What Do I Do Now, Mom?
by: E Walk
(© 2009 by the Author)
 

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 30 

The Bureaucrats

As I was leaving for school, Walt reminded me, “Mr. Adler, don’t forget the conditioner, or whatever, today.”

When I arrived at the school, the Corn guys and Ted were already there.  I took my messages and started to make some calls, since I hadn’t had an opportunity to make them the night before.

When Gloria arrived, she came into the office, “Hank, what time will you be leaving for the central office?”

“I’ll be leaving shortly.  Is there something that you need me to do?”

“Tomorrow’s officially my last day, until the second of August.  I’ll have some papers for you to sign.  We’re in pretty good shape.  Not like some recent years when a certain principal procrastinated until the very last minute.”

“Hopefully it won’t be too late when we get back from Lincoln.  They’re to deliver the furniture for the house, this afternoon.”

When I arrived at the Central Office, I went to Superintendent Brown’s office just as Dr. Hunter was coming out, “Rick, Hank is here.  I need to go to the bathroom and then I’ll be ready to go.”

As we were driving, I commented, “The more I’ve thought about why Dr. Plumber asked me to be in attendance, today, the more confused I am.  After all, I’m a brand new principal.  Exactly whom are we going to be meeting with?”

Dr. Hunter turned around, “Hank, I think the fact that you are young and not afraid to share your thoughts is why you were asked to come today.”

Dr. Brown added, “Hank, just be prepared for anything, and don’t let anyone intimidate you.  Even Commissioner Plumber isn’t sure what to expect.”

We arrived at the capitol at ten forty five.  Superintendent Brown led us to Commissioner Plumber’s office.  The secretary pointed, “Dr. Plumber is in the conference room.  You’re to go right on in.”

The room was full of people. At eleven o’clock, Commissioner  Plumber went to the microphone, “Thanks for coming, today.  We have some distinguished visitors who have some ideas to share with you, today.  “First, we have The Chairman of the State Education Committee, Senator James Nelson.  He is the bearer of some bad news.”

“We also have visiting, at my request, a young man who just became a principal in the Belleview School District.  He has his Superintendent, Dr. Rick Brown, and Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, Dr. Larry Hunter, with him, to protect him because he has some things to say about the state of education in our state, some of which you won’t like hearing.”

“Senator Nelson.”

Senator Nelson went to the lectern, “The news that I bring to you today is not good news.  The Governor has mandated that there be a ten per cent reduction across the state’s education system. That applies to the number of employees as well as the amount of state monies spent on student services.”

I stood, “Senator Nelson, the Governor can not publish a mandate like that.  The local districts are the parties who set their districts' budgets.  The state can cut ten per cent of the monies the state pays the school districts, but the rest of the areas of state services better be prepared to take a ten per cent cut as well, or there is certainly going to be a parent uprising.”

Senator Nelson pounded the lectern.  “Mr. Adler, you are out of order, questioning the state mandates.”

“Excuse me, Senator Nelson.  I have every right to question the mandates of the illustrious Governor, since I’m a taxpayer.   My question to you is what right do you and the Governor have to tell the school districts how to run their business.  Commissioner Plumber, I would like to have the floor and not be interrupted until I prove a point, since Senator Nelson proclaims that he is an expert in education, when in reality, he is a farmer like I am.  I believe our illustrious Governor’s background is in insurance and investments.”

Commissioner Plumber nodded, “I’ll probably regret this, but go ahead, Mr. Adler.”

I went to the lectern, “First, I’d like for everyone in the room who has a college degree, to please stand.”  I looked around, Senator Nelson, “So, Senator Nelson, you’re saying that you do not have a college degree?”

“I decided that a college degree was worthless, so I dropped out, my sophomore year.”

I decided to grind the knife in further, “Was it because you decided to drop out because it was useless, or was it because you flunked out?”

“Those of you who have a college degree in the field of teacher education, please remain standing.”   There were only about twenty five people who were left standing.

“Will those persons, who were actively involved in teaching public school students at the grade school or secondary level please remain standing.  College positions don’t count.”  The number was down to ten.  Dr. Plumber had been seated.

“Now, will all those who were active at the elementary level please remain standing.”  The number went down to four.

“Will the four of you, please identify your area of expertise and share how long it has been since you were active in the classroom.”

The first lady nodded, “I was an art teacher and taught at both the high school and elementary level for ten years.  I’ve been with the State for fifteen years.”

The next lady started, “I worked with Special Needs children for three years, but I came to the state because the job was less stressful, seven years ago.”

