monday morning.” Marlena said. “Next week in my classroom will be family week and all of my students will bring in pictures and talk about their families. This way I can get a feel of what I’m up against.”
“I didn’t know you had it all figured out.” Kate said in surprise.
“After that I’m pretty much flying by the seat of my pants. I have no clue how I will go about meeting the fathers.” She sighed.
“I always say, if it’s meant to be then it will happen.” Kate proclaimed. “So you have nothing to worry about sweetie. Besides, you are one hell of a catch. Any man would be thrilled to date you. You’re intelligent, caring, generous not to mention drop dead gorgeous.”
“Shut up.” Marlena said shyly.
“You never give yourself enough credit Marlena. You’re one of the most amazing women I know and one of the best teachers I know as well.” Kate urged.
“If only you could have been there at the start of all of my dates, promoting me like that. I’d be married with 5 kids by now.” Marlena giggled.
“It will happen, I know it will. It might not happen this way with this plan of yours but trust me, it will happen.” Kate ensured her.
* * * * * * *
“Okay class, I need you all to take your spots on the carpet and listen up.” Marlena announced as she gathered all of her students on the multicolored carpet. “This week we are going to be doing something special and something extra fun. This week will be family week and everyone gets to bring in pictures of their families and tell us about them. You can talk about your mommies or your daddies or your brothers and sisters. Anyone you wish. You can tell us anything you want about them too like where they work or where they go to school. What you like to do with them. Does everyone think this is a great idea?”
“YAY!” The kids all cried in unison.
“Miss Evans?” A little girl said.
“Yes Molly?”
“Can we bring in pictures of your pets too?”
“Of course. How could I forget about the pets? They are all a part of your families too aren’t they? Anyone who has a pet and would like to talk about them is more than welcome to do so. Now, we are going to do this a little bit at a time so only 5 of you will get to present each day. The first 5 students who will begin tomorrow are Molly, Douglas, Rachel, Shannon and Brady.”
Marlena explained. “I will be sending home letters to your parents so they will know about family week and they can help you find pictures and whatever else you might need. I am really excited about learning more about you and your families and I hope everyone will be just as excited too.”
The day had started slow for Marlena. It was already time for recess and so far she had nothing to rave about. Douglas, Shannon and Rachel had all presented their families to the class and none of them gave Marlena any hope. They all had fathers who were married and Uncles who were too old.
“Can I go next?” Molly asked Marlena, once the class had returned from recess.
“You know the rules Molly, we are going in alphabetical order, and Brady is up next.” Molly frowned and took her place on the multi-colored rug. “Brady, would you come up to the front of the class.” A quiet blonde haired, blue eyed boy did as he was told and came forward. “Okay Brady, it’s your turn to tell everyone about your family.”
“I don’t wanna.”
“What do you mean you don’t want to? You don’t want everyone to know about your family?”
“No. I don’t wanna do it.”
Marlena noticed the sadness in his eyes so she didn’t push the issue. “All right Brady, you may go and sit back down. Molly, it’s your turn.”
. . : : . .
“So how did the dating game go today?” Kate joked, as she helped Marlena staple the children’s artwork to the bulletin board.
“It was a complete bust.”
“You’re kidding?”
“Hold the enthusiasm until I’ve gone.”
“Marlena you know me, I want you to be happy. And if doing this will make you happy, then I support you 100%.”
“I didn’t think it would blow up in my face this bad.”
“Honey, you had one bad day. You still have 3 more days to go. So all 5 today had married fathers?”
“Yea . . . well at least 4 out of the 5. Brady, the one who goes to reading group with Delilah from your class, he refused to participate.”
“Why do you think that is?”
“I have no idea. He’s always been quiet and reserved, never big on group activities. I don’t understand. I thought all the kids would enjoy family week. I mean, all the other kids are excited about it, too excited.”
“Maybe Brady needs to see Sharon.”
“He’s five, what could he possibly need a shrink for?”
“It’s not a bad thing if one of your students has psychological issues. No one is going to blame you.”
