Andrea Millhouse Pt. 05

"...That was heavy, Tim." Andrea said quietly and letting out a sigh.

I continued looking at the door and said nothing in reply.

"What ...what are you ...thinking, now?" Andrea asked looking at me, a little confused.

"That what I have is so much better than what I once had, or what he's stuck with now, Andrea." I replied, in reference to Susan.

It now occurred to me that Susan no longer owned any piece of me and I no longer gave a damn what she or anyone else thought of me, except Andrea.

"I'm glad you feel that way, Tim ...your ex-wife is a very attractive woman." Andrea said, looking toward the door, again, somewhat in awe.

"I've already seen that movie, Andrea." I said with a tone of dismissal.

My ex-wife, was, still amazingly attractive, a fact that hadn't been lost on either Andrea or me. I secretly concurred that it would be a very close race between Susan and Andrea, as far as physical beauty went. Yet in any other arena, Susan lost to Andrea, hands-down. "Are you sure, son? You're sure this is the one?" Mom had asked one evening when I had stated that I was going to ask Susan to marry me.

Mom and Ricky had both been present at the wedding along with most of Stony Brook, my lifelong friends and neighbors. Mom had then watched me struggle within my marriage, seemingly from day one, and she had been there to help me pick up the broken pieces once Susan had divorced me for Irwin.

As with most divorce's I'd been devastated and inconsolable but Mom had pulled me through the whole experience, using cold hard facts and tough-love when needed. "Susan was the one -that left. Whether you know it or not, son, you didn't dodge a bullet - you dodged a fuckin' train wreck and some day you'll understand" Mom had confided in me. I knew in my heart that my mother had never cared for Susan and that the eventual divorce had really been no surprise to her.

Mom had been gentle to all living things but she despised a phony and I knew in my heart that this was her feeling for Susan, all along. After Susan had left me, Mom had encouraged vigorous physical exercise as a way to clear my mind on a daily basis and she had also made one comment that was very selfish and, unlike her, yet it was a comment that had stayed with me to this very day "Love is a rough game, son. Stay in good physical shape because looking-good, is the best revenge."

"Tell me about her." Andrea suddenly said, looking toward the door again.

"Nothing to tell, Andrea, I said as I cut into my well-done steak and continued eating. She's a very demanding, superficial and self centered individual and the only reason she wanted to 'convey condolences for Lovey' was to see if you were more physically attractive than she is." I said simply.

"Am I?" Andrea asked, a little shocked at my abrupt and straight forward answer.

"Hands-down." I said bluntly, with no emotion.

After our meal and coffee, I got up and paid our tab at the cash register. Walking back to our table, I left a generous tip for the waitress and taking Andrea's hand, helped her from her own chair and into her coat. I then selfishly jerked her close to me and put a long and passionate kiss onto Andrea's lips. The entire restaurant took notice and there was even a quiet whistle and a few comments of admiration from the people seated close by.

"Does that answer your question, Andrea Millhouse?" I asked, looking into her eyes.

"...God, yeah." Andrea replied breathlessly.

We walked out of the restaurant and into the warm evening, hand in hand.

"Tim, I need to be honest, I'm a little spooked right now. I've never seen you so intense before ...you were exactly the way... Ricky would have been, just now, with Susan. God, I hope you never look at me, the same way you looked at Susan this evening, Tim." Andrea said as we walked along the sidewalk.

"Baby, I play for keeps and when I put my heart on the line, it gets real. Susan and I both had dysfunction within our marriage but I never stepped out on her or mistreated her - ever. Did we argue? Did I say a few things which I later regretted? Yes, of course I did but I was never vulgar or controlling. I did everything within my power to bring joy and happiness to her but I simply wasn't good enough for her, in the end. Then Irwin came along and she fucked him behind my back - I suddenly became expendable. Don't expect me to roll-over and play dead for her now. I wish Susan and Irwin well, because it's too self destructive to hate. -As for you, Andrea Millhouse, sometimes I'm disappointed in you and sometimes I get tight jaws around you, because we're both human but we're always able to clear the air between us, even though it can sting sometimes. You don't sulk and play the silent treatment game - hell, you're the exact opposite. I won't ever look at you, the way I did Susan this evening, because you're genuine and I can tell the difference now." I said quietly and squeezing her hand.

