Chapter 2: The First Interview

The sign next to the door said, “Mr. Eisenberg, School Administrator”. I stood resolutely in front of it, my heart pounding like a jackhammer and my knees felt so weak I could hardly stand up. His secretary had told me that he was waiting for me so this was it - make or break time. The mere fact he’d even agreed to see me was a positive sign. How much, if anything, had the previous administrator told him about me? So far as I knew, none of the other staff members had a clue as to the real reason I’d left. I’d told them it was a personal matter at home and they were polite enough to leave it at that, even if I could tell they were dying to know the details. Now here I was again, portfolio in hand. Taking a deep breath, I twisted the door knob and walked in like I owned the place.

Mr. Eisneberg was seated behind the old wooden desk - this wasn’t exactly a state-of-the art building, not with the miniscule budget they had to operate under. My first impression was he was a handsome, middle-age man, balding slightly at the sides although his hair was still dark. He seemed to be of average build, several inches taller than me even with heels my on as he stood up to greet me and shake my hand. His suit, while not expensive, was clean and hung on him well; off the rack, maybe Macy’s or JC Penney. His smile seemed to be genuine and I felt a little bit of my apprehension fade away as he offered me a seat in one of the chairs lined up in front of his desk.