by K. T. Richey
“I’m sorry, Mr. Davis, but they can’t be for real. Roger, how did you come up with this one? Better yet, tell me why? I haven’t done anything to you or Gloria. But thanks, I needed the laugh, especially today.”
“Miss Holloway, this is no laughing matter,” Mr. Davis said.
“I know you don’t believe them. Mental institution? That’s funny.”
“In our last meeting, Miss Holloway, I warned you not to bring this matter back into my school. These are very serious allegations and I must address them.”
Misha began to get serious. She heard the seriousness in Mr. Davis’s voice and on his face. “I understand this is serious. I am not the one who is bringing this into the school,” she answered. Turning to her accusers she asked again, “What time was I allegedly at your apartment last night when the police were called, Mr. Williams?”
Gloria answered for him. “It was about six. You know what time it was.”
“Mr. Williams, I believe I asked you what time it was,” Misha asked him again.
“He said—”
“No, Ms. Bates, let him answer it.” Mr. Davis leaned forward on his desk, looking sternly at Roger.
“She said about six,” Roger answered, nodding toward Gloria. “I don’t really remember.”
What do you say?
Once again she followed the instructions. “What do you say?” Misha said, trying to force his participation in this accusation. “What time do you say I was at your apartment?”
“Six, I think.”
“Mr. Davis, may I speak with you alone?” Misha requested.
“Yes. Ms. Bates, Mr. Williams, can you give us a minute? Please have a seat outside. I’ll let you know when you can come back in.” Gloria and Roger walked out of the office looking like two innocent children. “Now, Miss Holloway, what do you have to tell me?”
Misha handed him the doctor’s note she held tightly in her hand. She watched as he read the note. “I’m having surgery in the morning. My doctor feels the cancer may have returned. She’s going in to do more exploratory surgery. If I have to have a hysterectomy, I’ll be out six weeks.” He looked up at her. “I have been having problems for weeks. Yesterday, after school, I went to her office for the results of my tests. After I heard the news, I went to my grandmother’s to tell her. By six, I was sitting in my class at Clark Atlanta.”
“You’re in school?”
“Yes. I didn’t tell anyone I went back to school to work on my master’s degree. I’m glad I didn’t. Now you see they’re harassing me. I have no earthly idea why. I haven’t done anything to either one of them. I don’t even speak to them. Mental hospital? I can’t believe they said that.”
“Can you prove you were in class last night?”
“Yes. I was there until eight. After class I spoke with my professor about my surgery and told him I would be out of class next week or possibly longer. I will give you his name and number. I never went to Roger’s apartment. I was tired and emotionally drained. I went home and prayed and went to bed. If they had said nine or later, I would have been nervous because I was at home alone, but they said six. At six, I was in class.”
“Why do you think they are saying these things about you?”
“I don’t know. I’m too busy to stalk anyone right now. After tomorrow, physically, I won’t be able to do anything for a little while.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were still having problems. I thought your last surgery was successful.”
Misha could hear in his voice he was sincere with what he was saying. “I didn’t tell anyone. Please don’t say anything to anyone about this, especially Roger and Gloria. I only want people who are praying for me to know. They are definitely not praying for me. I think they want me to lose my job.”
“Don’t worry about them. I’ll straighten this entire thing out.” The bell chimed the start of the day. “Can you get me a copy of your schedule from Clark?”
“I’ll give it to you before I leave today.”
“How are you feeling? Do you need the day off?”
“I’m going to work today. I’ll let my students know I’m going to be out a few days.”
“Very well then, I’ll stop by and see you before the end of the day. Don’t worry about this. You just take care of yourself.”
“Thank you, Mr. Davis.” He walked around his desk and hugged her. He had never done this before, surprising Misha. He walked her to the door and opened it. Misha walked out of the office, trying to avoid eye contact with Roger and Gloria, who were sitting in the lobby as she went to her class.
Misha sat in her classroom, watching the video on the Civil Rights movement. As the film played she thought about the incident in Mr. Davis’s office. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. By the time her planning period came, she was furious. She sat down and penned a letter to Mr. Davis.
Dear Mr. Davis:
I am writing in reference to the incident this morning in your office when Mr. Roger Williams and Miss Gloria Bates accused me of stalking and harassing them. As you know they accused me of threatening them at about six o’clock in the evening, on Thursday, February 6. They said they called the police but did not file a report. I would like to address their accusations.
As you are aware, last night I was in my Dynamics of Special Education class at Clark Atlanta University. This class begins at six and ends at eight. I stayed later after class to inform Professor Ernest Cooper of my surgery tomorrow morning. I have enclosed a copy of my schedule for your review. Therefore, there is no way I could have been at Mr. Williams’s apartment last night, threatening him.
This is the latest in a number of false accusations Mr. Williams and Miss Bates have made against me. I am tired of this harassing behavior against me. There is no reason for them to be doing this. However, it is unfortunate that I must defend myself.