"I've never had any trouble stating my mind, that's for sure, Tim." Andrea now replied.

"Ricky is going to really like you, Andrea." I said.

How ironic, I thought, that Andrea and I had both been confronted with our own ghosts from the past within the last few days, first at Brenda's birthday party and then our chance meeting with Irwin and Susan at the restaurant. The encounter with Susan had been intense and I was looking forward to putting my "Jim Rockford" - or sport coat and slacks, back into the travel bag and just becoming a regular guy in work clothes again, once Andrea and I got back to our hotel room.

We'd been fucking around in Seattle for two days now, Brenda needed her car back and Long Grey Cloud needed to be delivered to Anchorage, it was time to get serious about that now. I was in possession of a quarter of a million dollars worth of someone else's rolling stock and I was expected to keep my end of the deal.

"Have you texted Hans today?" I asked.

"This morning, yes, I told him that we'd been at Brenda's birthday party yesterday and that we'd would probably start out tomorrow with Long Grey Cloud." Andrea replied.

"Good, thanks for keeping in touch with him, honey." I said.

Andrea and I walked leisurely back to our motel room where, upon retiring for the night, decided on a long bubble bath together. After toweling each other dry, we selected a movie from the menu of the TV and cuddled up.

The movie was about a jewel thief and a cop with a healthy respect and grudging admiration of each other. Apparently they had known of the other's reputation for years but had never actually faced off until the jewel thief pulled a major job in the diamond store of a well-to-do neighborhood.

The film had a few car chases and a shoot-out with both the cop and thief coming up empty handed at movies end, with no jewels for the thief and no arrest for the cop - a stalemate. The fence that the jewel thief had been dealing with had ripped-off everyone and ran. It was a half way decent movie and a nice way to unwind with Andrea.

"I guess we should have gotten Brenda a birthday present, I never even thought of it until we were having coffee with her and Ricky, this morning." Andrea now said as we cuddled in our motel room.

"I left her an envelope, on the kitchen table, with our names on it, honey." I said quietly.

"That was very considerate of you to put my name on it, as well, Tim." Andrea said affectionately.

"You would have done the same." I said simply.

"Will we be in Canada with Long Grey Cloud tomorrow?" Andrea asked.

"Probably, about this time tomorrow night, I don't plan on an early start in the morning." I replied

"I've never been to Canada and am looking forward to seeing it. Lisa is from Edmonton." Andrea said.

"I know she is. You'll like Canada, honey." I said

"What are the Canadians like?" Andrea now asked.

"...They're about like, us Yanks; only they're not in such a rush all the time, usually. Show respect for Queen Elizabeth, while we're there and just be yourself, Andrea. Personally, I've always liked the people I've met in Canada and I know you will too." I said.

"Can we stop at the sign forest for a while?" Andrea asked.

"Yes, it's in Watson Lake at the half-way point. We'll stop and take photos." I said smiling.

"Can we spend the night there?" Andrea asked

"Sure, honey." I said, pulling her close.

"Can we make love now?" Andrea suddenly asked.

___________ 11 ____________

"It's been said that - When the student is ready, the teacher will appear - unfortunately the teacher, in this case, has been relying on obsolete teaching methods which were developed in the nineteen fifties and used in conjunction with the destructive drug, Ritalin. It's no wonder, to me, that our students are suffering from low self-esteem. It's no wonder, to me, why our Nation is losing-face within the international marketplace. Our teaching methods and, quite frankly, our whole attitude toward the student, is appalling. - Our students are ready to learn NOW and they WANT to learn and, as teachers, it's time for us to do a better job and start 'teaching' again. As teachers we need a complete overhaul of our current thinking and total transformation of our teaching methods. We need to develop a better attitude and perception toward the learning challenges our students are facing today, such as dyslexia. That's one reason I'm so proud of the administrators at Stony Brook - for opening the door to better understanding and the encouragement of more personalized student/teacher relations, in facing these challenges."

