Reminiscing

“Max, check it out.  Fifty-seven years old and she’s still as hot as she was twenty years ago.  That’s kind of amazing”

“Oh wow, all wrapped up in that white dress, reminds me of the first day of class.  Hot school teachers should not be allowed to teach the fifth grade.  The September sun shone through those big bay windows and made her hair shine.  She saw my nose bleed and bent down to help, her hair sparkled right there in front of me.  It took most of my concentration not to touch it.  You know Bill, it’s a good thing she was a modest woman.  A teacher that pretty could mess with your head, but she never did.  She was a good one.  I respected her.”

“I’m guessing that’s why she’s getting the award tonight, but it doesn’t make sense.  Did you know she quit teaching two years after we moved on to middle school?  Hey, I wonder if she’d remember us?”

“How do you know she quit teaching?”

“Oh, Susie had her for a teacher after me, and you know how much trouble she was then.  My mom had a lot of meetings with her and they got to talking after every single one.  I tagged along a few times and then the next year with Susie’s other teachers as well.  I walked around the school one time to see if she was in her classroom.  I’d have said hi, but the room was empty.  Janitor said she left.”

“That’s strange, Do you know what she’s been doing since she quit?”

“Not exactly, my mom had become friends with her while she was still here, I never asked, but I overheard a few phone calls they had…”

“And…”

“Not much, but I heard something about the FBI and then seven years later my mom gets a call from her.  At least I’m assuming it was her.  I heard crying on the other line, mom was comforting her as best she could and offered to meet her, but I heard a ‘no’ and then things quieted down.  I couldn’t hear anymore, but they talked for a good hour.”

“You never asked what it was about?”

“No, it wasn’t my business and you know how my mom is with private information.  She’d never have told me anyway.”

“Ok, but if she stopped teaching, why the award tonight?  It doesn’t make sense.”

“Nope, but maybe we’ll find out.  Say’s here she’s up next.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we have a very special guest coming in from DC.  She once taught in this small town.  If you recall in the summer of eighty-five the sad event that happened in the Harper home, you’ll know that the man who did those deeds was at large and said to be hiding out here.  Well, someone was brought in undercover to investigate in one of our classrooms.  Only the most senior staff knew about it.  Later she followed the suspect on to other places gathering what she could until finally, just weeks ago, she had enough to put the horrible man in prison.  So many people loved her when she was here and we've asked her to come and say hello.  And now, without further ado, I present Madeline Wilde.”

“Wow, are you serious!  Ms. Wilde was an undercover FBI agent?  I think I’m in love.”

“Oh, here we go.  Max, get a grip.”