Holly and Stanley had been traveling for 6 months, he needed to get
away from everything and wasn't sure where they would end up, but he was
enjoying the time with his daughter and getting reacquainted, the plan was
to settle down when it felt right, but for Stanley nothing felt right.
Holly was often drawn to a quaint little town where everyone seemed
friendly and was family oriented, but for Stanley it wasn't enough, and he
wasn't actually sure what was enough. Holly still had nightmares from the
incident at her home, where her mother and stepfather were killed and the
episode in the bank, and Stanley would never admit it but the images of
that day were still very clear when he closed his eyes at night.
They had traveled through Arizona and visited the Grand Canyon, New Mexico and visited the Carlsbad Caverns, down through Texas..where Stanley had spent too much time and was glad to see the backside of that god- forsaken place. Passing through Arkansas, Georgia and quite a bit of time in Florida, where Holly was incredibly happy swimming in the ocean and running barefoot along the beach.but Stanley would get restless and it was time to move on. Up the east coast to North Carolina and Virginia and even as far north as Maine, but nothing seemed suitable, he dreaded winters in most of these East coast destinations, or that was his excuse anyhow. So he turned the SUV and trailer around and they headed west once again..spending a bit of time in Montana and Wyoming before heading back to California, where Stanley pulled the car and trailer off at a viewpoint in Oceanside looking across the Pacific Ocean, and decided this was it. The weather was perfect, Holly loved being near the ocean and he thought maybe he could be happy here. So they pulled their rig into the Carlsbad State Beach campsite, 15 miles south and used this as their temporary home, till Stanley could sort out a house and a job and find a school.
Stanley found just what he was looking for, a small mom and pop computer store in a strip mall in Pacific Beach.it was for sale, and he had the cash. He got a great deal, the shop had been doing great, and the owner hated to be selling, but he had to move back east to be with his sick mother. Stanley felt incredibly good about it, he found a house, small but perfect for him and Holly and the Scrap, and a bus ride from the local school, and a short distance walk to the beach. He knew he was doing the right thing, Holly needed some stability in her life, it was time he became the father she deserved.
Starting school 2 months into the school year was not an easy task for any child but Holly had been strong for so long, nothing seemed to faze her. She was bright and had no problem catching up with the work she had missed. Her 5th grade teacher Ms. Heyward was kind and made her feel incredibly comfortable, but fitting in with the other children was not as easy. She tended to spend recess and lunch alone, and her teacher was concerned..after school she was always in such a hurry to get home to help her dad in the shop. Ms. Heyward felt she was being to grown up and she needed to be a child. Of course she was blaming the parents. Or parent in this case.
Emma Heyward had only been teaching at Madison Elementary School for 2 months.this was her first teaching job. She was different than most of the teachers, she didn't socialize much but she was great with the kids. She had one friend, Rachel who taught a 6th grade class, and one afternoon after school was out she went to her classroom and Rachel knew right away she wanted to talk.
"Okay, what's up?" She put her papers she was grading to the side.
"Why do you say it that way?"
"Oh, come on, Emma, I can see it in your face..something has happened. I am all ears.talk."
Rachel had befriended her on day one, and they had hit it off in their own bizarre way. She was a good listener. Like Emma, Rachel was single, one difference she had no children.Emma had two. But Rachel was non judgmental and they had a good laugh together.
"It's Holly Jobson."
"I should have known, you have been obsessed with her lately."
"Oh, come on, Rachel, you have to admit she is an odd kid. She has no interest in her fellow classmates."
"But her grades are excellent. I have seen her work remember. She has done incredibly well for someone who had so much catching up to do and you have hardly given her any time, it's only been a month. Did you call her Dad?"
"I have tried, and left messages but he doesn't return any of my calls."
"Did you try his work?"
"No."
"Do it now." she handed her the phone, "Holly will still be on the bus.perfect timing."
"I hate to bother him there."
"Get over it, you have some concerns about his daughter and he might be able to enlighten you about what is going on with her. What do you know about her anyhow? What is her family situation like?"
