“I don't know if I should?”
His eyebrows shot up. “I may be able to help. Talk to me.”
“It doesn’t do any good to talk about it,” she said in frustration. “I’ve talked to Billy and you know what he said?”
“I can imagine.”
“He said to leave it alone.”
“Unfortunately, he always plays it safe.”
“You should have seen the way Bleaker was talking to this student. He was completely humiliating that boy. I wouldn’t even treat an enemy that way.”
“I was hoping that my suspicions about the principal being a huge ass were wrong.”
“No, you’re not wrong. He’s an idiot with a capital i! And Billy wants me to let it ride! Can you believe that?”
“Billy hates getting involved in anything controversial.”
“He’d rather sit in his corner and ignore whatever injustices are around him.”
“I’m afraid that’s true. “
“I can’t sit down and do nothing! I’m going to the superintendent’s office.”
Lorenzo sighed. “I’m not sure that’ll do any good,” he said quietly.
“No?”
“It looks like Bleaker’s lips are firmly planted on the superintendent’s backside. But I’ll tell you what, I’ll go with you to see him.”
“You will?” she asked, her voice uplifted.
“Yes, I’ll be there for moral support but also because I can’t stand the guy and I feel this school will never reach its potential with a principal like that. I care too much about our students to leave them at his mercy.”
Valeria smiled. “Thank you, Lorenzo.”
“You don’t need to thank me.”
“Yes, I do,” she asserted.
“But—“
“Thank you.”
“I'm sorry about the other day," Lorenzo blurted. "I shouldn't have said anything about your fiancé.”
“I appreciate you apologizing,” she said, smiling.
"So we can put that argument past us?" he asked hopefully.
"It's already forgotten."
Chapter 24
Valeria had realized a long time ago that life had many unexplainable turns to it. As soon as Valeria met Superintendent Morales, she felt an odd discomfort as if she had met him before and didn’t care for him. By some odd coincidence, Leonel's father had been friends with Superintendent Morales but had had a falling out before Leonel had been born. This man inspired absolutely no confidence in her. His tall frame, even when thin and unsubstantial, encroached on her anyway and his small eyes didn’t stay put for long, causing her to distrust the words coming from his mouth. She sensed keenly that Lorenzo felt the exact same way.
“I know that both of you would agree that being a principal is a very difficult job,” the superintendent said.
Valeria nodded. “Yes, but—“
“Principal Bleaker has a lot on his plate. I don’t want to talk about the previous principal, but he left that school in a mess.”
“He did?” asked Lorenzo, his voice with an edge of disbelief.
“Yes,” Superintendent Morales said uncomfortably.
“I’ve been teaching at that school for quite a few years and it was my impression that Principal Serna did an excellent job before he retired,” stated Lorenzo. “Wasn’t he the principal there for thirty years? Wouldn’t the board of education have found a way of getting rid of him if he had been so bad?”
Superintendent Morales cleared his throat nervously. “I’m not denying he did an adequate job but not a great job. Principal Bleaker, on the other hand, is doing a great job.”
“By humiliating students?” asked Valeria with a steely undertone.
“Ms. Loya, are you sure you heard correctly?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“Sometimes in our overzealous attempts to protect our students we hear what is not really there.”
“Superintendent Morales, I know what I heard and I wasn’t reading between the lines. I wasn’t imagining anything. Principal Bleaker was clearly degrading a student— no question about it.”
“I’m also a witness to Principal Bleaker’s lack of professionalism,” informed Lorenzo.
“But—“
“I even asked his administrative assistant about it and you know what she said?” Valeria asked, her tone firm. “She said that he has to treat the ‘lowlifes’ like that.”
“Lowlifes?” asked Superintendent Morales.
“Yes, that’s the term she used.”
“I’m sure she didn’t mean it and—“
“She used the same term when I was there,” stated Lorenzo. “Arlene refers to our whole student body like that.”
“Are you sure—”
“Yes, we’re sure,” blurted Valeria.
“She doesn’t have any respect for our students,”
“Mr. Montes, be careful with what you say,” demanded Superintendent Morales.
“I’m telling you the way it is,” assured Lorenzo. “It’s obvious to me that Arlene doesn’t like our school. I don’t know what she’s doing there. In fact, I understood that she was hired a little before Principal Serna retired, and he tried to get rid of her, but then he left and the new principal came in. Principal Bleaker, of course, likes her.”
“Yes, they have so much in common,” Valeria said dryly.
“I hope you two know the kind of accusations you’re making. These are two employees’ lives you’re messing with.”
“And they, in turn, are messing with many students,” stated Valeria.
The superintendent sighed deeply. “If you’re sure about this . . .”
“Yes, we’re sure.” How many times do we have to repeat the same thing to this man? wondered Valeria. Why, he's as stubborn as an old mule.
Avoiding her eyes, the superintendent cleared his throat. “I’ll have to tread very carefully, but I’ll check into this.”