“It’s not that. I just . . . I don’t know. I am very protective of my students, like they were my own. I don’t want any of them having to deal with the wrath of Sharon Carter. That woman does not know how to handle children. She only took the job for the money.”
“Maybe you’re right. I’ve talked with Sharon on occasion, and I wouldn’t want any of my kids meeting with her.”
“I was thinking I might try and talk with him tomorrow at recess. He doesn’t do anything when we are on the playground. While all the other kids are bouncing from the swings to the monkey bars and back again, he’s sitting on the bench, untying and retying his shoes the entire time.”
“Maybe a visit with Sharon wouldn’t hurt.”
“Don’t mention a word of this to her or anyone, please. Let me see what I can get out of him first.”
“I wouldn’t go behind your back like that. Just promise me you’ll seek help if you can’t crack through his shell.”
“I would never put any of my students at risk like that, you have my word.”
“So, are you giving up with the whole daddy dating thing?”
“I am going to finish out the week but with no high hopes. I should have known with the type of families most of our students come from. The demographic was against me from the start.”
“There are always the bars. That’s where I met my Roman.”
“You can forget about that and quit bringing it up.”
“You’re too uptight for your own good.”
“I am not uptight.”
“Yes you are.”
“No I am not.”
“Whatever you say.”
“Can we just drop this please?” Marlena’s annoyance with the subject was evident, so Kate obliged.
“So, how are you going to go about talking with Brady?”
Marlena paused to think, as Kate continued to staple the papers to the board. “You know, that’s a really good question.”
“Perhaps you could go to Sharon and fish around for a few starting tips.”
“And risk her finding out what I’m up to? I’d rather do this on my own.”
“Why do you lack such confidence in Sharon? She’s obviously qualified if she was hired by the school board.”
Marlena couldn’t help but laugh at Kate’s comment. “Are you kidding me with this? We’ve been with this school board for 8 straight years now and this school as well. We both know what a joke the top officials are, how can you even suggest they hired Sharon for her skills? She was hired because she was young, beautiful and completely naive. She would have accepted this job if they had offered her dog biscuits as pay instead of money.”
“Marlena,” Kate giggled helplessly.
“It’s true, and you know it.”
“Yea, well I can’t argue with you there. I say forget about procedure and do what you have to do.”
“I don’t have to follow procedure just yet. I only suspect the child is lonely, not being abused. If I find out otherwise, I won’t hesitate to go by the book. You have my word on that.”
“If things don’t work out with your crop, do you want to try snatching and man from mine?” Kate said, hoping to lighten the mood.
“I think after I take a stab at my sweet potatoes, I’ll be all snatched out.”
“The offer is there whether you take it or not, just remember that.”
They continued stapling the papers in silence, and only the CLICK CLACK of the stapler filled the air.
“Where are you spending Thanksgiving this year?” Kate wondered, breaking the five minute long silence.
“At home with Cooper and Sinka, why?”
“With your dogs? I think not. You’ll spend it at my home, with my family.”
“No, no, I won’t do that. Thanksgiving is a time for family, not bringing in lonely singles from work because you have pity on them,” Marlena sighed, putting the stapler down on the counter.
“Who said I pitied you? Definitely not me. And how long have you and I been best friends? Eight years, and still going strong to this day. I’d say you’ve gone way past being a lonely single at work I pity, to being a part of my family. You’ve been to my house countless times. My son adores you and my husband loves that you have an interest in football. We all love you, which makes you family, and that means you’re coming over, end of story.”
Marlena stood there looking at her friend, a warm smile on her face. “Phillip adores me?”
Kate laughed happily. “Of course he does! You’re the best God Mother to him, always spoiling him rotten.”
“I live vicariously through your son Kate, that’s why I spoil him. Who knows if I’ll ever have a child of my own, especially one as adorable and lovable as Philly.”
“You know what I would tell my students? I’d tell them that’s stupid talk, and I don’t teach stupid people so zip it.”
“You aren’t my teacher.”
“Well I don’t associate with stupid people either so shut-up!”
Giggling, Marlena conceded. “Fine, I’ll keep my self-loathing comments to myself from now on.”