I am contacting my attorney to have him start proceedings against Mr. Williams and Miss Bates to sue them both for malicious slander. I am sure he will ask for the 911 tapes of them calling the police. Also, he will request the proof they have of me being in a mental institution. I am deeply troubled by these accusations and therefore want it to stop immediately.
As you are also aware, I have had a number of health problems in the past few months. These accusations only exacerbate my problems, thereby making my work environment hostile, and I will no longer tolerate it. When I return from sick leave, I expect to no longer have to face any more false accusations from these two people.
Over the past years, I have shown myself to be a vital part of Westdale High, with my students scoring in the top percentile in social studies and history. You even recognized my work by nominating me for rookie teacher of the year. I certainly hope I can continue my career here at Westdale, but not under these conditions. Even though I would like an apology from them, I don’t expect to get one. Therefore, from this point on, I will no longer address any other accusations of theirs. I will let my attorney handle them all.
It is sad I have to go through this nonsense while I am facing what could be the fight of my life. There is still fight in me. Not only will I fight the cancer that is threatening my body, I will fight to clear my name and reputation.
Sincerely,
LaMisha Tramaine Holloway
Cc: Eric Davidson, Esquire
Frank Wright, City Development League
Misha used Judy’s brother’s name. He was the only attorney she knew. She figured, if she had to, she would be able to contact him quickly. She wasn’t expecting to have to contact him. Nor did she plan on sending the letter to Frank Wright. She didn’t want Roger to lose his job. He needed his job and she was not going to be responsible for anyone, even Roger, losing their job. Wanting to live as the scripture tells us, to treat people kindly even if they misuse you or abuse you, she vowed not to treat him as he treated her. By doing so, the Bible says you are heaping coals on their heads. She copied the letter and her schedule and placed
it in an envelope to give to Mr. Davis at the end of the day.
Chapter 19
Misha returned to her classroom after two weeks off of work. She was ready to get back to teaching, although she was anxious of what might happen with Gloria and Roger. She was feeling better after her D&C. She was afraid this time when she signed away her uterus they would have to actually take it. Fortunately she did not have a hysterectomy. Yet, she continued to bleed and her doctor did not know why. Dr. Trinidad asked her to think about having a hysterectomy while she was out on maternity leave and they would discuss it when she came back. She was advised that if she had any problems to contact Dr. Trinidad’s partner.
Like the last time, she went through the surgery alone. Judy was on bed rest and could not meet her at the hospital. Justin could not get off work. Pam said she was unable to leave her floor at the hospital to come down to the surgical area to check on her. She understood that but she did not know why no one at her church showed up. Pastor Wells told her he was going out of town and he was sending one of the associate ministers to pray with her before surgery, but no one showed up. Her mother said she was tired and her father was out of town driving his truck and could not make it back in time. She still did not know how she got home. Her car was in the parking space in front of her apartment when she woke up. She was extremely disappointed since everyone knew how she felt about being alone during the first surgery. She took it in stride and convinced herself that there were some things she had to go through alone. It hurt just the same.
But, she returned to work, still bleeding, although not as heavy, ready to drown herself in her work and her studies. She took an extra week off to catch up on her studies and rest. She didn’t have the energy to return to work and she didn’t want to face Roger and Gloria. She prayed they didn’t call her bluff.
“Miss Holloway.” Mr. Davis walked into her classroom. “How are you? I thought you would stop by the office when you came in.”
“I decided to come to the classroom. I’m still moving kind of slow.”
“I wanted to see how you were doing. How did everything turn out with the surgery?”
“Everything’s fine. I didn’t have a hysterectomy. They didn’t find any cancer. I’m still having the problems. They asked me to think about more surgery. I don’t know. I’ve already had two. Oh, thanks for the flowers and card.”
“No problem. Do you need anything?”
“No. I think I’ll be fine.”
“Well, I wanted you to know I took care of that problem. They won’t bother you again.”
“You took care of it?” Misha was worried Roger and Gloria had gotten fired.
“Yeah, I let Mr. Williams know that if it continued, I would talk with Mr. Wright at the league about his behavior and have him removed from our school. Ms. Bates, well, with her, I had to follow disciplinary rules outlined by the district. I can’t discuss that with you.”
“What about the evidence I asked for, like the nine-one-one tape?”
“They told me they didn’t actually call the police. They said they were thinking about it. You know, when all this was going on, I remembered Roger came with you to the Christmas social the first year you were here. He didn’t think I remembered. I almost forgot until he mentioned it. Looking back, he had been telling a lot of lies. It’s a shame. He’s a good worker. The kids love him and he gets along well with the staff. His program is very successful here. I would hate to lose him.”
“I didn’t want them to get fired. I know, just like me, they need their jobs. I only wanted them to stop bothering me. If it starts again, Mr. Davis, I’m going to have to pursue legal action. I can’t take much stress right now. I’ll have to let my attorney handle it.”
“I understand. Well, hopefully you won’t have to do that. I’ll let you get back to your work. Good having you back.”
