It's quiet right now. Only the singing of a cardinal can be heard. The six kids are all sleeping still! They were all really tired last night. All except Ti-K, rode their bikes with me to the park and then back again yesterday. Well, L ended up going back in the van because his little legs were tired. We'll have the kids until after supper tonight when their parents get back from their anniversary trip. It's hard to believe they've been married for twelve years!
Let's see, this week. I didn't write. But I did make the corrections in one Christmas story. :) And I released my new book, "Dylan's Story." :D It's the first novel I've published this year! Kind of crazy since I was doing 2-3 books a year. But don't worry, I have another Long novel coming soon, and the eight Christmas books. Hopefully I can get more done next week.
Enjoy this next part of this story.
Something Different
Part 2
She read the letter through once, then started over and read it more carefully, pushing herself up from her lounging position as though to better take in what she was reading. At last she gave a little laugh. “That sounds like fun. I wonder if I could.”
Abby looked up from a long letter she was perusing. “What does?”
“Grandma wrote to tell me that a friend of hers, who lives somewhere near here, owns land that has an old one-room schoolhouse on it. It’s been restored, and Grandma writes that they are going to use it for teaching before turning it into a museum.”
“A museum sounds interesting. Wait! What did you just say about teaching there again?” Abby let her letter fall in her lap and gave her full attention to Lindsay.
“It says here,” and Lindsay read from the floral stationary, “‘it’s been agreed to give the public school children a real taste of what a one-room school was like. They are going to take a mixture of students from first through eighth grade to attend the school together for a full week. They are estimating that it will take almost until Thanksgiving for all the children in the nearby Christian school to experience it. The only trouble is, they don’t have a teacher. They want one who is young, as many teachers of old were young, and one who wouldn’t mind teaching under such conditions.’ Doesn’t that sound like fun?” She looked up, her eyes sparkling.
“No.” Abby was quick with her reply. “I don’t want to teach there or anywhere else.”
Lindsay laughed. “Well, you aren’t learning to be a teacher. I think it sounds wonderful.” She glanced back down at her letter. “Grandma says that they did install real bathrooms in the back so the students wouldn’t have to use an outhouse.”
“Well, that’s good. But still, how would you manage all the grades together?”
“Just like a mom homeschooling, I guess.” Suddenly she bounced bolt upright. “That’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to see if I can get the job of teaching in the little one-room schoolhouse. I wonder if I’ll have to dress the part?” She shivered with excitement, but her smile widened. “Oh, wouldn’t that be fun? I’m going to go call Mom, no, I mean Grandma right now. I’ll have to talk to the dean, and my professors. I wonder how much teaching experience I have to have? Back then they just had to have their teacher’s certificate. Hmm.”
“Lindsay Crawford, you are something else! You haven’t even finished your sophomore year of college and you want to quit to teach in a one-room schoolhouse for a few weeks?” Abby shook her head and sighed resignedly. “What’s the use? You have that look in your eye. Go make your phone call.”
Slipping her shoes back on, Lindsay reached into her backpack and pulled out her phone. “I’ll be back when I know something.” With a wave, she hurried from their room, down the hall, and almost skipping down the stairs, she darted outside and away from the front door. It took but a few moments to dial the number on her phone, then she waited. Grandma didn’t have an answering machine and sometimes took a few minutes to reach the phone. On the seventh ring, just as Lindsay was about to hang up, Grandma’s bright voice answered.
By the time she had hung up, almost thirty minutes later, Lindsay was fairly bursting with pent up excitement. Tapping the phone on her hand, she thought. Should she run up and tell Abby where she was going? Or should she go directly to make an appointment to meet the dean. “I should make an appointment first,” she decided, knowing that she might not get to see Dr. Willman until Monday if she waited too long. Quickly she tucked her phone into the pocket of her sweater and set off at a brisk walk back across campus. If running had not been banned from the campus grounds except for track meets or things of that nature, Lindsay would have run. As it was, however, her rapid walking soon took her down the almost empty paths, through the maze of buildings, to the structure that housed the dean’s office.
Stepping into the office, she smiled at the receptionist who looked up. “Hi, Amy.”
“Hi, Lindsay, what brings you here?”
“I want to make an appointment to see Dr. Willman.”
“All right. What about?”
Still breathing quickly from her rapid walk, Lindsay blurted everything out in one rapid sentence, not pausing except to catch a quick breath. “I want to talk about taking the teacher’s exam and teaching this fall in the one-room schoolhouse because I know I could do it, and– I’ve just got to do something before this weather drives me crazy!”
Amy’s eyes widened and her eyebrows rose. “Are you feeling all right, Lindsay? You look rather flushed. Why don’t you sit down, and I’ll call the nurse.”
Lindsay burst into laughter. “No, thanks. I’m fine, really, Amy.” She drew a deep breath. “I know it sounds crazy, but that’s the whole of the matter. I want to talk to him about it. Grandma’s going to talk to her friend, and I really hope I can get it!” She clasped her hands together.
Amy didn’t look convinced but said, “Just a minute, I have–”
The side door opened, and Dr. and Mrs. Willman stepped into the front office. The dean looked a little surprised to find one of the students there, but glanced from Lindsay to Amy. “Did I miss an appointment?”
“No, sir,” Amy began, “Lindsay just arrived.”
Dr. Willman looked at Lindsay’s excited face. “Is it an urgent matter?” he asked, smiling.