“No, you need to stop them altogether. I hate it when you tear yourself to shreds like that,” Kate reprimanded, starting to pace the floor. “Just because you’re 30 and still single does not mean Mr. Right isn’t right around the corner. In fact, Mr. Right could be standing right outside your classroom door as we speak.” Kate weaved her way through the desks, and stopped before the door.
“Do not open that door!” Marlena ordered. “I’m afraid if you do, Mike will be standing on the other side.”
Both women cracked up, as Kate kept a firm grip on the doorknob. “Well let’s find out.”
“No!” Marlena hissed, but it was too late. Kate opened the door with a flourish and nearly gasped.
Standing there was over six feet of pure tall dark and handsome. Kate’s cheeks flared up in embarrassment for having such impure thoughts when she was a married woman.
“Um . . . Marlena, someone’s here to see you,” Kate called out, before she quickly rushed past the man and down the hall to her own classroom.
“Did I interrupt something?” The man wondered, looking from the empty hallway where Kate had gone and back to Marlena who stood near the bulletin board, mouth slightly agape.
His voice was deep, but what did she expect? It fit perfectly with his height and build and gorgeous, blue eyes.
“Are you all right?”
His voice jolted her from her daydream, and she jumped to meet his attention.
“I’m sorry, I was . . . thinking about my lesson plan for tomorrow. Can I help you Mr . . .?”
“Black, John Black. I’m Brady’s father. I was hoping you were free to have a parent/teacher conference.”
“Oh . . . uh, yes I’m free Mr. Black. The children are in music class right now. Please, won’t you come in?” Marlena hurriedly cleared the stacks of papers from her desk and grabbed a chair for him to sit in. “I’m sorry, but this is the only size chair we offer in first grade. I don’t get many students over 6 feet tall.”
John chuckled, as he unbuttoned his suit jacket and took a seat. “Not too bad,” he assured her, as he shifted to get comfortable and banged his knees up against her desk.
“Oh dear,” she mumbled apologetically. “Would you rather we go down to the teacher’s work room or take a walk around the school and talk?”
“I thought you’d never ask,” he smiled, instantly settling her nerves and sending her pulse racing all at once.
Before they could make it to the double doors at the end of the hallway, the fire alarm sounded, and instinctively Marlena started to run in the opposite direction.
“Go out that door and wait at the monkey bars,” she called to him behind her shoulder. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
“But shouldn’t you be going this way?” He called back. “There could be a real fire.”
“I have to get my children.” She disappeared around the corner in a blur. Confused, John did as he was told.
“She must have children who go to this school.” He thought aloud, as he lazily walked to the monkey bars. “It’s only a fire drill. I’m sure their teacher could get them out safely and appropriately.” When he was halfway across the field he smelled something burning. Turning around, he saw the roof of the school building ablaze. “Jesus Christ! Brady!”
Children’s screams were heard from every corner of the school as teachers desperately tried to usher them outside in an orderly fashion. They all knew from the smell that this was not an ordinary fire drill. Marlena fought her way through classes and classes of children and teachers to get to the music room where her students were.
“Why haven’t you taken them outside yet Marty?” Marlena insisted urgently upon seeing her children and the music teacher still lined up at his room.
“I didn’t know what to do,” he said nervously, his entire body shaking. He was fresh out of college, a small man, with wire-rimmed glasses.
“We went over this at teacher orientation, you take them out of the classroom to the right and out those double doors down there,” she replied angrily.
“Miss Evans are we gonna die?” A child’s voice wondered.
Instantly her entire class was in an uproar, all the children screaming and crying out for their parents.
“It’s all right children, no one’s gonna die. I promise,” she assured them. “Marty, go down the hallway and have the doors open, I’m going to line them all up and usher them out. Are they all here?”
“Yes, every one of them,” he replied.
“Are you positive?”
Marty merely nodded, and then took off down the hall to the door.
