A Penny's Worth (7 page)

“Thank-you,” he replied as they continued
to grin at each other like fools.

“We’re done for the day now Ms Marins,”
Nurse Reins said, breaking into the moment. Penny didn’t know how long she had
been standing there. “I will give my assessment to Dr Kittles and he will
notify you on our decision in a few days. I do not need you to come in tomorrow
for more observations.”

Watching Nurse Reins abruptly walk out
into the hallway, Penny realized she had not said goodbye. Not a good sign. The
chances of her getting this job seemed pretty slim. Nurse Reins didn’t appear
to be impressed. She thought of her family and realized Nurse Reins should join
the club. A deep sadness gripped her so suddenly that she had to fight back
tears.

“Don’t pay any attention to that witch,”
the old man said. “I’ve been on this floor one time too many and I’ve never
even seen her crack a smile. Even I can do that once in a while.”

“Well you should be smiling all the time
with those pearly whites. I wish I had teeth like yours.”

“Stop trying to cheer me up lady, because
maybe you’re being successful.”

Smiling, she bid him goodbye. The time
had come to head home, hug her pets, and hope for the best. It was her only
choice.

The day after her nerve-wracking experience at Wayside,
her mother called. Penny didn’t offer much information. She was perched in the
living room with a bowl of tomato soup sprinkled with gold fish crackers. It
was the first time she’d felt just a tad relaxed; but the peace was now over.

“Do you have any idea what you’re doing?”
Dolores’ judgmental voice crackled down the phone at her.

“I absolutely do.” Winston jumped up onto
the couch and Penny carefully placed the soup on the coffee table.

Her voice rising an octave higher,
Dolores countered, “Do you think you’re going to meet some handsome doctor who
will take you away into the sunset?” She huffed. “Let me tell you something,
things like that don’t happen in real life. Doctors may have affairs with the
nurses but they rarely marry them.”

“Are you for real?” Yanking the phone
away from her ear, she felt her stomach tying up in knots like a pretzel. She
felt her chest tightening as she retorted, “I’m really insulted Mom that you
think so poorly of nurses.” Drawing in a deep breath, she decided that she
wouldn’t respond anymore to her mother’s idiotic declarations. She remembered
Aunt Bess’ advice; step out of your mother’s space, don’t let her suck the air
of you.

Unfortunately, Dolores’ tirade was still
in full flow. “Listen Penny, your father and I have noticed how secretive and
distant you’ve been lately. We can put two and two together. We know how hard
it’s been for you to meet a man and all, but giving up your career is a huge
mistake. Women at your age have a hard time meeting men and you need to face
that. Maybe you should start learning how to accept your life, make the best of
it and appreciate what you have.”

Swallowing hard, Penny tried to speak as
calmly as possible. Unconsciously she dug her fingernails into the couch
fabric. “Mom, I never had a career at Fernfair, what I had was a job. I’m so
tired of greasy-haired Mr Adams and Sarah Bentley being the only people I
interact with.”

“Who is Sarah Bentley? What are you
talking about?” Dolores asked in exasperation.

“Look, just forget it, and listen, can
you do me a favor? Unless you have something nice to say don’t call me. I need
to keep positive energy around me.”

“Oh stop with that nonsense Penny. You’re
watching too much Dr Phil.”

The anger welled up inside her, and she
snapped, “I think you need his advice more than I do. I’m tired of being kicked
down by your well positioned foot.”

“Well, I’m sorry you feel that way, but
your dad and I can’t help the way we feel. Working in a hospital is no picnic,
I have news for you. You’re going to have a rude awakening Penny. You don’t
know how easy you have it.”

Controlling a sudden impulse to scream at
the top of her lungs in frustration, she decided to break away from Dolores. “I
have to go, see you.” Abruptly saying goodbye, and before she could change her
mind, Penny hung up the phone.

Sitting on the couch holding Winston in
her lap, she began to feel hollow. She nuzzled Winston’s neck. The little
beagle in turn gave Penny a lick on the nose. “I have to stand up for myself
Winston,” she declared. “I don’t have to take shit from people just because
they’ve decided that shit is what they’re offering.” Winston wagged his tail.

She had seen how a touch of her hand
could change anger into something better; how a smile could spread all over a
grumpy man’s face and instantly transform it so it radiated with warmth and
kindness. She had realized how empowering it felt to drop boring Sarah Bentley
like a ton of bricks. The fire inside of her was now becoming a steady surge of
heat and before she shut her eyes to go to sleep that night, a thought popped
into her head: some mindblowing sex would be a great thing to have too.

At least she still had her job at the school: she’d
called in sick for her day at Wayside. It wouldn’t have made sense to leave for
real, until she knew she’d landed the position at the hospital. She was glad of
that now: the way Nurse Reins had abruptly dismissed her, it seemed highly
unlikely that she would be hired.

She clattered into the school corridor,
distracted by this new creeping doubt about her future at Wayside. She almost
tripped over the foot of Mr Barnes, the flaxen-haired Geography teacher, when
he stepped out from an alcove to meet her. He looked agitated as he placed his
hand on her forearm. Looking up at his face, she discovered that his eyes were
flicking nervously back and forth.

“How are you feeling?” he asked. His
voice was hushed, as if he were afraid someone would overhear what he was about
to say.

“I’m on the mend,” Penny replied, feeling
a little shame wash over her. She hated to lie to someone’s face and she had
never done it well.

“May I speak to you in private please?”
he whispered.

Penny shrugged, and they both walked to
the end of the hallway.

“So, what’s going on Mr Barnes?” She was
already beginning to feel uneasy. Whatever it was that Mr Barnes was about to
disclose, she would rather not be privy to it, given the choice.

He cleared his throat, then said in a
nervous whisper that echoed down the hall: “I have lice.”