“Thank you. It’s good to be back.”
Misha lifted her hands in praise to God after Mr. Davis left her classroom. She finally had some peace on her job. She sang as she prepared for her day.
There was a light tap on her door. “Excuse me.”
Misha looked up to see the school consultant standing in the doorway. His shockingly blue eyes peered down at her. How do I know him? She motioned for him to come in. “Hi. I’m sorry, I forgot your name.”
“Pete, Pete Heckler. I’m the consultant for the district.” He walked into the classroom and closed the door. “I came by to see you a couple of times and they told me you were out sick. Are you feeling better?”
Misha looked at him wearing a soft navy blue suit with a red tie. This was a man who knew how to dress. His suits and shoes looked expensive but he needed to get rid of that government-issued red tie. “Yes. I’m fine. Can I help you with something? Do you need my records or lesson plans?”
“I haven’t gotten to you yet. I’m still collecting data from the math and English departments.”
“Oh, well, how can I help you?”
He walked closer to her and casually crossed his arms in front of him. “Well, that day we met, there was something about you. I was wondering if you would like to go to a movie or something.”
Misha’s eyes grew large. She couldn’t believe this man was asking her out. He was old. He looked like he was over forty. “Mr. Heckler—”
“Call me Pete. We can go get drinks or something after work. We can get to know each other.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Heckler, I don’t drink. I’m a Christian, a minister at that.” She smiled and placed a stack of papers on her desk.
“You’re a minister?” He released his arms and pocketed his hands. “I would have never guessed.”
“I don’t know if that’s a compliment or what.”
“Trust me, it’s a compliment. You’re very beautiful. Well, we can go to dinner. How ’bout it?”
Misha smiled and stood up from her seat and began erasing the blackboard. “I’m sorry, Mr. Heckler, I don’t date coworkers. Your offer is quite tempting. I’ve got this policy and I’m going to stick with it.”
“Is it because of what happened between you and Roger?”
She stopped wiping the board and faced him. “Roger? What does he have to do with anything?”
“Well, I was told you two were an item at one time. I asked him if he would mind if I asked you out. He said no and told me to go for it. So here I am being shot down.” He placed his hands on his chest and bent over as if he had been hit in the heart.
Misha laughed at his silly gesture. “That was a long time ago, before we worked together. Besides, if I wanted to go out with you, you don’t need Roger’s permission.”
“So are you saying you’ll go out with me?”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying. Thank you for the compliment and the offer but the answer is still no.”
He let out a long sigh. “Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me.”
“Have a nice day, Mr. Heckler.” She watched as he left her room. Suddenly a nervous energy flowed through her body.
Stay away from him. He’s dangerous.
Her large tote bag fell over and the stuff inside fell out. She saw a letter slide across the floor. She picked it up and read it. “Oh my God, I forgot.”
She had forgotten she had to preach Sunday at her grandmother’s church. She was going to have to find the time to study for her sermon, study her school work, and grade the papers she was already behind in doing.
The day and the week went by quickly. There was no trouble from Roger or Gloria. When they saw her in the hallway, they turned and went the other way. Roger stopped speaking to her unless he was with other people. She was delighted. It took some of the pressure off of her. However, she could tell all the other staff members knew what happened among the three of them. She did not care as long as they left her alone. With Judy out the rest of the school year, she was lonely at work.
Then there was Mr. Heckler, who was persistent in asking her out. Each day, h
e came to her room to see her. He started bringing her things like pastries for breakfast, and had a specially prepared lunch catered for her and delivered to the school with a note stating she could have lunch on him and someday with him. She enjoyed the attention. It took her mind off her troubles. But, she was still bleeding.
Tired of bleeding, she decided to go on a fast and pray during the weekend about her health. On Saturday, after she studied for her sermon, she began to pray and ask God to show her what was happening with her. She didn’t want another operation and she definitely did not want a hysterectomy. Her fast was to last from noon until sundown for direction and clear understanding of what was happening with her.
When she began to pray, the severe cramping returned. She decided not to take anything for pain during her fast and asked God to help her because she felt the devil was attacking her babies. She fell to the floor and stretched out. She began to weep and ask God why she had to have so much happen to her.
As the sun was setting, she stood up and washed her face. She sat down in her Queen Anne chair and began to question God about all of her troubles. She no longer felt cramping. She sat alone in her quiet apartment, meditating on her healing scriptures, when the Holy Spirit began to speak to her.
You asked me to cleanse you. Don’t you know you are cleansed by the blood?
Misha sat up in the chair. “What?” she questioned.
Don’t you know you are cleansed by the blood?
She fell on her knees and began to repent for not trusting God and listening to the negative voices in her head. She knew the blood of the lamb cleanses us. She began to thank God for cleansing her and making her whole. No longer did she have to worry about her past, the bad relationships she had, or the health problems that occurred. God had cleansed her. The bleeding was symbolic of that cleansing.