“All right children, I want everyone to listen carefully and pay attention because we need to be quick about this. Make a nice straight line and grab a hold of the person’s hand in front of you.” The children scurried to their right spot in line and did as they were told. Marlena grabbed a hold of Molly’s hand that was at the front. “Stay quiet and calm and follow the person in front of you.”
In a matter of minutes, Marlena and the children emerged from the school building to join the others. As she lined them up near the slide, she did a head count and realized something was wrong. Counting again, she realized she was one child short.
“Marty!” She screamed, whirling around to find him, her voice shaking violently. “Marty, I thought you said they were all there!”
“They were, all 19 of them.”
“I have 20 students Marty!” Spinning back around, Marlena did a quick check of who was there to determine who was missing. “Oh dear God, Brady!”
“What’s the matter Marlena?” Kate wondered, rushing over.
“Will you watch my kids for me?”
“Of course, but why?”
“No time to explain,” Marlena insisted, running back toward the school.
“Marlena, for heavens sake, you can’t go back in there!”
“I have to Kate, just please make sure my children stay safe.”
Before Kate could shout another protest, Marlena disappeared inside the school once more.
“She’s going to get herself killed,” Marty gasped.
“Marty!” Kate hissed, motioning toward Marlena’s students who all had worried looks on their pale faces, as their eyes were glued to the door Marlena went through.
. . : : . .
The smoke in the hallways was scarce, but increasing by the minute. Marlena knew she didn’t have much time, but she couldn’t leave Brady inside.
“Brady!” She called out, her voice echoing in the empty halls. “Brady, its Miss Evans sweetie. If you can hear me don’t be scared, just follow my voice and we’ll go outside with the others together.”
The faint sound of sirens were audible in the distance, but that didn’t deter her. She wasn’t leaving that building without Brady.
She continued to call out his name as she rounded the corner. The smoke was getting thicker and she couldn’t see too far in front of her when she slammed right into something rock solid.
Two strong arms wrapped tightly around Marlena’s waist before she could fall backwards from the impact.
“I’m so sorry,” she insisted, bracing herself on the shoulders connected to the arms that held her tight.
“Don’t be,” a firm voice spoke.
“Mr. Black?”
“Miss Evans?”
“What are you doing in here?” The both spoke at once.
“Looking for Brady.” They both spoke again.
“What?” They both questioned again.
“This is getting old pretty fast,” John declared.
“How did you know Brady was still in here?”
“I didn’t, I just came in as soon as I saw the fire on the roof. Do you mean to tell me you left my son in a burning building?”
“I didn’t mean to. They were in music class and Marty the music teacher told me they were all there. The children were frightened as was I, that I neglected to do a head count right then and there. I just wanted to get them outside to safety. As soon as I realized Brady wasn’t there, I came back in to find him.” Her explanation was quick, as her voice quivered fearfully.
“Are you stupid? You can be killed coming back inside here!” He scolded her.
“I don’t care. One of my children is missing, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to stand outside and watch on as the school burns with Brady inside.”
“Your children,” he echoed, realization dawning. “When you said your children earlier, you meant your class.”
“Of course, who else would I . . .? You thought I had children of my own? Never mind that, we need to find Brady.”
“That’s a fact,” he agreed, removing his arms from her waist, as he smiled sheepishly. “Where’s the music room?”
“That door right behind you.”
Testing the doorknob, John determined it was safe, and opened it. Immediately a cloud of smoke billowed out into the hallway, causing them to cough.
“Brady, it’s your father, are you in here?” John called out.
“I don’t think he’ll answer you. He’s probably scared out of his mind,” Marlena said in a hushed voice.
“You think?” John’s snappy remark stung Marlena, but she didn’t let it faze her.
While John kept calling out to Brady to no avail, Marlena got down on her hands and knees, peering inside each cabinet door.
“Where is he?” John’s question came out softer and sadder than he had intended. He was losing it and letting his vulnerable side show.
“Why don’t you check in those cabinets on the other side of the sink?”
Obeying, John crouched down on his knees and started checking the cabinets rapidly.
“The smoke’s coming in faster,” Marlena coughed, her vision blurring.
