Page 10 of Twenty-Three Years of Longing

“It is a lot to take in. And now you know why we need to move slowly when it comes to making any major changes at the school. Everything we do needs to be thought through thoroughly. Our goal is to prepare our youth for greater things than what we had the opportunity for. You and I are some of the lucky ones. We were able to experience higher education, come back, and put what we had learned to use. Hopefully, these students will desire to do the same. That’s how Tabiq will become a strong independent country. And that’s how we ensure what we lived through, can’t happen again.”

“I’m trying to understand, and Maybe I will, after a little more time,” she said. “I must remember that I’m not in the United States anymore.”

“You’re not. But I want you to feel comfortable coming to me. You’re not alone in this. You have me and Reesa and many others who all are here to support you,” I said.

“That’s good to know because from what you just shared, it sounds like I’m going to need it,” she said, letting out a long sigh.

I patted her hand and replied, “Don’t stress too much. It is day one and from what I heard; you already have the students loving you. That is more than anyone expected.” Especially me. The best thing I could do to help her was pass along everything I knew, little by little. I needed to have faith that she would do things the way I taught and asked. The best way to do that was to dive right in. I looked back at the laptop and said, “Okay. Let's start with class schedules.”

The rest of the day was spent just as we were, focused on one document after another. The school was about to be dismissed when we finally stopped for the day.

“I don’t believe my head can handle much more today. If you don’t mind, maybe we can slow things down a little tomorrow,” she suggested.

“No problem. I have a meeting with Reesa in the morning. Maybe we can meet later in the day,” I suggested.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to spend the day observing in the classrooms tomorrow. How about maybe after work?” she offered.

That worked better for me too. “Would you like me to meet you at New Hope for dinner and we can talk then?” I asked. Not that I wanted to go to the resort, but it would give us a bit more privacy in case our meeting didn’t go well.

“Yes. That would be fine. How about six?” She suggested.

“I’ll see you then. But don’t hesitate to call me tomorrow if you need me,” I reminded her. “And give me a little more warning, unlike your last text.”

“My last text?” she asked looking puzzled.

“Yes, the one about running late. I received it right before you entered the office,” I reminded her.

“Oh. Sorry. I am having issues with my phone. I sent that even before I left the resort. I’m not sure why I'm having such poor service here.”

I chuckled. “Welcome back to Tabiq. Things work great one day, and the next, not at all.”

She got up and smiled. “Guess not everything has changed.”

Nope. But I have a feeling you’re about to change things whether we like it or not.

CHAPTER 4

Raya

I’d forgotten how hot and humid it was here. The school didn’t have any air conditioning or fans. Granted the windows were open and there was a breeze, but I wasn’t used to such humidity any longer. I felt like I’d been in the oven all day and wanted nothing more than to stay in my room and relax.

Grabbing another bottle of cold water out of the small refrigerator in my room, I opened it and headed for the bathroom. Nothing helped me unwind like a long soak in a bubble bath and this tub was amazing. Power jets pulsing against my aching muscles was exactly what I needed.

I slipped out of my clothes and tested the water with my toe. Hot. Just the way I liked it. Slowly, I eased myself in until I was neck deep and leaning back with my eyes closed. I could imagine myself back home doing the same after a long day at work. The only difference was no interruption. Somehow, Joey always needed something, usually food, the moment I got comfortable.

Thinking about him makes my heart ache. It’d only been three days since I’d seen him, and it already felt like weeks.

My eyes burned as I fought back tears. I wanted to hear his voice. See his face. Kathy had texted me and kept me up to date with everything, but it wasn’t the same. Soon he’d be waking up and getting ready for school. I wanted to wish him a good day and remind him about his English project that was due tomorrow. He said it was almost finished, but he was a procrastinator, and the teacher would be able to tell it was rushed.

Maybe it was the teacher in me, but I didn’t take any excuses from him. Maybe it was because he never had one that I thought was valid. But if his grades started to slip, it was my fault. I was the one who’d left him. It was my responsibility to make sure my son was doing what was expected, not Kathy’s.

I was powerless to do anything other than to trust both Kathy and Joey. I knew it was going to be difficult, on Joey, but I never expected it to be harder on me.

Guess I’m not as strong as I thought I was.

Slipping deeper into the bath water, I dipped my head underwater, then back up trying to wash away the loneliness. Instead, it broke through the little bit of control I had, and the floodgates opened. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I sat in the tub.

It wasn’t just that I was missing my son. I was exhausted. Mentally and physically. I’d read everything that Orion had provided me, yet once I was in the classrooms, it was as though my mind had gone blank. I never felt so unprepared in my life and by the end of the day I was questioning my ability to do the job.

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