Read Online The Second Half by Lauraine Snelling - Free Book Online Page B

there in silence a few moments. “Who’s your lawyer?”
    “Remember a mousy little kid in tortoiseshell glasses who had to struggle for every grade he earned?”
    She half smiled. “Gerald…Gerald…Wait a minute…Gerald…Leach! Gerald Leach.”
    “He graduated from Stone…”
    “Yes. With honors.”
    “Right. Went on to law school, and now he’s a junior partner in Ross, Vorstein, and Schumacher. He pulls down more than what you and I together earn in a year. And he remembers us.”
    “But is he good enough to run with the big dogs?”
    “He is a big dog now.”
    She sat looking at him without seeing anything, the way people deep in thought do. Suddenly she sat straight up. “Well, since we have a sixty-day reprieve, let’s get cracking.”
    By the time they completed the applications on file, it was near three. Ken glanced at his calendar. Chester Rankin at three. Chet was his last evaluation, except for Rollo. He had not thought he could do it. Dale certainly had not, Ken was certain.
    Three came and went. No Chet. Ken filled the time writing letters of introduction for two students and recommendations for three others. Were Damien the dean of students, would he go to all this effort? Do ducks gallop?
    He heard Chet out at Sandy’s desk and glanced at his clock. Three twenty-two. Yep, that was Chet. Sandy opened his door and ushered their custodian into the room.
    Ken waved toward the upholstered chair. “Good afternoon, Chet. Have a seat.”
    “Sorry I’m late. Had to clean up a mess in the back room. Y’know that little blond girl you hired to file journals? Spilled her milk shake. All over. Took forever.”
    Ken smiled and nodded. “Sorry. Her gross coordination isn’t very good. You may not know she has a neurodegenerative disease that has destroyed some of the nerves in her arms and legs. The doctors say she will lead a normal life with, probably, a normal life span, but the degeneration won’t get any better. And she’s a crackerjack librarian.”
    “Oh, she was all sorts of apologetic. I just smiled and let it go.”
    “That’s good of you. Thank you.” Ken sat back. “Let’s see. You’re the maintenance crew representative for Stone Hall and also Ashford Hall, is that right?”
    “Yes, sir. They gave me Harlan now, too, but Harlan don’t take much in the way of cleanup, at least not over summer. Not many people go there when school ain’t in session. Mostly just chase the cobwebs off.”
    “Still, it’s your responsibility.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “Three administrative buildings is a huge task. If you have any questions or complaints, now’s the time to air them.”
    “Well, I can’t think of any. A couple of the people in the offices, especially over in Ashford, are a little hard to work for, but that’s true anywhere you go. So no, I don’t have no complaints.”
    “Hard to work for in what way?”
    “Oh, you know, uppity. I don’t have any letters after my name and most of them do, so I’m not worth being nice to. You know, like that.”
    You’re not the only person who hates working with them, Chet, Ken thought to himself. I don’t like to, either, and I have half a dozen letters strung out after my name. “We can get along without labor management people and building inspectors. I’d like to see them get along without a custodian.”
    Chet laughed out loud. “Never thought of it that way. Yeah!”
    “Are you working on that remodel in Ashford?”
    “No, sir. I just clean up the plaster dust after they’re through.”
    “Insurance records say you have a wife and three children.”
    “I do, sir, and those kids are the best kids going. I’m proud of them. They’re doing better in school than I ever did, and they’re polite.”
    Ken pondered a moment. Usually, he wrote down evaluees’ answers almost verbatim, but not Chet. The man was much wiser and smarter than his poor English would suggest. He could make a recalcitrant furnace work again when it quit