"Lovisa Donovan: Seattle Teacher, Stony-Brook" appeared below Mom's name on the screen, now. The video then skipped to Mom's next face-to-face segment, where Brenda had spliced the video.

"...One of my students has struggled with mathematics, his entire life. He wants to be a ship's Captain when he grows-up and quite honestly, he could care-less how many apples Johnny has or how many he gives to Susan, that type of nonsense is totally irrelevant and meaningless to the student; it is to me, as well.

I suggested to my student, to draw a sea-going freighter that he would like to Captain, which he did during math class. Incidentally, his talent for drawing is remarkable. The next day in math class, I asked him the question - If your vessel is five hundred and ninety feet long, with a cargo capacity of twenty one thousand, five hundred tons, how many fifty five gallon barrels of peanut oil can we load onto your ship if each barrel weighs three hundred and ninety one pounds? My student didn't get the answer right but he was suddenly interested in math - because it suddenly became relevant to him. As a teacher, this is exciting for me!"

Mom was using her "grown-up" voice during the interview and she was very composed and sharply dressed. The video series was entitle "Time In The Classroom" and featured several teachers from across the Nation that were trying to better educate their students with the acknowledgement of some of the learning challenges that were facing those students, such as "Dyslexia." The timeline of the video series was the early nineteen eighties when dyslexia and some of the other learning challenges, commonly known today, were still being scoffed at by the bureaucrats in education. Mom had ruffled some feathers and intentionally rocked the boat within the education community by demanding more for her students and a better understanding of the learning challenges facing those students - Mom was quite frankly, pissed, at the antiquated school system and it showed within the video.

"You go, lady." I said to the screen as I quietly wiped a tear from my cheek.

"You OK?" Andrea asked, looking up at me as we snuggled.

"Yes, honey, I'm just damn proud of that lady." I said.

"So am I, Tim." Andrea replied.

The next scene in the video showed Mom and one of her students, standing at the chalk board and writing a proper sentence. A photograph of this particular scene had actually made the front headlines of the Seattle Times and we still had several copies of the newspaper in safe keeping.

The video then skipped again to another facial close-up of Mom.

"...Every year, we spend more and more tax money on education and our student's test results, get lower and lower. I believe the reason for this is twofold. Number one: We've depersonalized education to the point where it doesn't seem, even remotely, relevant in preparing the student to enter into the workforce upon graduation. Number two: Our teaching methods are antiquated and rigid. Our students are SMART and they WANT to learn, they WANT good careers that not only pay well but also provide a sense of purpose in life, - that process, should begin within the classroom. Japan is the perfect example of how education should be processed - those students are MOTIVATED and ENCOURAGED to strive for EXCELLENCE by their nation's learning process and educators. This attitude has carried-over into Japan's current workforce and Japan's work ethic, not to mention the quality of products they're creating. Drug use among students in Japan is also much, much, lower than that within the United States and else-where. It's my belief that Japan's MOTIVATION of the student is the number one, MAJOR contributing factor for this... "

Mom was kicking-ass and taking names in the video, now.

She later confided in me that she had been totally disgusted with the American education system and the detached attitude of some educators. Mom feelings were that, one half of the teachers in classrooms were simply derelicts that were there for no other reason than a paycheck and the other half were professional educators that were as frustrated as she was.

Andrea and I had entered into Canada two days prior and were currently watching Mom's video via Brenda's YouTube channel on Long Grey Cloud's TV screen within the sleeper. Andrea had somehow hooked her lap-top into the TV monitor which was bolted to the far wall of the sleeper. Andrea and I were cuddling as we watched the fragmented video that Brenda had cobbled together. Brenda had taken the entire "Time In The Classroom" series and created a video of nothing more than the face-to-face time with Mom, which was about nine minutes in length. Brenda had stated that she would eventually do more with the "Time In The Classroom" series later, but editing and uploading the footage took considerable time. Brenda had done a remarkable job, I thought, as

Andrea and I continued watching the video which had simply been entitled as "Mom" on Brenda's YouTube page.

"Tim, Lovey had 'presence' on-screen. Some of the finest actors in the world don't have 'presence', they're still good actors but you always feel like you're just watching them in a movie. Watching your mom, you could almost get the feeling that you'd like to ask her a question, she's so, here-and-now." Andrea observed, quietly.

