Chapter 32 – End of School
After Elizabeth was in school, Abigail headed out and went to talk to Gowen. She let him know that she would take the offer. She would need a couple of weeks to get the cafe and rooms clean before she moved out of the row house. Gowen told her she had two weeks to leave the row house and he would like the cafe open by the time that school started again in August. Abigail agreed that that should be possible and when she had a date for when it would be open, she would let him know. They signed the paperwork for Abigail to rent the building in exchange for fifty precent of the profits coming back to the company. After getting the key and leaving Gowen's office, Abigail went back to the row house to gather some cleaning supplies and see what needed to be done in the old cafe building. Abigail also knew that she would have to let Elizabeth know about the move. She didn't think that Elizabeth would mind since she would still be with Abigail and would actually be in town and closer to school.
When Abigail finally got into the old cafe building, she realized that it would take a lot more work then she thought There were overturned shelves, broken chairs and dust everywhere. You couldn't even see out the windows it was so bad. If that was what the downstairs looked like, Abigail was worried about the upstairs. She had two weeks to make it livable and at most another two weeks before she had to be ready to open. She wasn't quit sure exactly when Elizabeth would be restarting school, but she figured it would be some time the first full week in August. Abigail just hoped that she had made the right choice and that she would be able to do everything that was needed. It wasn't that she was afraid to ask for help, but she wasn't sure that she could pay people to help her. She knew that would be what most people would expect. She would just have to do as much as she could herself and that would have to do. She also knew that she would have to tell other people at some point, but at the moment she didn't even want to tell Elizabeth. Abigail thought for a moment and wondered if Jack and Elizabeth would help her at some point. She knew that Elizabeth would since she was living with her.
Elizabeth was busy after school on Wednesday and didn't see Jack. She went home to finish getting things ready to give both students the intelligence test the next morning. She got everything ready and had some supper that Abigail had left. After that, Elizabeth went to bed early because she knew that she would have to be at school extra early. She was asleep when Abigail had come in that night. Elizabeth was up and out of the house before Abigail was up the next morning. Elizabeth got to school and set things up for the tests. Both boys were there right on time. She explained what they were going to do and then gave them the test. She had let them know that she would work on scoring or grading it during the day and then she would make time to talk to them with each of their parents. Both boys were done by the time that the other children started to arrive.
The rest of the school day was busy. She had a year end test to give the students, so that she could see what they had learned. They hadn't known about the test, but Elizabeth tried to calm them down. She told them that it wouldn't exactly be graded and that it would only be used so she would know what they still needed to work on when school started again. The children felt better, but still didn't want to spend the morning taking a test. While they were taking a year end test, Elizabeth was able to score the intelligence tests that she had given the boys that morning. She had been right, both scored really high despite their trouble reading. Now she would have to talk to them and their parents before working out exactly what was needed to help them catch up. She wasn't sure that she would be able to get both caught up in a month, but she hoped to at least get them reading on their own. She just had to find the right method to get though to each of them.
Thursday afternoon was busy. Elizabeth had decided that she was going to have the students write or draw their best memory from their time in school that year. While she was doing that, she started grading the tests and writing the evaluations that needed to be sent. By the time that school let out, Elizabeth had a plan. She sent a note home with each of the boys letting them know that she needed to talk to them. When she talked to the boys with their parents, she was going to let them know that she would be willing to work with each of them for a couple hours each week.
When Elizabeth got back to Abigail's after school, one of the mothers was there waiting for her. She hadn't thought that would happen, but she would deal with it.
"Just let me set these inside." Elizabeth said. "Then we can go talk."
After setting her stuff inside, she walked back home with Martha Grady. Elizabeth explained what she had done. She told the Martha and Bo how just because he had trouble reading didn't mean that he wasn't smart, it was just that he saw the world differently and was actually quite smart. She let them know that she would be willing to work with him to help him with his reading that summer.