"I don't know much. Mother is dead, went to a posh private school in Malibu, excellent student. Dad is into computers."
"Call him. Set up an appointment.since the next conferences aren't till February. You need to talk to him before then." She got out the phone book, "What is the name of his shop?"
"I think something like the Computer Man, isn't that a ridiculous name?"
Rachel skimmed the yellow pages, "Right, here it is..the number is 245-3739."
Emma started to dial, she hated the phone, and she felt her throat go dry and her hand begin to shake, Rachel rolled her eyes. Then someone picked up the phone, "The Computer Man, this is Stanley. Can I help you?" Emma almost started to laugh, thinking Stan the Computer man, but didn't.
"Mr. Jobson?" She said nervously.
"Yes, this is Mr. Jobson."
"This is Emma Heyward, Holly's teacher."
"Ah, yes.you have been leaving messages on my answer machine." he sounded annoyed.
"And you haven't gotten back to me." She didn't like the tone of his voice.
"I am very busy.Holly's grades are fine, am I correct?"
"Yes, they are."
"Then there is no problem and you are wasting my time."
"I don't believe Holly's social behavior is a waste of time, Mr. Jobson."
"And what are you trying to say about my daughter's social behavior, Ms. Heyward? Is she impolite, is she being rude to you or her classmates? If so I will have a word with her."
"It's not as simple as that." Emma was feeling very nervous and Rachel could see the anxiety she was feeling as she spoke.
"What is it then?"
"She doesn't get along with the other children, she is a lovely girl and when she is in class she contributes but outside of the classroom, she sits alone and I am concerned about her."
"There is nothing to be concerned about. She just needs some time to adjust to this new environment. It's been rough, but we are coping. Holly is fine and no concern of yours in that department. If her grades are suffering then you can worry. I will take care of Holly."
"I never meant to say you haven't Mr. Jobson, but maybe you can give me some insight on some things I could do to make Holly more comfortable here. She doesn't open up much."
"I know what you are insinuating, that she has a bad home life.being raised by her dad.no mother. That I don't give her the time or attention she deserves, well, there you are wrong. She means everything to me and we are doing just fine, so bud out. It's none of your business. I would love to chat more, Ms. Heyward, but I have a business to run. It's been a pleasure talking to you." He then slammed the phone down.
Emma looked over at Rachel, "He hung up on me."
"From this end, it sounded pretty brutal."
"He sounds like a jerk."
"Probably is. Come on, it's Friday and we have the whole weekend ahead of us. No kids till Monday."
"Have you forgotten something.I have two kids waiting at home for me."
"The P.B. Street fair is this weekend, bring the kids. I am bringing Josh. I want you to meet him."
Emma couldn't get the phone call out of her mind.she hated conflicts and parents.it was the one thing she dreaded about being a teacher.the parents. And now she had her first run in with one. Rachel saw that look. "Forget about Holly and her dad, I am coming over tonight and we will cook pasta.Kyle loves my pasta."
Emma smiled, "Kyle loves anything you fix. Remember his mother doesn't cook. And Melody hates pasta, don't forget."
"There is always peanut butter sandwiches ala Rachel. She will love it! We can crack open a bottle of wine and plan our day tomorrow."
"I am being ridiculous, I know."
"Yes, you are. There will be many more parents who you will be up against and you just have to get on. Know that you are doing what is best for the child, and do the best you can. I know you are, Emma. And you won't be able save every child who needs saving."
"So you think she needs saving too?"
"I didn't say that. She obviously has some troubled background, let her deal with it in her own way, but just make sure she knows you are there for her. That is all you can do. Screw her Dad." Rachel laughed, "I didn't mean that literally of course, but who knows maybe he is hot."
"No, thank you, I don't care how hot he is.he is a jerk."