"She could have been a movie star, Andrea." I said, looking at Mom.

Mom had been in her early fifties within the video and she had been in very good physical shape. She was a smokin' hot lady that was fired-up and giving the camera both barrels now. That was, just like Mom, I thought. "...and I also strongly encourage our Congress and Senate to consider an international, nationwide teacher-exchange program whereupon successful ideas and teaching methods can be openly discussed and explored. I personally, would relish the chance to house a foreign exchange-teacher within my own household; we're talking about our most prized possession within this country, our children. Let's learn from these nations that are currently enjoying success within their student body and let's emulate them..." Mom continued, without losing stride.

I really wasn't sure how much good, that the video series "Time In The Classroom" had done, in overhauling our school system within America. The school system was a government bureaucracy and I had very little faith of government or bureaucracies, especially when combined. I was however extremely proud of my mother's devotion to her students and her love of teaching which the video made obvious to anyone watching.

Aunt Elsie had been gone only a year or so when the video series had been created by a well respected and independently wealthy cinematographer. With Aunt Elsie's loss, Mom had needed to channel her energy somewhere and had jumped at the chance to voice her views regarding education. Mom really hadn't had an ax to grind in agreeing to appear within the video series, she was just fed-up with hearing people say how dumb kids in America were.

For Mom, it had been personal, and she had felt that a good dose of the truth could do some good. Mom had been so naïve that she really did think she could help change the world for the better.

I then suddenly thought of the one afternoon, a few years ago, when I had been at the Post Office, close to Mom's house, and confronted by a very large man. "You Tim Donovan?" he'd asked. "Yes." I had replied, suddenly on guard. "Your mom's name is Lovisa Donovan, she taught at Stony Brook?" He'd asked. When I had replied with an affirmative, the man had broken into a large smile and pumped my hand vigorously, saying "That lady taught me how to read when no one else could; she changed my life, I LOVE that lady, Tim! Please tell her a great big hello from Marty Wright, she'll remember me, my mom's name is Carol" he had said. The man had probably been eight or nine years my junior and looked like a Longshoreman or the equivalent, thereof. We had talked for twenty minutes or so, standing inside the Post Office, and Marty had gotten misty eyed in recollecting Mom, whom he hadn't seen in years.

...Maybe she really had changed the world, I thought, looking at Long Grey Cloud's TV monitor now and thinking of Marty.

...Mom was laughing into the camera now, "...Yes, there is one occasion that I remember; I had a student bring a full grown cheetah to school, for show-and-tell once..." Mom began laughing again as she reiterated the story for the camera. Mom had been a wonderful story teller and the cheetah story was her all time favorite.

She'd been sitting at her desk, correcting papers, and listening to each of the students share highlights from their weekend during a Monday morning show-and-tell. Mom had then casually looked up from her desk as one of her students quietly walked to the head of the class, leading the cheetah on a leash for show-and-tell.

The large cat had scared Mom out of her wits and she had been terrified that the huge carnivore would eat the entire class for lunch. Fortunately a very composed and good humored school janitor had appeared out of nowhere and come to her aid.

The janitor, known as Joseph, had then begun elaborating some himself, on the animal's native continent and feline habits within the wild, before driving the student and large cat off of the school grounds. "The student came back, thirty minutes later without the cat - I never asked where the cat came from or where the cat went to, but I'll always remember that day!" Mom said laughing again into the camera.

Watching the video now, it was no mystery to me why Rick Sheffield had fallen in love with my mother. She'd been smart, articulate, and physically gorgeous, possessing a good sense of humor...

"Marty Wright? Oh yeah, I remember him, sweet kid. He thinks I taught him how to read, I didn't. He already knew how to read, all I did was encourage him, further." Mom had replied nonchalantly when I had mentioned my chance encounter at the Post Office with Marty.

Apparently Marty had been a huge history buff of the great transatlantic ocean liners from the latter half of the nineteenth century. Mom had asked Marty to stay for a few extra minutes after class one day and then simply slapped a National Geographic onto the desk in front of him. "They found the Titanic, Marty" was all she had said.