"I will have to talk to my husband." Martha said. "I didn't tell him what was going on. I know that he is expecting Bo to start working in the mine after his birthday at the end of the month."
"I would be willing to work with Bo." Elizabeth said. "I think that Bo has a condition called word blindness. The fancy name for it is dyslexia."
"I am confused." Martha said. "How was Bo able to take the test if he couldn't read?"
"I read the questions." Elizabeth said. "He remembered all of them. He was able to answer them. The research on this is fairly new, but I have been in contact with one of my former professors who had done amazing work with children who have reading difficulties. It may take some time, but I am positive that Bo will be able to read. We just have to find the right method that makes sense to him. Since he makes those model planes, I have some ideas. It is just going to take some time. Once the letters start making sense to Bo and he can see them, his reading will improve greatly."
"Thank, Miss Thatcher." Bo said.
"Yes." Martha said. "Thank you, I knew that Bo was smart. I just couldn't get that old bat of a teacher we had to listen. She kept saying that Bo was too slow to learn."
"That is most definitely not the case." Elizabeth said. "You talk to your husband and let know what you decided. Like I said. I will be around and I will be willing to work with Bo. We may have to try a few different things. We just have to find the right tools and methods."
"I will let you know." Martha said.
Elizabeth left the Grady's and went back to Abigail's. She finished grading the tests that she had given the students. She then started looking at the books from her former professor to to see which method that she wanted to try with Bo first. Elizabeth knew that she still had to talk James Roberts and his mother, but she had time. James' mother hadn't been all the receptive to the idea of the intelligence test, but relented. James had scored well, but Elizabeth thought that he really hadn't tried his best. She knew that him and his mother had talked about leaving Coal Valley when school was over, but she hoped that she would be able to help James. Elizabeth after some leftovers while she finished with her papers from school. Again, Abigail was not back when Elizabeth headed up to bed. She knew that she was going to have to talk to her about what was going on, but Elizabeth had one more day of school left and she needed sleep.
Friday morning, Elizabeth was up and out of the house early again. She was happy to see Jack for a few minutes that morning. She let him know that both of her students did very well and she was excited that she would be able to help them. Jack was happy for her. He let her know that he would try to talk to her later that weekend. Elizabeth liked that idea. Jack left her and Elizabeth hurried to get everything ready for the last day of school. Before she knew it, it was time to welcome the students for their last day of school for a month or so. Elizabeth was glad that she would have some time off, but she was going to miss being with her students all day. The day flew by and before she knew it, she letting the students go for the last time that year. She had evaluations to finish and get off to the proper people, but that could wait a few days. The only low point of the day was James Roberts letting Elizabeth know that he wouldn't be there for extra help. He was needed on the farm this summer. Even though they were staying in Coal Valley, his mother felt that he needed to be working each and every day. Elizabeth was disappointed, but she understood. She let James know that if he changed his mind, that she would be around.
That afternoon, Elizabeth picked up her classroom for the last time for awhile. She had talked to Sam and he had agreed that everything could stay on the shelves that he had let her use since it would only be a month and school would be back in session. She thanked and let him know that she might be around getting things so she could help some students over the summer. Sam reminded her that the children wouldn't be allowed in the saloon after a certain time. Elizabeth assured him that it would be okay. After talking to Sam, Elizabeth packed her stuff in her basket and headed back to Abigail's. Since she had evaluations to write, she would do that there. She also hoped that Abigail would be around. She really wanted to talk to her. Abigail wasn't home when Elizabeth got there and she wasn't home until late.
"Abigail." Elizabeth said. "Oh my goodness, it is late. Where have you been all day?"
"Sorry." Abigail said. "I was working on a project. I lost track of time. I just realized that there is no dinner."
"It was fine." Elizabeth said. "I warmed up the last of some leftovers. So … what is this project."
"I am just not quite ready to say." Abigail said. "I promise I will talk to you when the time is right."
