William's Tale (2 page)

“Oh, Jackie dear. It’s you.”

Jackie took a deep breath. Why couldn't she walk into her apartment without a news announcement or gossip call from Mrs. Cunningham? She was a sweet woman, although a bit eccentric and long winded. Tonight the woman wore a red housecoat, fluffy white house shoes, and her hair was curled in rollers. “Hello, Mrs. C.”

“It’s good to see you, Jackie. You look so nice.” She touched the brim of her glasses as though getting a good look at her.

Jackie gave a wry smile. Really? She looked nice? She wore torn jeans and a dirty T–shirt. Her hair lay tied back in a kerchief, and she wore no makeup. She wasn’t looking like the belle of the ball since she had spent the day moving heavy boxes. She still smiled and accepted the compliment.

“How is your father, dear?”

Leave it up to Mrs. C. to hit her with that loaded question this late at night. “As best as can be expected.” Jackie slid her key into the lock of her door and heard the tumbler unlock the chamber.

“Is he all moved in?”

How the little old bitty could keep track of everyone else’s whereabouts and comings and goings was beyond Jackie. She smiled at the woman as she opened the door. “Yes. He’s just down the road at Silver Estates.”

“That’s a nice retirement home. Nancy down the hall mentioned to me that she needs to find a place for her elderly mother. Of course,” Mrs. C now looked down the hallway and continued in a whisper, “she needs to find a place that is not too close to where her father lives because…”

Jackie's hand rose up to stop her. “It's rather late, Mrs. C.”

Her eyebrow rose, perhaps in frustration. Regardless, she kept talking. “I figured you’d be gone until at least this weekend.”

It was only Thursday and Jackie had planned to take her father shopping over the next few days to buy whatever he may need for his new apartment. “Things went smoother than planned,” she said.

Mrs. C’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I almost forgot. You got some flowers while you were away. Caroline down the hallway got some too, but they weren't nearly as nice as yours. Hold on…” She entered her apartment and returned holding a vase of not so fresh roses. “They arrived just after you left.”

Jackie quickly grabbed the flowers since they looked heavy in the old woman’s arms. “Thanks Mrs. C. I appreciate you signing for them.”

She offered Jackie a wide grin. “I know this is your year for getting a ring on that hand of yours. You know, you're the only single woman still on this floor.”

Jackie shifted her stance to her other foot, partly because of the weight of the flowers. Jackie wanted to be married and perhaps have children, but she doubted that this was her year for it. She certainly didn't need to know that she was the resident spinster. “Steve and I broke up weeks ago,” she explained under her breath.

Mrs. C. shook her head. “Oh, not him dear. Someone better.”

Jackie bit her tongue. “Ok, if you say so. It’s rather late, and I have some unpacking to do.”

“If you ever need anything….”

Jackie smiled. “I know you’re only across the hall.” She entered her apartment, closing the door on the very sweet, but very nosey, woman.

Now alone, she studied the nearly dead flowers. She had spent an entire week moving her father into a retirement home. Well, him and his two cats. Four months had passed since her mother died from ovarian cancer, and her parents had lived out in California. Moving to Maryland was a big move for her father. At the very least, he was sensible about it. He appreciated her efforts and now only lived a few miles away from her.

The flowers went straight into the trash, but she pulled the card. Jackie took a deep breath as she read it. She prayed the flowers weren’t from her ex–boyfriend. Although she didn’t know who else the bouquet could have been from.

Unfortunately, the flowers were Steve’s second attempt to woo her back. She ripped up the card and threw it in the trash. There was no way she was allowing that cheating bastard back into her life. She wanted a man to share his life with her. To be with her all the way until death did them part — just like her father had been there for her mother. The two of them had a great love story.

Tears welled up in her eyes. She missed her mom and had hated to see the pain in her father’s eyes over the last year as his wife slowly withered away. People should live forever, or at the very least not die such lingering deaths.