Agreeing to meet at Antojitos after the meeting, Valeria and Lorenzo quietly waited for the waitress to take their usual order. As soon as she left, Valeria spoke first.
“He’s not going to look into it,” she stated.
“No, in fact I’d be surprised if we’re able to keep our jobs for much longer. They've got ways of getting rid of troublemakers like us.”
“He didn’t believe us,” grumbled Valeria.
“Maybe he believed us but he doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with the way Bleaker and his administrative assistant treat students.”
Valeria sighed. “I’m sorry I got you into this.”
Lorenzo’s eyebrows rose. “Are you sorry we went to the superintendent? Do you think we should’ve left everything alone?”
“That’s not what I meant,” Valeria asserted. “I meant to say that I’m sorry I got you involved. I should’ve just done this myself. Now there will be two of us in the unemployment line.”
“We’ll keep each other company,” he said, chuckling.
“I didn’t mean to cost you your job.”
“Don’t apologize for me being involved. I feel as strongly about this as you do.”
Valeria smiled. “Somehow I expected that from you.”
“Good,” Lorenzo said, smiling back. “We’re beginning to understand each other.”
Chapter 25
“You have been so preoccupied, Lorenzo,” stated Kate.
“I can say the same of you, Katie,” Lorenzo answered.
Kate sighed. “I’ve had a lot on my mind.“
“I’ve been trying to give you some space.”
“You’re the one who needs a lot of space,” Kate said dryly.
“Katie, I—“
“Let’s not argue, okay?”
He nodded. “Okay.”
“You still concerned over Superintendent Morales?”
Reluctantly, he had told her he had gone to visit the superintendent. He didn’t want her to wo
nder why he had come home late, and he didn’t want to lie. What he had omitted was that he had gone with Valeria. Why upset her? And while he was more than a little curious as to why Kate vehemently wanted him away from Valeria, he knew he shouldn’t broach the subject. As he got to know Valeria more and more, he felt certain there was nothing wrong with her. She was a considerate, caring, and intelligent woman. If there was a reason she had had to see a psychiatrist, it must’ve been a good one.
“Yes, I’m still concerned about the superintendent,” Lorenzo said dryly.
“Maybe . . .”
“Yes?”
“Maybe you’re making too much of what the principal said. He’s human. He’s allowed to lose his temper especially with some of the more difficult kids. Even you’ve lost your temper.”
An angry vein popped on Lorenzo’s forehead. “Yes, I admit I’ve lost my temper, but I don’t call my students ugly names and make them feel like dirt.”
“But—”
“You just don’t know,” he stated with controlled anger.
“Not that again.”
“You were born rich. What do you know about being in a situation where you don’t feel good enough?
“I’ve felt insecure many times in my life,” she said lightly as she eyed him.
“You don’t have what looks to be everything working against you.”
“What do you mean?”
“You don't know what it's like to be constantly flooded by messages all around through the media and people that you’re poor—you’re nothing, that you can’t be important, that you can’t be a somebody, and that you can’t be worthy until you have money and the material things that make you worthwhile.”
“But—”
“But what?” he asked impatiently. “With you being wealthy, did you have to prove your self worth?”
“Of course I did.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“What do you mean I didn’t?” Kate asked angrily.
“You may have had to prove yourself as an individual but because wealth is worshipped throughout the world, you didn’t have to prove your right to be on this planet.”
“I don’t know what that even means.”
Lorenzo sighed with exasperation. “It means that you are usually automatically given a certain amount of respect just because.”
“Just because?”
“Just because you’ve got money and money is power.”
“Lorenzo, I’ll have you know that being wealthy isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. It’s tough sometimes—it’s not all that easy. You never know if people like you for you, if people are trying to take advantage of you, or if you’ll ever measure up to your parents and society’s expectations.”
“Let’s compare—try not having enough food to eat, clothes to impress people with, or insurance if you’re sick. Does that compare to your problems?”
“Well, when you put it that way . . .”
“It’s much tougher being poor, right?”
“Yes, of course it is. I wasn’t trying to say that it wasn’t. . . Lorenzo, you know I don’t look down on people because of economic circumstances.”
Lorenzo nodded. “I know. I wouldn’t be with you if you did. But that doesn’t mean you know what the poor go through.”
“Look, I’m not going to apologize for being born with money,” she said defensively.
“I’m not asking you to.”
“Then what do you want of me?”
Lorenzo stared at her and sighed. “Nothing.”
“But—“
“It’s just that sometimes we don’t understand each other very well. We were born in different circumstances and that can make understanding each other difficult.”
“What do you mean?”
“To be honest with you, I have little understanding of your need to be driving a new car every two years and your very expensive clothes.”
“A lot of people feel like I do,” she said defensively. “And not just people who are born with money.”
“Yes, I know.”
“You’re making me sound very materialistic, and I’m not. I have to care about my appearance to make sure that as a doctor people see me as being successful.”
“Successful?”