Rachel was man hungry, she never stuck it out with anyone very long. It amazed Emma, who had now been divorced for 2 years and hadn't even been on a date. She never looked at men, she had been too busy with her school and work and kids, and now she had finally gotten her credential and things seemed more hectic than ever. Rachel always found time for fun and Emma envied her for that. Emma's idea of fun was to sit on the couch and watch a video for the evening.usually alone. But Rachel had been good for her. Since they had become friends, Rachel had often been found at her house with the kids and they would sit around and talk or watch a video together talking about the male star and how hunky he was. Emma had always been a big movie buff and romanticized about the men in films. She felt that was enough for her. She didn't need a man in her life at this time.
Rachel saw her deep in thought, and picked up her bag and they walked out the door, turning the key as they left, "You are thinking about hot he could be."
Emma laughed, "Yeah, right. I think you are thinking about hot he could be."
"Not enough hot men in this world as far as I am concerned." As they walked out to the parking lot, they passed a couple teachers who acknowledged them briefly. They both were not in the click of teachers and knew they were talked about, Rachel opened the drivers door, "You know they are wondering if we are getting any this weekend."
Emma smiled, "I am sure you are."
"Well, that is a given.so we need to work on you."
"I will pass.come on over about 6ish." They said their goodbyes and Emma headed over to her car.
The bell of the shop rang as Holly entered, she called out to her dad, "Hey, Dad, it's just me."
He popped his head around the backroom door, and smiled at her. She was the light in his life.every time he saw her he felt blessed that they were finally together. No matter what kind of day he had had, she always brightened it. She ran to his arms and gave him a hug, "Did you miss me?"
"I missed you like crazy."
"I liked it on the road, we were always together." She went in the backroom and plopped her backpack down on a chair, she could see her dad was busy working on a computer, "You know Dad, it would be okay, if we packed up again. I really wouldn't mind."
"Don't you like it here?" He thought about what her teacher had said.
"I like it, it's just it seemed you were doing this for me. The house and the shop, school."
"Well, I was. I don't want social services after me. You need a stable environment, kiddo." He tousled her hair and smiled, "Life on the road is not stable." She looked very serious. "Tell you what, I will seek out the local girls soccer team for under 12's. Get you signed up. You always loved soccer when you were living with your mom."
She hated when he brought up her mother. She had been a horrible mother, always drunk, lying around the house naked most of the time and sleeping with any man that passed through. Soccer had been an escape from her home life.she had no need for it now, since all she wanted to do was be with her dad. "I didn't like it much, really. I want to help you here at the shop."
"I know you do, Baby, but you need to have some fun.be with kids your own age."
"You talked to Ms. Heyward didn't you?"
"She called, I told her where to stuff it. We are doing just fine."
Holly put her head in her hand, "You didn't really, did you, Dad?"
"I am afraid I did."
"She's a great teacher, I like her a lot."
"I am sure she is, but I don't need her butting in. I told her you were doing fine, that she shouldn't be concerned, I am right aren't I? Should I be concerned, Holly? This is all new to me. This being a Dad."
"You are a great dad. And you don't have to worry about me. My grades are good and I like school, I just like being here with you more. And you need my help." She picked up the duster and went out on to the floor. Everyday she dusted the shelves before she started on her homework, the shop shut at 7pm. They would then go home and cook, or get some take out, depending on their mood. Stanley watched her from the doorway; he wondered if Ms. Heyward's concerns were justified.she would rather be with him then anyone. There had never been any mention of friends.no phone calls. He wondered if he had been to hasty about brushing aside Ms. Heyward's concerns. He could tell she didn't want to talk about it. So decided to drop it for now.
"Hey, I'll tell you what.I will take the day off tomorrow. Brett is coming in and he can handle everything and we can go to the street fair. Just you and me, kid. Would you like that?"
"That would be great, Dad." She didn't seem overly thrilled, and continued dusting, Stanley was trying. He went back to the computer he was working on. All he wanted in the last few years was his daughter and now he was finding out that being a father was probably the most difficult thing you could do. Her life had been so messed up for so long, and he was desperate to make it right, but he wasn't so sure he could pull it off. The events from last spring were still with both of them. They had come so far, but he knew they had so much further to go. No one ever said life would be easy, and he was up to its many challenges, but more than anything he wanted Holly to be happy. He wanted Holly to stop worrying about him. She wanted to look after him, take care of him, and wasn't it supposed to be the other way around? It was definitely time for Holly to be a child, and he had to make every effort to get her there.