Elizabeth was confused. Abigail had signed the papers, but she had time to change her mind and she was starting to doubt that things could be done. She didn't want to talk to Elizabeth about it until she was sure. Abigail walked to her room and paused for a moment in the doorway and saw the lines that had been drawn there marking Peter's growth.
"Peter was taller then me by the time he was thirteen." Abigail said with a small sigh.
Elizabeth just looked at Abigail, she wasn't sure what was going on, but she was going to listen.
"This house has so many memories." Abigail said.
"Abigail." Elizabeth said. "What is it?"
Abigail took a couple deep breaths while she looked around and then finally looked at Elizabeth.
"I am no longer a wife." Abigail said. "I am no longer a mother. I am just struggling to find my purpose right now."
Elizabeth took a breath and thought about what Abigail said.
"Before I came here." Elizabeth said. "I thought my purpose was teaching at one of those big city schools, God shut that door and he opened up another one."
When Elizabeth looked up she saw that Abigail had tears in her eyes. She really wanted to get up and give her a hug, but she wasn't sure that was what Abigail wanted.
"A much more meaningful one." Elizabeth finished.
Abigail smiled at Elizabeth and nodded her head.
"Abigail." Elizabeth said. "I just know that God will show you what he wants for you too."
"Thank you, Elizabeth." Abigail said. "I needed to hear that. I am tired. I think I will just go to bed now. Before I go, I hope that you had a good last day of school."
"I did." Elizabeth said. "Good night."
"Good night." Abigail said.
Elizabeth watched Abigail wipe a tear from her cheek and then close her bedroom door. She still didn't know what was going on, but she hoped that Abigail felt better. Now that school was done, Elizabeth knew that she would be able to help Abigail with whatever was going on, she just had to find out what that was. It wasn't long after Abigail turned in that Elizabeth headed up herself. Before climbing in bed for the night, she finished the letter to her parents and got it ready to post. She wrote a little in her journal and then called it a night.
Saturday morning, Abigail was up and gone early. She left breakfast for Elizabeth as well as a roast in the oven. Elizabeth wasn't sure where Abigail had gone, but Elizabeth had planned on working to finish the evaluations and get them in the mail. She figured that she could keep an eye on the roast in the oven. By late morning, Elizabeth had finished her evaluations and took them along with her letter and headed into town. She posted both at the mercantile and picked up a few things. She didn't see Abigail and no one seemed to know where she was. Elizabeth looked for Jack but he wasn't anywhere to be found, so she just headed back. Elizabeth wanted to do a little more reading and studying to see which method that she wanted to try with Bo first.
The rest of the day was fairly quiet. Abigail came home for supper, but didn't talk about what was going on. She left again for a bit and Elizabeth heard her come back shortly after she had gone up. Sunday, they went to services in the grove. No one said anything about what Abigail was up to. When they got home, Elizabeth tried to talk to Abigail, but she didn't want to talk. They spend the afternoon doing the laundry and no really talking about what was going on. Abigail made another large supper that night, so that there would be leftovers for a few days. Without telling Elizabeth what was going on, Abigail turned in early. Even though there was no school, Elizabeth had planned on working with Bo starting on Monday. His mother was excited about everything. Elizabeth had assumed that Bo's father was on board as well, but didn't specifically ask.
Elizabeth was still trying to work out things with Jack. She realized that because she wasn't at school everyday, she probably wouldn't see him as much. She knew that she would have to make a point to seek him. She wanted to spend time with him and they still had things that they needed to talk about, but Elizabeth wasn't sure what she was going to say to him. She didn't want to out right challenge him or demand that he tell her how he felt, but she knew she had to do something. Elizabeth hoped that just by spending time together that things would happen naturally. She just had to find time and ways to be with Jack. She also had heard some of the women talking in town, but she didn't care anymore. If she wanted to be with Jack, she would be with Jack. It wasn't that she was doing anything that she needed to be ashamed of, so she didn't understand why people insisted on talking.