“
Buck up, Jackie,”
she thought to herself. She was lucky to have had her mother in her life as long as she had, and luckier still to have her father. Her parents did love each other. Love stories like theirs didn’t exist anymore. Which is why she planned to swear off men forever… or at least until Mr. Right came into her life.

Her shoulders sank and she let out all the air in her lungs. She had lived with three men, and none of them were the love of her life. Hell, she probably wouldn’t even recognize Mr. Right if he did come by.

Just then, Jackie heard her phone ring.

*******

William scratched his arm again. The wool suit created a rash on his skin. He cursed at the cold chill of the brisk morning air as he and another COLONY agent, Ben, drove to Criswell Elementary school. March had come in like a lion with its blustery winds and low chill factors. He couldn’t wait for the month to exit like a lamb.

What bothered William the most was the fact that he didn’t even need the warmth of the wool suit, or the full–length, lined winter coat he wore. Posing as human proved to be a pain at times. Honestly, he could be out in shorts and feel fine. But today he felt like a dressed up monkey. Dark suit, red silk tie, dress shoes, and, of course, the sunglasses. He hated it all. A pair of jeans and a comfortable T–shirt were more his style. Actually, an Afro was also more his style. But since he worked with the covert vampire team protecting the President, he kept his hair short and professional, and he sported no facial hair.

Looking out of the car window, William took in the stately neighborhood they drove through. Solid brick two–story houses, fireplaces, expensive cars in the driveways… everything appeared polished, all the way down to the non–cracked sidewalks. Certainly, no gangs traveled these streets, and he bet the only person of color would be a maid.

“Are you sure this is the right address?” he asked Ben.

“Brighton Corbe Estates. Essex Avenue. Should be around the corner.” Ben handed the map to William. “Don’t even suggest I ask for directions.”

William took the map and barely glanced at it. Ben had worked with the COLONY decades longer than William. Ben was one of the founding members of the team, which formed after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

Another turn and a short drive down the street led them to the elementary school. The large building stood tall on its large lot. It was all white brick, and had a spacious courtyard, and offered plenty of parking.

“Let me get this straight,” he challenged Ben. “The President has taken a lot of flack for not caring enough about our education system, and especially for not providing for underprivileged kids.” William pointed at the building. “Does he think this sanctuary with no broken windows and no kids on state funded lunch programs will really fit the bill?”

Ben parked the car in front of the school. “I only have to protect the man. I don’t have to agree with him.”

“But doesn’t it bother you?”

Ben glared at William. “Change takes its sweet time. You’re not that old, but you can remember the riots of the ‘60s — the inequality we suffered. I’ve seen a lot of change. Don’t forget, our people weren’t even allowed an education when I was a boy.”

William felt a pang of guilt. Ben had been born a slave in the 1800s. Surely he had seen worse discrimination in his days than William had. Ben stood the tallest and largest of all the COLONY vamps. Looking like a linebacker in corporate dress, William could only imagine the life Ben had been forced to live back in the days of slavery.

The two exited the car and did a surveillance sweep of the outside of the building. “No security cameras,” Ben said. “The human Secret Service agents already noted that. There will be some in place by Monday morning when the big man arrives.”

When they easily entered the building, William rolled his eyes. “Outdated metal detectors. Only one manual security check. I wish the old man were visiting a museum or library. Schools are so open.”

“Schools are getting more and more secure, but some are behind the times.” Ben led William down the short corridor to the main office. Before they entered, he whispered,”The human team already has a plan to better secure the building. We just have to visit with the staff and make sure no vampires are around.”

On Monday, Jackie drove in to work. As a substitute teacher, she always tried to arrive early. Different streets, different traffic… she never wanted to be late, even if she hated the school.

Criswell Elementary ranked as a top notch school across the state. Of course, in an abundantly rich neighborhood, that would be expected.