“Yes, successful,” she said defensively. “My parents never wanted me to become a therapist. They said that dealing with people’s problems was not classy. I should just be happy being a socialite—attend parties and travel the world, but I really wanted to be a psychiatrist. I had to fight against them.”
He nodded solemnly. “I’ve always admired you for it—that you followed what was in your heart instead of using your parents’ money and taking the easy way out.”
“Then you should understand why I need to show my parents how successful I’ve become.”
“You need to show it?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Is it that important for you to prove yourself to them?”
“You just don’t get it since your parents are very supportive of you—of anything you want to do. And you don’t have to meet any expectations at all. You just have to be you.”
“Yes,” he agreed, “I just have to be me.”
“Lucky you,” Kate murmured.
“I know how fortunate I am to have them.”
Kate nodded solemnly.
Lorenzo stood up. “I’ll be outside working on the backyard for a while.”
“But—“
“Katie, I need some space, okay?”
“But—“
“Please.”
“Okay,” she said dejectedly.
As he stepped out of the door, she stared after him. Why does he always shut off like that? We were having a very deep conversation. Why does he shut me out?
Chapter 26
“Aqui hay gato encerrado,” insisted Lorenzo.
Valeria smiled with his choice of words. She was at Antojitos after school with Lorenzo and hoping the fluttery feeling of butterflies inside her stomach would cease soon. “It’s been a long time since I heard that saying.”
“I just feel that there’s something hidden in all this mess with the superintendent and Principal Bleaker.”
“I agree.”
“You do?” he asked, grinning.
“Yes, something doesn’t jive. I feel it too. And it goes beyond Bleaker being a bad principal. I’ve just found out that Morales's administrative assistant is Arlene's sister.”
“Really?” he asked, deep in thought.
“Those four are involved in something—I’d bet on it.”
He eyed her with a smile. “Me too. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and I think this stink involves money.”
“Money?”
“The district received a lot of money this year.”
“It did?”
“Yes, but where has it gone? There have been no new books, no new anything in fact. Where did the money go?”
“You think that the superintendent, the administrative assistants, and the principal embezzled it?”
“Well, I’m sure they didn’t act alone. I’m sure there are more people in this mess than meets the eye.”
“You do?”
“It’s a hunch.”
Valeria nodded in contemplation. “I hate to say this, but I feel it too. Something’s weird here. I’ve seen Bleaker with a red sports car and a Hummer—both new and very expensive.”
“And when Bleaker first started, he drove a mid level vehicle. I heard he just bought a luxurious house in the country club.”
“Could he be so stupid that he’d flaunt his new found money?”
“Yes,” Lorenzo laughed. “He’d be that stupid not to hide the stolen bucks.”
“The ego on that man,” Valeria snapped.
“He probably thought that no one checks on what happens in economically poor districts.”
“The jerk!”
“He’s the worse kind of a loser. But he’s in love with you,” teased Lorenzo.
“Please.”
“The man drops everything he’s doing when you’re near him.”
“Don’t make my stomach turn. I may have to take a whole bottle of anti-acid pills after this conversation.”
Lorenzo chuckled loudly. “Seriously,” he said, his sight sat solemnly on her, “I’m so grateful you decided to teach at our school.”
“Why is that?” she asked, avoiding his eyes.
“I felt pretty much alone until you got here.”
“Alone?”
“You seem to see things the way I do,” he said, almost shyly.
“We seem to be on the same wavelength,” she remarked quietly.
“I hope you don’t take this the wrong way but I feel that I can say almost anything to you and you’d understand.”
“I feel the same way about you. Isn’t that strange?”
“Yes.”
They stared at each other for a few seconds until the silence became too heavy.
“What do we do about what’s happening at school?” Valeria asked, needing to change the mood between them.
“Don’t worry, Valeria. We’ll get him.”
“How?”
“I’ve got something up my sleeve.”
“You do?”
“Yes.”
She smiled deeply. “You’re my hero.”
He beamed a smile back. “And you’re mine.”
The next evening, Valeria had what was supposed to be a romantic dinner with Leonel. It was a very different meal than the one she had with Lorenzo.
“Isn’t this a beautiful restaurant?” asked Leonel. He and Valeria were seated in front of the Gigi’s French Cuisine’s many huge windows. An abundance of Fir trees decorated the outside and had tiny lights that lit up the dark like shiny stars.
“Yes, beautiful,” replied Valeria, hardly involved in the fanciful scene in front of her.
“I heard about this place in the office,” he said eagerly. “I couldn’t wait to bring you here.”
Valeria managed a smile. “Thanks.”
Leonel let out a frustrated sigh. “Val, what’s up with you?”
“Nothing.”
“Are you still thinking about that idiot principal of yours and how he talked to that student?”
“I’m just a little distracted that’s all.”
“I don’t know why you can’t let your hair down and enjoy this place,” he said, exasperated.
“I am enjoying it here.”
“But you’re also letting some stupid stuff at work get to you.”
“It’s not stupid stuff,” blurted Valeria.
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