Just then Marlena’s eye caught sight of a pair of shoelaces sticking out of the crack in one of the cabinets. Yanking the door open, there she found Brady curled in a ball, his face streaked with dirty tears.
“Oh thank God!” She exclaimed, finally able to breathe. “Brady, its Miss Evans, come on out.”
Upon hearing his son’s name, John crawled over and sighed in relief when he beheld his son’s face.
“Son, its daddy, come on out.”
“Daddy?” Brady coughed, wiping away a few tears.
Laughing, John carefully pulled Brady out of the cabinet and wrapped him up in his arms. “What on earth were you doing in there?”
“I was scared when the noises started. Everyone was screaming and I was afraid.”
“Well you’re safe now,” Marlena assured him, pulling a tissue out of her pocket and gently wiping the watery streaks from his tiny cheeks.
“Let’s get out of here,” John proclaimed, gathering his son up in his arms.
Going back the way they came, they were stopped short before the exit, the flames already blocking it off.
“There’s a set of doors around the corner and to the left,” Marlena remembered, turning the corner. Her heart sank when they saw the flames dancing around the doors, taunting them, teasing them.
“What about the main doors? Or another hallway?” John suggested.
“No, that won’t work. Ten minutes after the fire alarms sounds, the gates to each hallway come down and lock. These were our only two exits,” she explained, her eyes expressing the fear she felt.
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure we all get out of here alive,” he assured her, “Come on, this way.”
Still holding onto Brady, John kicked open the door to the boy’s restroom and Marlena followed.
“Daddy, Miss Evans can’t come in here, she’s a girl,” Brady insisted matter-of-factly.
“Just this once we’ll let her in,” John laughed, flashing Marlena a warm smile.
Blushing, she quickly averted her gaze to the sinks beside her.
“Brady, you wait right here with Miss Evans while I find us a way out.”
Brady leaned against Marlena’s side, his arms wrapped firmly around her waist to ensure she wouldn’t leave him. In an effort to ease his worries, Marlena wrapped her arms around his shoulders, rubbing his arms soothingly.
“You two stand back,” John ordered. “I’m going to break this window.”
Still holding onto Brady tightly, Marlena backed up toward the door as far as she could go. John climbed up onto the heater and started to kick the window in, but it wasn’t breaking.
“What the hell?” He hissed.
“That’s not your ordinary glass,” Marlena pointed out. “It’s extra thick.”
“If anyone can break it, my daddy can,” Brady enthused.
“You bet I can,” John agreed, nothing but determination showing in his eyes. After a few more kicks, the glass shattered and Marlena’s heart leapt for joy.
The gasps and shrieks from the students outside floated into the restroom as John gestured the two over.
Picking Brady up by the underarms, John called out for one of the adults to come and help.
A few firefighters rushed over, followed by a mob of students and teachers all wondering who was left inside.
“Dear God, we didn’t know anyone was in there!” One firefighter cried.
“Here, take my son,” John ordered, not bothering to engage in any chit chat at the moment.
John slowly lifted Brady out of the window to the men below, careful not to cut him on the shards of glass.
“Come on,” John said to Marlena, once Brady was safely out.
“You go first.”
“Lady, don’t argue with me just . . .”
“Look, both of us can’t fit up on that heater. You go out first and then I’ll climb up and out.”
Pausing to think, John let out an exasperated sigh. “I’m not going out until you’re out.”
“Listen Mr. Black, I am not some damsel in distress, I will not die in here. Just go out the window and I will follow right behind you.”
“Are you two going to argue all day or come out?” A firefighter shouted up at them.
“Shut up!” They both called out to him.
“Fine, suit yourself,” John shrugged, angling himself out the window as the firefighters positioned themselves to help him out. The second Marlena heard his feet hit the ground she climbed up on the heater. Steadying herself, she angled toward the open window, fully prepared to climb out before she realized how high up she was.
“Jesus,” she hissed, her knees going weak as she quickly gripped the window to keep herself up.
“What’s wrong?” John called up to her.
“I didn’t know it was this high! I can’t,” she cried out, shaking her head in opposition.