The third lady stood, “I taught first grade for twenty five years.  I came to the state two years ago and these people haven’t a clue what goes on in the elementary schools.  They’re so caught up in trying to regulate the public schools by their interpretation of the standards, that they have totally lost touch with today’s children.  Everyone is so busy trying to impress their supervisors that they don’t have time to worry about educating our young people.”

The fourth person was a gentleman about my age, “Loren, it’s good to see you again.  I guess you finally got what you wanted when you were trying to prove to the big whigs that your physical fitness program was a panacea for all children.  Of course, you doctored the outcome, by assigning those students who couldn’t meet your standard to an adaptive P.E. program.”

I turned to Dr. Plumber, “I apologize that I turned this meeting into a circus.  But the events of today have confirmed my impression that the influential people of this state are only interested  in what’s in it for them, and not the citizens of the states.  Dr. Brown and Dr. Hunter, I’m ready to leave.  If you want to stay, I’ll catch a bus.”

Doctor Brown grinned, “We’re ready to go, as well.  I don’t think much is going to get accomplished here, until the dust settles.”

As we were riding on I-80, Dr. Hunter asked, “You knew Nelson from before, didn’t you.”

“Yes, there is no love lost between Senator Nelson and me.  He is the father of my first significant other, Ron.  He blames me for making his son queer.  He and his family wouldn’t even come to Ron’s funeral, because he couldn’t admit that he had a gay son.  I’m sure that he was afraid that I would expose him for the bigot he is, if he said anything derogatory about me.”

I stopped for a sandwich and went to Birchcrest, so I could sign all of the paperwork that I needed to sign.  I was eating my sandwich when Ted arrived, “Hi boss, I kicked the Corns out.  They busted their butts this morning.  They said you needed some help unloading some furniture, tonight.  My wife and the kids went to Glenwood to visit her parents overnight, since her mom had surgery this afternoon.”

“We’ll take all the help we can get.  I’m sure the guys will have plenty of food.”

Gloria came into the office, “Hank, we’re not going to let you out of our sight, if you’re going to continue to get in trouble.”

“What did I do now?”

“Don’t you people ever listen to the news on the radio or on the television?  Your name is being bantered back and forth like a tennis ball.”

We had a television set in the office and Gloria turned it on.  They were giving the weather forecast for the Omaha area.  As the weather forecaster was signing off, he said, “The weather in the Omaha area will be bright and sunny, but the storm clouds are brewing for a big storm in Lincoln.  Here’s  Mike Knight to tell you about the fallout from one of our local resident's visit to the capital city.”

“This is Mike Knight.  I was in Lincoln, supposedly to cover the Governor’s ten per cent cut to education.  The announcement was made by the Chair of the Education Committee, Senator Jim Nelson, but he was immediately challenged by a young principal from the Belleview School District, a Mr. Henry Adler.”

“The outcome of the meeting is that Senator Nelson has suddenly resigned from the legislature, effective immediately.  We have just received word that the Commissioner of Education fired his entire staff, before he resigned.  He was quoted as saying.  ‘Mr. Adler, has demonstrated that we aren’t capable of providing the children of our state the quality education they should be receiving.’”

“We’ve just received word that the governor will be holding a live press conference at three o’clock.  It appears to me that he and his staff are trying to set up some sort of damage control.  We have word that parents are already picketing in front of the capitol building and the Governor’s mansion.  This may be the thing that brings some much needed changes to the state government to eliminate the excessive overhead and spending that we the taxpayers are expected to bear the burden for.  This is Mike Knight signing off.”

I looked at Gloria, “I’m not in, for any calls that have to do with politics or media coverage.  In fact, take messages, and if it’s someone I want to talk to, I’ll call them back.”

I was never so glad to see the clock say it was four o’clock.  Gloria and I walked to the parking lot and a television van was passing by.  I ducked behind my car and waited for the van to be out of sight before I got into the car.  ‘Talk about being paranoid.’

When I arrived at the farm, there were cars and motor cycles parked in front of the trailer.  I walked into the trailer and Mother started on me, “Honestly, Henry, can’t you do anything right.  Why did you get yourself spread all over the news?  It’s been like Grand Central Station around here.”

I grinned, “Hi, Aunt Peggy.  Do you see how my Mother treats me?  No wonder I can’t do anything right.”

I went to change clothes and then to see who all was working.  “Everyone was working, including Rob Snowden, Ted, Blake and Kenny, and of course, our boys.  Billy and Bobby were marking the inventory lists and Willy, Wally and Wylie were folding the moving covers as the big guys uncovered each new piece of furniture.”

It was about six thirty when Rob Snowden announced, “That was about the slickest example of teamwork that I’ve ever seen.  You people had the truck unloaded in half the time that it took my people to load it.”