As she turned onto the street to the school, she was surprised to find a group of policemen waving her into a secured roped–off parking lot. After showing her ID and explaining that she was subbing for a teacher, she was allowed to park. The officers gave her no explanation for the parking precautions, but since she saw men on nearby rooftops, possibly snipers, she assumed maybe the President was nearby.

The policemen asked her to exit the car while they searched the interior, the underside, and the trunk for explosives and weapons. They didn’t say that was what they looked for, but it seemed obvious to Jackie.

She felt a momentary gush of excitement. After all, she had never seen a President before. But over the years she lived in the D.C. area, the reality was that presidential outtings were more of a hassle than anything else. Her car’s strip search was proof of that this morning.

She checked her watch. It was still early, but not as early as she would have preferred. With the possibility of the President nearby, it now made sense that many of the streets in the neighborhood that were blocked off, and the detours, although short, had caused her to zigzag around in a maze–like fashion — adding more time to her morning commute.

She smiled politely to the officers as they completed their task and instructed her to collect her belongings and go directly to the school on the marked path where they could monitor her. She gathered her purse from her Ford Pinto and felt her anger build. Not because of the lost time, but for the fact that she was subbing at a school that oozed money from every hallway. She actually enjoyed working at a school with the newer textbooks, the computer centers, and the low student–to–teacher ratio. Those things were always nice. But they reminded her of the schools of her past where she taught from outdated textbooks, where no one had a computer, and where the classrooms were filled with students — if the kids didn’t stay home caring for younger siblings, or even worse, their own babies.

No. She refused to revisit that frustration. She was an educator. She taught children, and it didn’t matter where she taught as long as children learned. Plus, it shouldn’t matter if the children were privileged here, that they lived in an affluent neighborhood where most families had both parents. The fact that her school had lost funding and had to let her go… Well, that was unfortunate. Even with her protests and petition, she still lost her job. But such was life.

She straightened her skirt and buttoned her coat. She just wanted the day to be over with. The call had come in late the other night with a need for a substitute teacher. She thought back to the call. It had not come from her usual dispatcher, but from a man claiming to be from a different department. Either way, she didn’t recognize the phone number but did appreciate more than a day’s notice that she would be needed. After all, a job was a job.

She quickly walked down the path to the school, realizing that the President may be visiting the building at some point today. Again she felt a chill up her spine as some excitement built, but what were the odds she’d actually see the man?

The school’s side entrance was barricaded by a row of wooden sawhorses, with a handsome man standing guard. A cool breeze blew down on her violently, causing her to run towards the main entrance. She took in a deep breath when she reached the doors and looked back to study the man who was dressed in a suit and tie. He certainly was handsome. Strong jaw, muscular build, and a certain kindness in his face. Jackie bit her lip. If he's a teacher, he's a well dressed one. He didn't even look cold standing outside. He just looked sexy. Perhaps she'd have a chance to meet him later in the day.

Then again, he could be Secret Service. They wore suits, black suits with dark sunglasses — or so she thought.

The man glanced her way and she felt the heat of his stare. His sexy gaze was enticing, but no. She looked away, remembering she had promised herself no more men — not even handsome godlike visions like him. Her plan was to give all men up until she found Mr. Right. A handsome man like this was probably a player. She didn’t need the baggage, or the drama.

She entered the building and a gust of wind caught the door, forcing it from her hand. She pulled the door shut and enjoyed the warmth she found inside the building. She had only subbed at this school once before, and the place was as nice as she remembered. It felt like entering Shangri–la. The teachers wore suits and no trash lay piled up in the hallway. Not only did the school cafeteria serve delicious meals, but it also had an expensive cappuccino machine. Yes, it was the type of place that could spoil you. She didn’t even worry about wearing her good jewelry to this school — not that she had any expensive pieces, but nice costume ones. Today she wore a teal, two–piece skirt set with matching pumps. The suit was one of her favorite outfits, and considering what the teacher, or perhaps Secret Service agent, at the side door was wearing, she was glad to have dressed up.