“What?” John exclaimed, his voice mixing with the loud moans and groans of the others.
“I can’t. It’s too far down. I’m afraid of heights.”
“Jesus Lady, why did you make me come out first? Move out of the way, these guys are going to hoist me up and I’m coming back in.”
As John moved to go back through the window, one of the firefighters grabbed his arm.
“I’m sorry sir, but we can’t let you go back in there.”
“But . . .”
“I’m sorry sir; we can’t in good conscience allow you back inside a burning building. Your wife is just going to have to come out on her own.”
“She’s not my wife.”
“I’m not his wife.”
“Listen Miss Evans . . .” John began.
“Call me Marlena.”
Grinding his teeth, John counted to ten before speaking again. “Okay, Marlena, the school is on fire and you’re still inside. I promised you that I would make sure we all got out alive, so you’re going to have to trust me when I say you can make it. It’s not that far. I’m right here.”
Silence followed, as everyone held their breaths to see what she would say.
“And you won’t let me fall?” Marlena’s voice floated out, softy yet urgently.
“You have my word. Just come to the window and I’ll reach up and help you out.”
Marlena appeared at the broken window and almost looked down.
“Don’t!” John called out, causing her head to snap back up. “Don’t look down. Just . . . just do as I say but do not look down.”
“This feels like a scene out of a movie and no matter what I do, I’m destined to look down and chicken out again.” She laughed nervously, clamping her hands on both sides of the broken window.
“Well lucky for you,” John replied, positioning himself below the window. “This is real life and not a movie. So you don’t have to worry about all of that.”
“You’re right,” she said, suddenly forgetting as she looked down to find his face. “Oh dear God!”
“I said not to look down. Its okay, you looked down. Just look for my face, find my eyes. Don’t look at the ground, look at my eyes. Do you see them?”
Hands trembling, legs shaking, Marlena forced herself to look back down. When she did she saw him there below, a small smile on his lips, his eyes urging her, guiding her to safety.
“That’s it,” he encouraged, holding his hands up in an effort to appear closer to her. “Okay, I want you to kick away the stray glass at your feet and carefully sit down on the ledge of the window.”
Still gripping the sides of the window, Marlena did as he instructed, and eased herself down to sit on the ledge.
“Good, that’s good. Now, you have to let go of the sides of the window and . . .”
“No, no, no.” She insisted, shaking her head to emphasize her point.
“Just listen, I need you to move your hands so you can grip the ledge. You’re going to have to turn yourself around and slowly slid down so you’re dangling as far as you can go, okay?”
“I don’t think I can do that. I’m weak, I have no upper body strength,” she explained hurriedly, her knuckles turning white as she squeezed her fists tighter and tighter on the window.
“You have to trust me when I say I’m right here and I won’t let you fall.”
Thinking a moment, she finally nodded in agreement, and slowly started to twist her body around. She hung there a moment, her stomach still lying against the ledge, as she mentally prepared herself to hang freely.
“Just a little more and I can reach your ankles.”
Wanting down in a hurry, Marlena let herself slide down further and he gripped her ankles firmly to let her know he was right there. As she slowly slid further and further down, he moved his hands from her ankles to her thighs and finally to her waist.
“You can let go now, I’ve got you.”
As she released her grip he was able to pull her the rest of the way down. The second her feet touched earth once more, she spun to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck, hugging him tight.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she said breathlessly into his ear, her voice muffled by his jacket collar, as the cheers of everyone around filled the air.
“Don’t mention it,” he assured her, hugging her back. He wasn’t sure why he was returning the embrace, but it just felt right so he went with it.
“I hate to break this up folks, but we need to get you two and the boy in an ambulance and to the hospital.” A firefighter broke in. “We’ve only got one so you’ll have to share.”
“That’s fine,” John said, scooping Brady up in his arms. “Ready to ride in a real ambulance Brady?”
“Cool!”
“Are you ready?” John asked Marlena in a hushed voice, who was partially hidden behind his back as she wiped away her tears.
“Yes, I’m ready.” She nodded, smiling at his concern for her.
