“Why didn’t he get it?”
“You have to ask?”
“No, not really.”
“I sincerely hope that you can work together. He can be a difficult man to work with. Your resume stated that you can handle conflicts professionally. We hope that means you will be able to get him in line.”
“With respect, that sounds as if it should have been done a long time ago.”
“Indeed, no time like the present. Come, let me show you round.”
He took me to the staff room and introduced me to the other members of the faculty. Mr Simpson appeared embarrassed and shook my hand while mumbling a vague apology.
“Then I suggest we don’t look back and start afresh,” I said.
He nodded uncertainly.
In this school, each member of staff had their own classroom, so the students moved around. Carol Chamberlain was another relatively new teacher, who had only been with the school for one year. She taught History, and had even come up through this particular High School as a pupil herself, some ten years previously. She showed me my classroom, so I dropped off my personal items on my desk. I was quite nervous about meeting my first class, but this was a new semester, so everyone was new at something.
As we had a few minutes before the bell, Carol showed me the various important facilities, such as the female staff toilets and the staff dining room. The bell went, so she wished me good luck.
I entered the classroom and looked around at the assembled students. I knew that my skirt was tight and my stocking seams were straight. I was totally used to the high heels now, but I was very conscious that my low cut blouse was showing quite a bit of cleavage. My longer blonde hair shone, and my earrings flashed in the sun. I had taken time over my make up, so I knew I looked good.
A low whistle emanated from someone to my right. I locked in on the target and walked over to him. I stared at the boy, until he went very red and stammered an apology. I walked up and down the front of the class, looking at each student, none of the boys and few of the girls would meet and hold my stare.
“My name is Doctor Ryan. For the next few months, I am one-step down from God as far as you are concerned! Some of you may learn to hate me, but you will learn to respect me. Above all, you will learn from me! Because what I teach you now will make a difference between life and a meaningless existence. Do you hear me?” I said.
“Yes ma’am.” One or two muttered, with “Whatever”, “Yeah” and “if you say so.”
“I did not hear you!” I said, loudly.
This brought a slightly more unified response, but lacking real enthusiasm.
I stood, motionless and silent for several awkward seconds.
“I did not hear you!” I repeated, quietly.
“Yes Ma’am!” they shouted.
“That’s better,” I said, smiling as the latest batch of students received the Ryan treatment.
That had been weeks ago, and I was now well established in my role in the classroom. I had never taught kids of high school age before, having spent all my time at university level. Once the boys found that I had a brain somewhere above my breasts, they all responded well to my practical and down to earth approach to their own language. The girls responded better, particularly when I showed them that not all blondes were dumb.
Unfortunately, the boys had an immediate disadvantage as the small brain they used most, the one between their legs, tended to drain the vital oxygen carrying blood supply from the other brain located between their ears. Their constant tendency to dribble and drool during my lessons was annoying at best, and downright distracting at worst.
However, once they had seen Ed on campus, in full Marine greens, I found their attitude was less aggressively sexual, and I began to make some headway. I was happy in my work, and Ed was more than content with his new job.
He had gone for his annual check up with the naval doctor who had replaced his knee, which caused some consternation amongst the medical fraternity there. They discovered that not only was his knee completely restored, but also various other ailments, such as the arthritis in his left shoulder, had also completely vanished. He was healthier now than he had been ten years previously. They even offered to place him back on the active list, but smiling, he had declined. The surgeon could not believe that this was the same Ed Ryan he had seen a few short months before.
I got up, had a shower, and ate breakfast as I read the newspaper. I had never been a great TV fan, and the American TV was even less attractive than the UK variety. It was Friday, and I arrived at work and, as always, the morning flew past. I had no classes in the afternoon so had made a doctor’s appointment. I hadn’t told Ed, but I suspected that we were going to hear the pitter-patter of tiny feet in about nine months or so. I wasn’t feeling sick or anything, I just felt pregnant, and I had missed my last period.
I was making dinner when Ed returned. We had our usual kiss and cuddle and then he came to nibble at whatever I was cooking.
“Honey, I’m going to have to sell the Harley,” I said, as I slapped his hand out of the sauce.
“Why?”
“Because I can’t get a baby seat on the back. Could you pass the pepper mill, please?” I said.
Like a fool, he was half way passing the pepper when the penny dropped, so he stared at me.
“You aren’t?”
I smiled and nodded.
“When did you find out?”
“This afternoon. I had an appointment with Dr Phillips. I’m about six weeks pregnant. But that is not all.”
“What else could there be?”
“Have you a history of twins in your family?”
Ed just stared at me, then sat down on the breakfast bar stool, pepper mill still clutched forgotten in his hand.
“No, but then I thought twins followed the female side.”
“Probably, anyway, she said that I was rather too large for just one, so I may be expecting twins. She is setting up a scan for next week, as the scanner was unavailable today.”
Ed sat there with a soppy grin on his face, so now I knew how to reduce a big tough US Marine Sergeant Major into a blubbering jelly in 30 seconds. He pulled me to him, and laid one of his large hands gently on my belly.
“You kept that to yourself.”
“I did, didn’t I?” I said, smiling. It had been a real challenge to keep it from him.
“Oh, honey, I am so pleased, but how about you?” he said.
“It is what I want, above everything else,” I said, so he kissed me, but then he frowned.
“What, twins?”
“No, not necessarily, but hey, it saves on two pregnancies.”
“Let’s go out for dinner to celebrate?” he suggested.
“No way, not after I have spent the last hour preparing dinner.”
“Does your mother know?”
I nodded. “Yes, I called her as soon as I got back from the surgery. She is thrilled. You know she will be here when he, she or they arrive?”
“Of course. I’d expect nothing else.”
“Now, the pepper please.”
He grinned and passed the pepper, so I used it for what I had intended several minutes previously.
“So, when are you due?”
“She said I probably conceived in the middle of September, so probably early to mid July.”
“I still can’t believe it.”
“Believe it, buster. You are going to be a dad again. At least, I should be able to see the year out with the high school, and maybe even go back in September for the next semester.”
I then noticed that he had tears in his eyes, so I sensed that he was crying for his other two children that he never got to know. I held him close, but said nothing, either out loud, or mentally. There just was no need.