“When you teach, you hope you touch them, but you’re never sure if you do.” She noticed that when she spoke, he watched her intently.
He nodded. “I understand. I sometimes wonder what happens to patients when they leave the hospital. Do they really improve? Change?”
“What is your field?” Harley spread the napkin over her lap. He was handsome, really handsome. Eden would have liked him, and Harley couldn’t deny how appealing he was.
He gazed at her blankly at first, as if not understanding. He then smiled as recognition apparently dawned on him. “Oh, I’m an emergency room doctor. I work at LSU Interim. I’m not always used to the American term.”
Harley was genuinely impressed. “That must be very stressful.”
“At times, yes.” He leaned forward, gesturing with his hands. “As a doctor, you want to save people. When I was in medical school, I really thought I could save everyone, but I had unrealistic expectations when I began my career. One person can only do so much.” Shrugging, he added, “Several people said I was too idealistic. Perhaps they were right.”
“Sometimes it’s the same with teaching. You want to save people, but it isn’t always easy.” Harley liked his smile, and he was listening with apparent interest to every word she spoke. Most of the men she’d met through this service talked whole monologues about themselves. He was listening to her. “After Katrina,” she said, “we took in a lot of kids from different schools. We were by the river and didn’t have as much damage. I was teaching eighty extra kids. What’s funny is that I’d never had such purpose or felt so needed. Lately, I’m not feeling as fulfilled. I need a new challenge.” Harley stopped suddenly. The blood rushed to her face. She’d never been this open with anyone since her mother’s death. She’d only ever really confided in Eden and John. Even Donna and Judy didn’t know the inner workings of her heart. She swallowed her embarrassment and continued. “The school served its purpose, not teaching but my current position. I started soon after John died, but I no longer belong there. I’m not sure I ever did.”
“Why not?” Abisi’s dark gaze searched hers. His eyes were penetrating and fiercely intelligent.
Harley shrugged. She didn’t want to sound as if she were judging adolescents, but something in the man was compelling her to be honest. “Well, I teach primarily middle-class kids from reasonably well-off families. It’s a Catholic school with students who aren’t very conscious of anything but their own pleasure. They worry about their prom dresses and corsages. That’s it. They don’t care about issues like the environment, poverty, or this never-ending war in the Middle East. The school says it teaches social justice, but the students really only give the concept lip service, well, most of them. The worst is that I’ve looked for another teaching position, but jobs are tight right now.”
“Have you applied to the public schools?” He rested his chin on his thumb and forefinger. His gaze didn’t leave her. She liked his dark eyes.
“They’re hiring a bunch of Teach for America kids. Those people are cheap. They schools don’t have to pay someone with almost fifteen years’ experience. I also have a Master’s degree. That’s some more money they would have to pay. I went back to school to earn the Masters while I taught. John’s insurance money—” Harley stopped suddenly and took a sip of wine. She couldn’t talk about John to him, not yet.
“You don’t have to discuss a painful topic. I, too, know about loss.” Abisi smiled at her and cut into a slice of pizza. He looked down for a long time. “I lost my wife almost fifteen years ago.”
Harley’s mouth went dry. “I understand.” She looked away but felt his gaze on her and turned to him. “John’s been gone a long time, but I had my mother. She was very sick for a year. I had a focus while
He nodded. “I understand. I sometimes wonder what happens to patients when they leave the hospital. Do they really improve? Change?”
“What is your field?” Harley spread the napkin over her lap. He was handsome, really handsome. Eden would have liked him, and Harley couldn’t deny how appealing he was.
He gazed at her blankly at first, as if not understanding. He then smiled as recognition apparently dawned on him. “Oh, I’m an emergency room doctor. I work at LSU Interim. I’m not always used to the American term.”
Harley was genuinely impressed. “That must be very stressful.”
“At times, yes.” He leaned forward, gesturing with his hands. “As a doctor, you want to save people. When I was in medical school, I really thought I could save everyone, but I had unrealistic expectations when I began my career. One person can only do so much.” Shrugging, he added, “Several people said I was too idealistic. Perhaps they were right.”
“Sometimes it’s the same with teaching. You want to save people, but it isn’t always easy.” Harley liked his smile, and he was listening with apparent interest to every word she spoke. Most of the men she’d met through this service talked whole monologues about themselves. He was listening to her. “After Katrina,” she said, “we took in a lot of kids from different schools. We were by the river and didn’t have as much damage. I was teaching eighty extra kids. What’s funny is that I’d never had such purpose or felt so needed. Lately, I’m not feeling as fulfilled. I need a new challenge.” Harley stopped suddenly. The blood rushed to her face. She’d never been this open with anyone since her mother’s death. She’d only ever really confided in Eden and John. Even Donna and Judy didn’t know the inner workings of her heart. She swallowed her embarrassment and continued. “The school served its purpose, not teaching but my current position. I started soon after John died, but I no longer belong there. I’m not sure I ever did.”
“Why not?” Abisi’s dark gaze searched hers. His eyes were penetrating and fiercely intelligent.
Harley shrugged. She didn’t want to sound as if she were judging adolescents, but something in the man was compelling her to be honest. “Well, I teach primarily middle-class kids from reasonably well-off families. It’s a Catholic school with students who aren’t very conscious of anything but their own pleasure. They worry about their prom dresses and corsages. That’s it. They don’t care about issues like the environment, poverty, or this never-ending war in the Middle East. The school says it teaches social justice, but the students really only give the concept lip service, well, most of them. The worst is that I’ve looked for another teaching position, but jobs are tight right now.”
“Have you applied to the public schools?” He rested his chin on his thumb and forefinger. His gaze didn’t leave her. She liked his dark eyes.
“They’re hiring a bunch of Teach for America kids. Those people are cheap. They schools don’t have to pay someone with almost fifteen years’ experience. I also have a Master’s degree. That’s some more money they would have to pay. I went back to school to earn the Masters while I taught. John’s insurance money—” Harley stopped suddenly and took a sip of wine. She couldn’t talk about John to him, not yet.
“You don’t have to discuss a painful topic. I, too, know about loss.” Abisi smiled at her and cut into a slice of pizza. He looked down for a long time. “I lost my wife almost fifteen years ago.”
Harley’s mouth went dry. “I understand.” She looked away but felt his gaze on her and turned to him. “John’s been gone a long time, but I had my mother. She was very sick for a year. I had a focus while
Similar Books