They had traveled through Arizona and visited the Grand Canyon, New Mexico and visited the Carlsbad Caverns, down through Texas..where Stanley had spent too much time and was glad to see the backside of that god- forsaken place. Passing through Arkansas, Georgia and quite a bit of time in Florida, where Holly was incredibly happy swimming in the ocean and running barefoot along the beach.but Stanley would get restless and it was time to move on. Up the east coast to North Carolina and Virginia and even as far north as Maine, but nothing seemed suitable, he dreaded winters in most of these East coast destinations, or that was his excuse anyhow. So he turned the SUV and trailer around and they headed west once again..spending a bit of time in Montana and Wyoming before heading back to California, where Stanley pulled the car and trailer off at a viewpoint in Oceanside looking across the Pacific Ocean, and decided this was it. The weather was perfect, Holly loved being near the ocean and he thought maybe he could be happy here. So they pulled their rig into the Carlsbad State Beach campsite, 15 miles south and used this as their temporary home, till Stanley could sort out a house and a job and find a school.
Stanley found just what he was looking for, a small mom and pop computer store in a strip mall in Pacific Beach.it was for sale, and he had the cash. He got a great deal, the shop had been doing great, and the owner hated to be selling, but he had to move back east to be with his sick mother. Stanley felt incredibly good about it, he found a house, small but perfect for him and Holly and the Scrap, and a bus ride from the local school, and a short distance walk to the beach. He knew he was doing the right thing, Holly needed some stability in her life, it was time he became the father she deserved.
Starting school 2 months into the school year was not an easy task for any child but Holly had been strong for so long, nothing seemed to faze her. She was bright and had no problem catching up with the work she had missed. Her 5th grade teacher Ms. Heyward was kind and made her feel incredibly comfortable, but fitting in with the other children was not as easy. She tended to spend recess and lunch alone, and her teacher was concerned..after school she was always in such a hurry to get home to help her dad in the shop. Ms. Heyward felt she was being to grown up and she needed to be a child. Of course she was blaming the parents. Or parent in this case.
Emma Heyward had only been teaching at Madison Elementary School for 2 months.this was her first teaching job. She was different than most of the teachers, she didn't socialize much but she was great with the kids. She had one friend, Rachel who taught a 6th grade class, and one afternoon after school was out she went to her classroom and Rachel knew right away she wanted to talk.
"Okay, what's up?" She put her papers she was grading to the side.
"Why do you say it that way?"
"Oh, come on, Emma, I can see it in your face..something has happened. I am all ears.talk."
Rachel had befriended her on day one, and they had hit it off in their own bizarre way. She was a good listener. Like Emma, Rachel was single, one difference she had no children.Emma had two. But Rachel was non judgmental and they had a good laugh together.
"It's Holly Jobson."
"I should have known, you have been obsessed with her lately."
"Oh, come on, Rachel, you have to admit she is an odd kid. She has no interest in her fellow classmates."
"But her grades are excellent. I have seen her work remember. She has done incredibly well for someone who had so much catching up to do and you have hardly given her any time, it's only been a month. Did you call her Dad?"
"I have tried, and left messages but he doesn't return any of my calls."
"Did you try his work?"
"No."
"Do it now." she handed her the phone, "Holly will still be on the bus.perfect timing."
"I hate to bother him there."
"Get over it, you have some concerns about his daughter and he might be able to enlighten you about what is going on with her. What do you know about her anyhow? What is her family situation like?"
"I don't know much. Mother is dead, went to a posh private school in Malibu, excellent student. Dad is into computers."
"Call him. Set up an appointment.since the next conferences aren't till February. You need to talk to him before then." She got out the phone book, "What is the name of his shop?"