“Lice, are you sure?” Involuntarily she
took a quick step back.

“Of course I’m sure. And don’t tell me
about the medication that you’re supposed to use. I know all about that.” He
put his hands up in disgust, “I’ve used it three times already and I’ve washed
every damn sheet and article in my house twice.” His voice rose in panic. “They
just keep coming back. Michael and I have had them for three weeks now and we
can’t get rid of the dreadful things.”

“Michael?”

“Yes Michael,” he answered impatiently.
“He’s a friend that lives with me.”

“Oh.” Having mental picture of Mr Barnes
and Michael eating breakfast together, as a multitude of joyful lice jumped
back and forth from one head to the other, gave her the creeps.

Mr Barnes did not seem to notice or care
what Penny was thinking. He was fixated on finding a solution. “You have to
help me. What should I do?” He glanced behind him to make sure no-one was
listening.

An awful thought had been circling inside
her head; she allowed it to surface now. As the school nurse she knew she had
to address it. “Mr Barnes, are you aware how contagious lice are?”

He looked at her like she had just grown
an extra head. “You’re kidding me right?”

Clasping her hands together, she forged
ahead. “I’m surprised that you would come to school every day for three whole
weeks with lice burrowing in your hair, Mr Barnes. You’re exposing the whole
building to those horrid pests and that’s not being a responsible teacher.”

His eyes narrowed. “We’re not talking
about leprosy or the Bubonic Plague here Ms Marins. Let’s not make this bigger
than it is. I came to you for help.”

She looked him square in the eye. “I’m
happy to help you, but I’m also the school nurse, and first and foremost, I
must protect the children. I will be more than happy to help you with this
problem but until it is resolved you must vacate the premises.” She shook her
head slowly. “It could be too late and we may already have an outbreak on our
hands. I really am surprised that you didn’t come to me sooner with this
problem, or at the very least called your doctor. Three weeks is a long time.”

The geography teacher’s face screwed up
to the point where his nose almost disappeared. He replied between clenched
teeth, “Get past this, Ms Marins. I think you may be watching too many episodes
of CSI.”

Lowering her voice, she replied, “Let me
assure you that if you don’t go home now and take care of the lice that are
living on your head, I will immediately notify Mr Adams of this little
problem.”

Eyes narrowed like a vulture, he wagged
his finger at her face. He hissed, “You’re a little bitch, you know that?”

“And you’re a shit.”

“Why don’t you just go screw yourself?”
He shouted, his face turning beet red.

It was too much for Penny, she could not
handle another person attacking her. “Why don’t you just go screw your friend
Michael,” she declared with her hands on her hips.

“You jealous?”

“How many kids have to fall asleep in
your class for you to take the hint? You’re boring.” She felt a sense of pride
with that comeback.

There were people standing in the
hallway. To her dismay, a growing crowd of parents were watching this exchange
with wide eyes and open mouths. Their children were right there, edging closer
to their mothers.

Gulping back another nasty reply, Penny
smiled and said, “Thanks for telling me about that Mr Barnes, I’ll catch up
with you later.”

She clattered down the corridor to the
safe confines of her office. She was so shaken that she quickly closed her door
and leaned against it to gain her composure. I can’t believe that crazy thing
just happened, she thought, still in shock. She put a hand on her forehead and
leaned hard against the door. My life is falling apart, I’m probably having a
nervous breakdown, nothing makes sense any longer, she thought. What just took
place was like an episode from the Twilight Zone. A vision of Mr Barnes’ face,
red and puffy like a saucepan of mashed carrots, lunged through the darkness in
her mind. She had always thought of him as a mild mannered person. She believed
that if he could have gotten away with it, he would have knocked her down and
stepped on her. And there it was: she could never really know a person until
something funky occurs and then their character can pop out just like a psycho
Jack-in-the-Box.

With an uneasy feeling, she realized she
had to inform Mr Adams of Mr Barnes’ lice problem and the awful behavior toward
her. She decided she would try her hardest not to dig too deep a grave for the
man, even though he deserved to be fed to the dogs.

The rollercoaster hit an uphill curve: two hours after
the altercation with Mr Barnes, she found out that she was wanted for the
position of nurse on the Oncology floor at Wayside.

She didn’t know which disclosure shocked
him more; the potential lice outbreak, or the fact that she had to come back to
his office to give her two weeks’ notice. It was of no concern to Penny any
longer. She was thrilled that she was leaving Fernfair. She didn’t want to
waste time figuring out Mr Adams’ reaction.

Next she had to break the news to her
family. Obviously they would be thrilled to bits and overflowing with compliments...
okay, so she took the cowardly way out and called her brother Louis. She knew
how quickly the news would travel.

Feeling on top of the world, she was
en
route
home with her arms filled with grocery bags when her cell phone burst
into a rendition of Beyonce’s
Irresistible
. Cursing, she barely managed
to retrieve it from her pocketbook. She answered with a rather cross, “Hello!”

“Mom is really pissed,” Steve said with a
low whistle. “Boy, you really did it this time.”

She stopped in mid-stride. “Really Steve,
what did I do?”

Steve chuckled, “You’re bucking her,
that’s what. She’s not used to it. I hope you know what you’re doing.”

She felt the fury ignite through her like
a forest fire. She dropped her parcels on the front stoop. Holding the doorkey
firmly she said calmly, “The choices I’ve made so far in my life aren’t working
for me Steve. I don’t have a partner, a family, or any friends come to think of
it.” Her voice was shaking. “While you’re out on a Saturday night with your
wife having fun, I’m home eating frozen tortellini smothered in jar sauce while
Winston and Bob sit beside me watching TV. This is the first time in my life
that I’ve done something that does makes sense.”

“Penny,” Steve pleaded, “Look I’m just
saying…”