Riley Needs a Job

According to her lights, it had all gone so well, that interview to be principal of Mary Bethune Elementary School.  She listened carefully, presented her accomplishments in her current position, informed them she was ready to learn exactly what they wanted for the elementary school to advance, especially in test scores.  Riley would love to work at the elementary age level, sweet kids, unlike the middle school where she now worked.  Six grade, okay, seventh, eighth, ninth grades, so many problems.  Girls getting their periods, boys having their testicles and their voices dropping.  Did she need that?

Besides, being a principal would bring in so much more money.  She could consider buying her own house instead of living in a duplex.  Right now she was stymied, as the owner of the duplex lived in the other unit, took care of the lawn, snow plowing, all that. Great, except Riley had always been a gardener.  That was forbidden.  The yard was all grass, the trees were mulched, all she could do was put flower pots on her stoop—and remember to water them.

She had started interviewing for this new position shortly after her father died.  The first was just preliminary, the other two were more in depth.  But she so thought she had it.  Instead, just that afternoon she had received the news that it was going to a man, allegedly so the children could now have a father figure.

Riley would admit it.  The board had a point.  But still, she was human.  She went home and cried.  Later that evening, she got a call from her friend Dotty, the principal at her former school, where she had been a teacher.  Dotty had moved up to the superintendent’s office.  She assured Riley that she had pushed for her but, “Check your references.  Maybe next time don’t use Bob Cody.”

Bob Cody was her current boss, the principal of the middle school.  Riley thought he loved the work she was doing.  “Dare I ask why?”

There was a bit of a silence until Dotty said, “He damned you with faint praise and then added that your major fault was that you ‘lacked compassion.’”

“Lacked compassion?”  Riley was shocked.  “I did make it clear that my job as assistant principal was to take care of problems, including problem children, problem parents, which Bob doesn’t want to deal with.  I can’t believe this!”

“I know.  I explained this,” Dotty said.  “But, you know, it just takes one little thing they can fasten on for them to turn someone down.  Don’t worry.  Something else will come up.”

But would it?  Not in this district, Riley knew.  Once you’re rejected, you’re rejected.  Her chance here had come and gone.  Bob Cody.  All smiles and hey, how ya doing.  The fucker!  The weak little pussy!  If only she could show him some lack of compassion, but first she had to get her ass out of her current, now untenable situation.

Skills.  She had them. At middle management level.  She could parlay what she did into another profession—like prison guard?  What about going back to school to get her Ph.D.  School boards like to hire someone with a doctorate.  And it would give her a break from the grind.  But did she have the money to take that break?  Night classes?  Or was she simply due for a move in another direction.

Riley almost laughed to herself, despite the pain.  She was so sure of her life’s plan, had it all laid out.  And now this.  It almost put her in the same boat as her brother and sister.  She knew Frank hated being a lawyer and Eden was frustrated with her low pay.  Riley had felt so superior.  Until now.