. . : : . .
The small cubicle in the ER was starting to annoy Marlena as she tried to look anywhere but at the God awful green curtain surrounding her, casing her in. The entire ride to the hospital, she, John, and Brady were forced to wear oxygen masks to prevent any further damage from left over smoke in their lungs. As soon as they reached the ER, they were all ushered in different directions to be given a thorough check over.
Marlena’s doctor ordered her to stay where she was, while he tended to other patients. She didn’t want to, she’d rather check on Brady, and even his father to see if they were both fine.
Just when she was about to forget the doctor’s orders and check on them, the curtain to her cubicle slowly slid back to reveal John standing there, his suit jacket off, the first few buttons on his shirt undone, and his tie hung haphazardly around his neck, as a few ashen black streaks stained his face. God help her but she wanted to eat him up on the spot.
“Did your doctor give you good news?” He wondered, tossing his jacket on the foot of her bed.
“Yes,” she said, but given the oxygen mask it was muffled and barely audible. Blushing, she realized the oxygen wasn’t even on anymore as she removed the mask. “Yes. You?”
“I’m built like a horse.” Was his reply as he pulled a stool up to sit beside her bed.
“Like father like son,” she laughed, her hands toying with the string to the mask in her hands.
“Excuse me?”
“I meant that Brady is like that. He’ll trip on the playground and not let one tear loose.”
“Yea, he’s not much of a crier these days,” John mumbled, clearing his throat.
Marlena thought about pushing the issue further, but something in his voice, something in his eyes stopped her, so she changed the subject.
“Is Brady all right?”
“Yea, the doctor’s are just taking extra precautions with him being that he’s younger than the two of us and he was inside the building longer. The head nurse said she’d come and get me when they were through.”
“I’m so sorry.” No longer able to hold back, her tears simply fell. “I’m so sorry.”
“What’s wrong?”
”It’s all my fault. All of it. I should have done a quick head count before I left the building. I shouldn’t have trusted Marty when he said they were all there. I even asked him a second time if he was positive and he said yes. It’s just the children were crying out for their mommies and daddies and I wanted to help them, I wanted to make sure they were safe, all of them, even Brady. I swear if I would have known he wasn’t in line, I wouldn’t have left that building in the first place. I would have had Marty take the others out while I searched for him. I swear I never would have left if I had known.”
“Shhh,” he finally broke in, yanking a few tissues out of a nearby box and handing them to her. “I don’t blame you.”
“Well you should. What kind of a teacher am I to do that?”
“If you ask me you’re one hell of a teacher. When that fire bell rang out, what was your first thought? Your children. Where was the first place you ran to? To where your children were. I wouldn’t want any other teacher watching over my son but you. You went above and beyond the call of duty when you went back inside to find my son. I promise you, I won’t ever forget you did that.”
Then something strange happened, shocking John. Marlena began to cry even harder.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” He asked, looking around for some form of help. He wasn’t used to crying women.
“I’m . . . I’m fine,” she sniffed, blowing her nose in the tissues he had given her. “Your words . . . they were just really sweet. Thank you.”
John laughed part from relief and part from the humor he found in the situation.
“As long as we’re offering up our thanks, I really should thank you for calming me down and getting me out of that boy’s restroom.”
“You really should have told me you were afraid of heights. I never would have left you alone in that bathroom had I known.”
“That’s why I didn’t tell you,” she grinned knowingly, her entire face lighting up with her smile.
“And the truth rears its ugly head,” he declared, not able to contain his own smile after seeing hers. “Promise me one thing?”
“Depends Mr. Black,” she replied, raising a questioning eyebrow.
“Call me John, and I want you to promise me that you’ll always be honest with me in the future.”
“The future?” She whispered.
The word echoed in her ears, as she fought to remain in the present and not let her mind wander to this possible future he proposed.
“Well?” He implored.
Closing her eyes tight for a moment, she opened them and spoke again. “Uh yes . . . yes I promise.”
“That’s my girl.” The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them, and truth be known, he really didn’t want to stop them.
The Jarlena Journal 