"I think something like the Computer Man, isn't that a ridiculous name?"
Rachel skimmed the yellow pages, "Right, here it is..the number is 245-3739."
Emma started to dial, she hated the phone, and she felt her throat go dry and her hand begin to shake, Rachel rolled her eyes. Then someone picked up the phone, "The Computer Man, this is Stanley. Can I help you?" Emma almost started to laugh, thinking Stan the Computer man, but didn't.
"Mr. Jobson?" She said nervously.
"Yes, this is Mr. Jobson."
"This is Emma Heyward, Holly's teacher."
"Ah, yes.you have been leaving messages on my answer machine." he sounded annoyed.
"And you haven't gotten back to me." She didn't like the tone of his voice.
"I am very busy.Holly's grades are fine, am I correct?"
"Yes, they are."
"Then there is no problem and you are wasting my time."
"I don't believe Holly's social behavior is a waste of time, Mr. Jobson."
"And what are you trying to say about my daughter's social behavior, Ms. Heyward? Is she impolite, is she being rude to you or her classmates? If so I will have a word with her."
"It's not as simple as that." Emma was feeling very nervous and Rachel could see the anxiety she was feeling as she spoke.
"What is it then?"
"She doesn't get along with the other children, she is a lovely girl and when she is in class she contributes but outside of the classroom, she sits alone and I am concerned about her."
"There is nothing to be concerned about. She just needs some time to adjust to this new environment. It's been rough, but we are coping. Holly is fine and no concern of yours in that department. If her grades are suffering then you can worry. I will take care of Holly."
"I never meant to say you haven't Mr. Jobson, but maybe you can give me some insight on some things I could do to make Holly more comfortable here. She doesn't open up much."
"I know what you are insinuating, that she has a bad home life.being raised by her dad.no mother. That I don't give her the time or attention she deserves, well, there you are wrong. She means everything to me and we are doing just fine, so bud out. It's none of your business. I would love to chat more, Ms. Heyward, but I have a business to run. It's been a pleasure talking to you." He then slammed the phone down.
Emma looked over at Rachel, "He hung up on me."
"From this end, it sounded pretty brutal."
"He sounds like a jerk."
"Probably is. Come on, it's Friday and we have the whole weekend ahead of us. No kids till Monday."
"Have you forgotten something.I have two kids waiting at home for me."
"The P.B. Street fair is this weekend, bring the kids. I am bringing Josh. I want you to meet him."
Emma couldn't get the phone call out of her mind.she hated conflicts and parents.it was the one thing she dreaded about being a teacher.the parents. And now she had her first run in with one. Rachel saw that look. "Forget about Holly and her dad, I am coming over tonight and we will cook pasta.Kyle loves my pasta."
Emma smiled, "Kyle loves anything you fix. Remember his mother doesn't cook. And Melody hates pasta, don't forget."
"There is always peanut butter sandwiches ala Rachel. She will love it! We can crack open a bottle of wine and plan our day tomorrow."
"I am being ridiculous, I know."
"Yes, you are. There will be many more parents who you will be up against and you just have to get on. Know that you are doing what is best for the child, and do the best you can. I know you are, Emma. And you won't be able save every child who needs saving."
"So you think she needs saving too?"
"I didn't say that. She obviously has some troubled background, let her deal with it in her own way, but just make sure she knows you are there for her. That is all you can do. Screw her Dad." Rachel laughed, "I didn't mean that literally of course, but who knows maybe he is hot."
"No, thank you, I don't care how hot he is.he is a jerk."
Rachel was man hungry, she never stuck it out with anyone very long. It amazed Emma, who had now been divorced for 2 years and hadn't even been on a date. She never looked at men, she had been too busy with her school and work and kids, and now she had finally gotten her credential and things seemed more hectic than ever. Rachel always found time for fun and Emma envied her for that. Emma's idea of fun was to sit on the couch and watch a video for the evening.usually alone. But Rachel had been good for her. Since they had become friends, Rachel had often been found at her house with the kids and they would sit around and talk or watch a video together talking about the male star and how hunky he was. Emma had always been a big movie buff and romanticized about the men in films. She felt that was enough for her. She didn't need a man in her life at this time.