Mother announced, “The serving line is open, as soon as you people can wash your hands.”

Mother started on me as everyone was going through the line, “Henry, you’re going to need to restock your freezers, soon.  There isn’t much left in them.  Are you sure that you and Randy are ready to feed eight boys?”

“Mother, Witt has everything under control.  We’ll be able to survive.  I’ll probably come home tomorrow, and he will have killed a pig or two.”

“Heaven help us if he does, I’m not going to help him butcher no hogs.”

I went to talk to Rob Snowden, “Rob, how much do I owe you for the delivery of my goods.”

“Hank, I’ll send you a bill.  It was good therapy for me to remember what it was like to be a family.  Your Mother is a stitch.  She treats you like a little boy.”

“Rob, she’ll probably be telling me how to dress, when I’m buried.”

As Rob was pulling away, a big Cadillac pulled into the driveway and a screeching woman got out. “Adler, you pervert.  You ruined any chances of my husband being the Governor or a U.S. Senator.”

I stood in front of her. “Mrs. Nelson, you’re wrong.  Ex senator Nelson was the person who resigned.  The only thing that I said was common knowledge, and that was that he flunked out of college.  What I should have said was that he has been cajoled by his petty wife to do bigger and better things, even though she never finished high school.  Ron and I had no secrets.”

Unbeknownst to me, a television truck had a arrived.  A brazen young reporter asked, “Mr. Adler, can you support those allegations?”

I pointed, “Excuse me, sir, but you’re trespassing on private property, and I refuse to talk to you or to permit you to talk to me on my property.  If you don’t leave immediately, I’ll be filing charges against you and your station.”

The young man yelled, “Haven’t you ever heard of Freedom of the Press?”

“Yes, but haven’t you heard of Invasion of Privacy?”

After  the television van had departed, I turned to the Nelsons.  “I suggest that you people leave, as well, and if I get any indication that you have been bad mouthing me, I will tell every sordid detail I know about you.  I know what you did to Ron and his sister.  When I get finished with you, you will have nothing left.  I still keep in touch with Rhonda, and she still hates you as much as the day you abandoned her.”

As the Nelsons were getting into their Cadillac, Mrs. Nelson yelled, “Adler, you’re even a bigger bastard than I thought.”

“Mrs. Nelson, I took lessons from you and your husband.  I guess you were pretty good teachers.”

After the Nelsons had departed, I looked at all of the other visitors, “I hope you will excuse us, but we do have eight young men to get to bed.  We need to see where it is that we are going to be sleeping.”

I could tell that Mother was miffed about being excused so abruptly, but at the moment, I couldn't have cared less.  Randy and I went to see if I could find Witt, Wade, Walt and the five younger guys.”

We went to the bedroom area and Witt apologized, “Mr. Adler, we were only able to get two bedrooms put together.  My young brothers can sleep with me, and Wade and Walt can have their own bedroom.”

I shook my head no, “Witt, I have a better idea.  Willy, Wally and Wylie can sleep in the trailer with us.  I would feel so much better if they were close to us adults, in case something should happen.  Remember, this is going to be a totally new experience for them.”

Wally smiled, “Daddy, we’ll be okay, as long as we’re here with you and Dad Randy.  It won’t make any difference where we sleep.  We aren’t going to bed hungry.”

To be continued...

Editor's Notes: It is nice to see that there is good progress being made in getting the house ready to be lived in. All the furniture has been brought back, and much of it has been set up.  I don't think it will be much longer that people will have to live in the trailer.

I should think that no one in the new family will ever have to go to bed hungry again, as long as they are with Hank and Randy.  They are now with people who will love them and see to it that all their needs are fully taken care of, something that I doubt has ever been a part of their lives, until now.

There also seems to be a lot of excrement hitting the osculating air movement device, with regard to the school situation.  Hank is not exactly making certain people very comfortable.  That, seemingly, includes his mom.  Mothers are often critical of their kids, even when the kids are fully grown. To Mom, you will always be her little one. 

I certainly hope there will be another chapter very soon. 

Please let E Walk know how much you enjoy the stories.  I know for a fact that he really does appreciate hearing from his readers.  He told me, just today, that he has been really pleased to hear from so many people who enjoy his stories.  I know it really does help him feel better.  I believe that all that positive energy lifts his spirits immensely.  

When I chatted with him today, he seemed a lot more positive than he has lately.  Please keep up the good work, and send your thoughts and prayers out for him.  Thank you for all you have done.

E Walk, We all love you, and wish you all the best.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher 

Posted: 08/13/10