“I don’t know. I mean it’s not urgent, but I’d rather have it than lose it to someone else because I’m just longing to try it!”
Mrs. Willman’s bright laugh filled the room. “Take time to talk with her, Ken. At least find out what it is she hopes no one else gets before she has a chance. I’m in no hurry.”
“Do you have time to talk now, Lindsay?” Dr. Willman asked. “Or did you just come to make an appointment.”
Abby looked up from a long letter she was perusing. “What does?”
“Grandma wrote to tell me that a friend of hers, who lives somewhere near here, owns land that has an old one-room schoolhouse on it. It’s been restored, and Grandma writes that they are going to use it for teaching before turning it into a museum.”
“A museum sounds interesting. Wait! What did you just say about teaching there again?” Abby let her letter fall in her lap and gave her full attention to Lindsay.
“It says here,” and Lindsay read from the floral stationary, “‘it’s been agreed to give the public school children a real taste of what a one-room school was like. They are going to take a mixture of students from first through eighth grade to attend the school together for a full week. They are estimating that it will take almost until Thanksgiving for all the children in the nearby Christian school to experience it. The only trouble is, they don’t have a teacher. They want one who is young, as many teachers of old were young, and one who wouldn’t mind teaching under such conditions.’ Doesn’t that sound like fun?” She looked up, her eyes sparkling.
“No.” Abby was quick with her reply. “I don’t want to teach there or anywhere else.”
Lindsay laughed. “Well, you aren’t learning to be a teacher. I think it sounds wonderful.” She glanced back down at her letter. “Grandma says that they did install real bathrooms in the back so the students wouldn’t have to use an outhouse.”
“Well, that’s good. But still, how would you manage all the grades together?”
“Just like a mom homeschooling, I guess.” Suddenly she bounced bolt upright. “That’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to see if I can get the job of teaching in the little one-room schoolhouse. I wonder if I’ll have to dress the part?” She shivered with excitement, but her smile widened. “Oh, wouldn’t that be fun? I’m going to go call Mom, no, I mean Grandma right now. I’ll have to talk to the dean, and my professors. I wonder how much teaching experience I have to have? Back then they just had to have their teacher’s certificate. Hmm.”
“Lindsay Crawford, you are something else! You haven’t even finished your sophomore year of college and you want to quit to teach in a one-room schoolhouse for a few weeks?” Abby shook her head and sighed resignedly. “What’s the use? You have that look in your eye. Go make your phone call.”
Slipping her shoes back on, Lindsay reached into her backpack and pulled out her phone. “I’ll be back when I know something.” With a wave, she hurried from their room, down the hall, and almost skipping down the stairs, she darted outside and away from the front door. It took but a few moments to dial the number on her phone, then she waited. Grandma didn’t have an answering machine and sometimes took a few minutes to reach the phone. On the seventh ring, just as Lindsay was about to hang up, Grandma’s bright voice answered.
By the time she had hung up, almost thirty minutes later, Lindsay was fairly bursting with pent up excitement. Tapping the phone on her hand, she thought. Should she run up and tell Abby where she was going? Or should she go directly to make an appointment to meet the dean. “I should make an appointment first,” she decided, knowing that she might not get to see Dr. Willman until Monday if she waited too long. Quickly she tucked her phone into the pocket of her sweater and set off at a brisk walk back across campus. If running had not been banned from the campus grounds except for track meets or things of that nature, Lindsay would have run. As it was, however, her rapid walking soon took her down the almost empty paths, through the maze of buildings, to the structure that housed the dean’s office.
Stepping into the office, she smiled at the receptionist who looked up. “Hi, Amy.”
“Hi, Lindsay, what brings you here?”
“I want to make an appointment to see Dr. Willman.”
“All right. What about?”
Still breathing quickly from her rapid walk, Lindsay blurted everything out in one rapid sentence, not pausing except to catch a quick breath. “I want to talk about taking the teacher’s exam and teaching this fall in the one-room schoolhouse because I know I could do it, and– I’ve just got to do something before this weather drives me crazy!”
Amy’s eyes widened and her eyebrows rose. “Are you feeling all right, Lindsay? You look rather flushed. Why don’t you sit down, and I’ll call the nurse.”
Lindsay burst into laughter. “No, thanks. I’m fine, really, Amy.” She drew a deep breath. “I know it sounds crazy, but that’s the whole of the matter. I want to talk to him about it. Grandma’s going to talk to her friend, and I really hope I can get it!” She clasped her hands together.
Amy didn’t look convinced but said, “Just a minute, I have–”
The side door opened, and Dr. and Mrs. Willman stepped into the front office. The dean looked a little surprised to find one of the students there, but glanced from Lindsay to Amy. “Did I miss an appointment?”
“No, sir,” Amy began, “Lindsay just arrived.”
Dr. Willman looked at Lindsay’s excited face. “Is it an urgent matter?” he asked, smiling.
“I don’t know. I mean it’s not urgent, but I’d rather have it than lose it to someone else because I’m just longing to try it!”
Mrs. Willman’s bright laugh filled the room. “Take time to talk with her, Ken. At least find out what it is she hopes no one else gets before she has a chance. I’m in no hurry.”
“Do you have time to talk now, Lindsay?” Dr. Willman asked. “Or did you just come to make an appointment.”
Would you want to teach in a one room schoolhouse?
Do you ever get so excited about something that you can't talk very well?
Are you eager to read "Dylan's Story"?
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