This story is by Connie Martinez and was part of our 2024 Spring Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here.
Lina was a Teacher Assistant to Lauren Freedman, Professor of History studies. It was a job she coveted, but her position was ending at the end of the semester for the summer and along with it, her salary. She would be returning to it the following semester, but things had undergone a downward spiral in her life.
Recently her boyfriend, Tom, announced over breakfast, “I’ve met someone new”. The shock of his words, seemingly out of the blue, caused Lina to momentarily lose the grip on her coffee cup, spilling hot liquid upon herself before managing to set it safely on the table.
Seeing the dumbfounded expression on Lina’s face, Tom’s words came rushing out in haste. “It just sort of happened, I wasn’t planning it, … I wasn’t looking for someone else, I swear….it just…. Happened” then as if to lessen his guilt, “let’s be honest, things haven’t been that great between us for a while.”
The “someone” was a counselor and Girl’s soccer coach, at the high school where Tom worked and just like that, their two year relationship was over.
She had met Tom at a college football game she had attended with some co-workers. He was a friend of a friend, a Phys Ed teacher and football coach at the local high school. One date had led to another until they were sharing an apartment together.
Weeks after Tom’s announcement, when the worst of rejection and the hurt it had caused passed. She realized Tom was right, their relationship had been slowly disintegrating. As the initial attraction began to wane, their lack of common interests and their differences became prevalent. Her love of reading, his fixation with sports, became bones of contention between them, and cause for petty arguments. Excuses were made to spend less time at home, and in the last few months, their bedroom had become a place to sleep and little else.
Lina had been brought up by her maternal grandmother, after her parents died in a car accident when she was Five. Each was the other’s saving grace. Her granny was a high school history teacher which greatly influenced her career choice. Their home was warm, and cozy, filled with time loved furnishings and tasty delights coming from the kitchen. Sadly, her grandmother had been gone for three years when she first met Tom. Losing her had left a large hole in her heart. She now wondered if her relationship with Tom would ever have happened if her grandmother hadn’t died.
Lina had some savings to tide her over for a while and Tom, to give him credit, had paid his share of the rent for the next two months, but she was unsure of her future. She could not afford the rent on her own, she would have to advertise for a roommate if she wished to stay here and get a summer job. Her worst fear was she would not be able to return to her teacher assistant job next semester and would have to put her career dreams on hold.
Lina had a good relationship with her professor, who had not failed to notice the change in her disposition. Normally, an up-spirited person, Lina seemed downhearted and pre-occupied. She approached Lina about this, and reluctantly, with a reddened face, Lina confided her situation and fears for her future. After giving Lina a hug, and commiserating with her, she tilted her head up, brow wrinkled in contemplation, and said, “I may be able to help you. Let me work on it and I’ll get back to you.”
Professor Freedman was as good as her word. Calling Lina to her office, she offered her a life line. A position that would not only give her a place to stay, but a chance to bone up on her own research for her doctorate, and save most of her salary, which would greatly help her return to her job in the fall.
Lina gratefully accepted the position of companion/housekeeper for a woman recuperating from knee replacement surgery. Her duties would include housekeeping, cooking, and chauffeuring her employer to physical therapy and helping her with her research for the next three months. Prof. Joan Thompson was a History Professor at the State University in Pennsylvania and had taken a sabbatical leave, coinciding with her recovery to research a book she was writing. Her previous aide had to leave unexpectedly due to family issues. Lina felt fortunate that she was recommended for this position by her history professor, a former university classmate and friend of Prof. Thompson.
Lina was extremely nervous, as the taxi driver pulled up to the address that she had given him. She was not used to the expanse of oaks, maples, and evergreens that dotted the landscape on her drive from the airport. She didn’t realize how far from town it was situated. Where she lived, everything was within walking distance. Nor was she used to the humidity. This home was set on three acres but surrounded by woods and farmland on both sides.
The home had a white picket fence that bordered the property. The front yard was a lush green, with two large red maple trees, on both sides of the walkway. So different from the arid landscape she was accustomed to in New Mexico. Blue and white hydrangea bushes lined the front porch of the two-story farmhouse. The wood siding was dark grey with white trim and shutters. The front door was painted a dark red. Two rocking chairs were positioned on the left side of the entryway, and a comfortable cushioned wicker set occupied the other.
“Well, this is a very nice home you have here,” the taxi driver said admiringly. “Oh, it is beautiful, isn’t” replied Lina, looking around in awe, then added, “I am working here for the summer.” The taxi driver helped bring her luggage to the front door. She added a nice tip to the fare and thanked him for his help. The charm of the area helped to dissipate some of the anxiety she felt about accepting this job. She hoped she was up to it and that she and her employer got along. She couldn’t afford to lose this job.
She rang the doorbell, wiping the sweat off her forehead. A few minutes later, it was answered by a grey-haired woman using crutches. Throwing the door open wide, she gestured for her to enter inside. “Come in, come in, get out of the heat,” said the woman as she closed the front door. Thankfully, the inner home was blissfully cool. “I am very glad to meet you,” the woman continued. “You are a Godsend. I was so happy when Lauren spoke to me about you. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to find someone on such short notice,” offering her hand to Lina; they made introductions.
“Please, let’s drop any formalities. You can call me Joan, or Prof, as I am known to my students,” she joked. “May I call you Caroline, or is it, Lina?”
The professors’ words wiped away any lingering doubts Lina had about taking this job. “Please, call me Lina.”
“I apologize in advance for the unkempt condition of the house. Karen had to leave last week, and…. well,” pointing around the living room the professor said with a hint of embarrassment. “I hope you will enjoy your stay. Lauren has given you a glowing recommendation, and if half what she said is true, we will get along fine.” Then directing Lina to the staircase, she finished, “Your bedroom is upstairs, the first door on the left. “For the time being,” she said, indicating her knee, “my bedroom has been set up in the first-floor study. Why don’t you take your things upstairs and make yourself comfortable? I had Karen set the room up before she left. The bathroom is across from the hall; you will find everything you need there. Come back downstairs when you have settled your things, and I will meet you in the kitchen.” Pausing a moment to put her nose up and sniff the air, “Uh oh,” making a U-turn with her crutches and wabbling to the kitchen, “I’ve got a casserole in the oven. You are probably hungry after your long trip. We can eat, and then we will go over your duties.”
Any unease Lina had felt about taking this position melted away after listening to the professor. She reminded her of her grandmother; the same cheerful continence, the lived-in furnishings with crocheted Afghans, and the enticing aroma of a chicken casserole cemented that feeling in her mind. Quickly picking up her suitcase, she went in search of her room. Calling downstairs,
“Professor, I’ll be down to help you with dinner in a few minutes.” And just like that, a happy thought came to mind. “This was going to work out” the smile lingering on her face.
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