Rachel saw her deep in thought, and picked up her bag and they walked out the door, turning the key as they left, "You are thinking about hot he could be."
Emma laughed, "Yeah, right. I think you are thinking about hot he could be."
"Not enough hot men in this world as far as I am concerned." As they walked out to the parking lot, they passed a couple teachers who acknowledged them briefly. They both were not in the click of teachers and knew they were talked about, Rachel opened the drivers door, "You know they are wondering if we are getting any this weekend."
Emma smiled, "I am sure you are."
"Well, that is a given.so we need to work on you."
"I will pass.come on over about 6ish." They said their goodbyes and Emma headed over to her car.
The bell of the shop rang as Holly entered, she called out to her dad, "Hey, Dad, it's just me."
He popped his head around the backroom door, and smiled at her. She was the light in his life.every time he saw her he felt blessed that they were finally together. No matter what kind of day he had had, she always brightened it. She ran to his arms and gave him a hug, "Did you miss me?"
"I missed you like crazy."
"I liked it on the road, we were always together." She went in the backroom and plopped her backpack down on a chair, she could see her dad was busy working on a computer, "You know Dad, it would be okay, if we packed up again. I really wouldn't mind."
"Don't you like it here?" He thought about what her teacher had said.
"I like it, it's just it seemed you were doing this for me. The house and the shop, school."
"Well, I was. I don't want social services after me. You need a stable environment, kiddo." He tousled her hair and smiled, "Life on the road is not stable." She looked very serious. "Tell you what, I will seek out the local girls soccer team for under 12's. Get you signed up. You always loved soccer when you were living with your mom."
She hated when he brought up her mother. She had been a horrible mother, always drunk, lying around the house naked most of the time and sleeping with any man that passed through. Soccer had been an escape from her home life.she had no need for it now, since all she wanted to do was be with her dad. "I didn't like it much, really. I want to help you here at the shop."
"I know you do, Baby, but you need to have some fun.be with kids your own age."
"You talked to Ms. Heyward didn't you?"
"She called, I told her where to stuff it. We are doing just fine."
Holly put her head in her hand, "You didn't really, did you, Dad?"
"I am afraid I did."
"She's a great teacher, I like her a lot."
"I am sure she is, but I don't need her butting in. I told her you were doing fine, that she shouldn't be concerned, I am right aren't I? Should I be concerned, Holly? This is all new to me. This being a Dad."
"You are a great dad. And you don't have to worry about me. My grades are good and I like school, I just like being here with you more. And you need my help." She picked up the duster and went out on to the floor. Everyday she dusted the shelves before she started on her homework, the shop shut at 7pm. They would then go home and cook, or get some take out, depending on their mood. Stanley watched her from the doorway; he wondered if Ms. Heyward's concerns were justified.she would rather be with him then anyone. There had never been any mention of friends.no phone calls. He wondered if he had been to hasty about brushing aside Ms. Heyward's concerns. He could tell she didn't want to talk about it. So decided to drop it for now.
"Hey, I'll tell you what.I will take the day off tomorrow. Brett is coming in and he can handle everything and we can go to the street fair. Just you and me, kid. Would you like that?"
"That would be great, Dad." She didn't seem overly thrilled, and continued dusting, Stanley was trying. He went back to the computer he was working on. All he wanted in the last few years was his daughter and now he was finding out that being a father was probably the most difficult thing you could do. Her life had been so messed up for so long, and he was desperate to make it right, but he wasn't so sure he could pull it off. The events from last spring were still with both of them. They had come so far, but he knew they had so much further to go. No one ever said life would be easy, and he was up to its many challenges, but more than anything he wanted Holly to be happy. He wanted Holly to stop worrying about him. She wanted to look after him, take care of him, and wasn't it supposed to be the other way around? It was definitely time for Holly to be a child, and he had to make every effort to get her there.