Chapter 15

Bill’s turn:

By the time we got left on the apron back at our home airport, a lot of life had changed.

First, I was now an engineer with 3Sigma Engineering. My first tasking was to locate suitable facilities for a branch office.

Second, I was in possession of a pair of ‘almost’ college students. Possession? One daughter. One wife.

Third, I was issued instructions to obtain my medical certificate preparatory to becoming a student pilot.

That whole college thing for Haley and Deena, though, is confusing.

First, we had conversations with both their schools – middle school for Deena and high school for Haley.

We ended up in Mister Rogers’ – the principal’s – office, me, Haley, Mizz Dasson, her guidance counsellor and Ken Rogers.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Mizz Dasson said. “It’s hard to argue with, especially in view of the phone call from Doctor Patel at Auburn.”

“Me neither,” Ken said. “That’s why I’m in this meeting. I just want to see what happens next.”

“I’ve kinda been in that ‘what happens next?’ mode since we got married.”

“Ah, yes... ,” Ken injected. “I get a lot of reports, some official, some through various versions of the grapevine. I get the bad news about pregnancies and dropouts, all too often involving the same student. Occasionally I get news of a marriage, usually in conjunction with the pregnancy and preceding the dropout. I knew Haley’s name – I know the names of a lot of students for a lot of different reasons, but Haley’s always been on my favorite list with her 4.0 average. When word came that she was married...”

“I told Ken when I found out, Haley,” Mizz Dasson said.

“All I could think of is that sometimes our very bright students have some issues that lie away from the grades. I fretted, I’m afraid...” Ken continued. “Then when I noted that she was taking a bit of time away from school ... More fretting. And then Liz – Mizz Dasson – showed me the letters from Auburn. I stopped fretting, waited for you to come in...”

I watched Haley smile. “I know some of the kids you’re talking about Mister Rogers,” she said softly. “When news got out that I was engaged, I was automatically branded with the same iron. It’s like most people think that the only reason to get married is because the girl is pregnant. And we both know several who don’t bother with that step at all. It’s truly sad. However, it doesn’t apply to me. Bill’s been encouraging me about education ever since he moved next door to me. And this Auburn thing is just another rung in that ladder.”

Mister Rogers had a wry expression on his face. “Mister Simon, you’re in agreement with the findings at Auburn?”

“Mister Rogers, Auburn is but the tip of the iceberg. Haley’s participation at Auburn is due to the people at an engineering company called 3Sigma. I just quit my job at my former employer to go to work for 3Sigma. Some of their people are the ones who latched onto Haley. Have you ever heard of a PhD by eighteen?”

“Never.”

“We met with TWO of them. THEY say that Haley’s one of them, intelligence-wise, and after hearing what she did in interviews with faculty at Auburn, I’m in full agreement.”

“Interviews?” Ken asked. He turned to Mizz Dasson. “You didn’t mention interviews.”

“Haley told me. Those are some of the letters in that package I sent you,” Mizz Dasson said. “There’s one from a couple of mathematics professors that says not only is she capable of passing math for an engineering degree, they BEG her to do a double major in math.” She paused with a sigh. “College level, ‘this is what I LOVE’, math.”

“Seriously?” Mister Rogers questioned.

“Read the letter, Ken. Don’t get me wrong. We’re fortunate that Haley’s been here with us, but she doesn’t belong. Not in high school.”

“So what’re your plans then, Haley?” Mister Rogers asked.

“We’re supposed to have a conference call with the local university and with Auburn. See what they can do to share me...”

“Share you?” he asked.

“I just hired on with 3Sigma. They’re headquartered in Auburn, Alabama. Auburn University says they’d happily take her on board tomorrow and in a couple of years, tops, give her a degree or two, but my job is HERE, so we’re trying to see if this university is going to take Auburn’s suggested path.”

“That could be a mess,” Mister Rogers admitted.

“Go ahead and tell Ken about your step-daughter, Haley.”

I watched Haley grin. “She’s still in middle school. We’re going to have this conversation with her principal this afternoon.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes,” I said. “My daughter. Fourteen. Went toe to toe with the same professors at Auburn, with only slightly different results...”

“ ... she outdid me in English,” Haley injected.

“ ... and I’m going to have two college students,” I said, “And a new job...”

“I would like to finish out the week,” Haley said. “Gives me a chance to tell everybody what’s happening. I care about a lot of people here. Teachers, students...”

“We’ll be glad to have you that long,” Mister Rogers said. “Kind of wish you’d graduate here with us.”

“I think I did,” Haley said. “Sort of wrecked the timing, though.” She paused. “And I need to go with Bill to talk with the people at Deena’s school.” Big smile. “I’m her step-mom.”

That got me a rather wry look from the principal.

“Sure. I guess we’ll see you tomorrow morning, then?”

“Yesssir,” Haley replied.

We left the school office holding hands. Haley’s fault. She reached over and grabbed mine. When we walked down the steps towards the parking lot, I gave her a questioning look.

“Oh, everybody KNOWS it. I just like rubbing a few people’s noses in it.”

“Like ‘finish out the week’? I know you have friends...”

“And some very special teachers, too. Honest? I’m gonna miss some of them. Others, though...”

“School is like that,” I said.

“Life is like that,” she returned.

“True. You know we have time to get a burger or whatever for lunch.”

“We need to go right now, before they fill up for the lunch rush,” I said.

“Makes sense.”

“‘Course it does. You don’t expect the husband of THAT girl to be a dunce, do you?”

“I’m ‘that girl’?”

“I’ve heard a comment or two from parents of your fellow students,” I said, “about that girl in high school who just floats along over everybody.”

“I can accept that categorization,” she smirked. “Better’n a lot of other ones. I mean, I’m STILL supposed to be pregnant. And I have found some way to game the system to get those grades.”

The place we went has great burgers, but we were still munching when it started filling with the lunch crowd. We escaped as best we could, made a couple of little stops for the things you need to keep a home viable, then made our way along familiar streets to the middle school.

Me, I’m just a parent, one of those people who seldom visits the school, but Haley, well, Haley’s still fresh in a lot of minds. Her last years in middle school were pretty noticeable due to her academic prowess, so it’s “Hi, Haley! Good to see you!”

It’s pretty common knowledge, apparently, that Haley and Deena are connected. The lady at the counter asked if I was Deena’s dad.

“Yes, ma’am,” I said. “We have a meeting with her guidance counsellor and the principal.”

“Oh, I know. Subject of much discussion.” She was smiling. “Haley, we talk about you a lot lately, too.”

Haley did that shy smile she does so well. “I hope it’s good stuff.”

“It is. You’re still surprising us, though. Deena’s stepmom. That’s funny, there.”

“Goes with marrying her dad,” Haley said. “Now we’re sort of in the same boat academically, too.”

“Just so the boat isn’t the Titanic,” Deena’s voice added. “Hi, Dad. Hi, Mom.” Giggle.

“Deena!” the lady squeaked.

“My evil stepmom, you know. All those stereotypes ... Cinderella had it GOOD compared to me.”

“Oh, you...” spoke a lady who’d just stepped into the office behind Deena. Then to us she said, “Diana Wilby. Guidance counsellor. I know Haley. You must be...” she extended her hand.

“Bill Simon, Deena’s dad,” I said.

“And Haley’s husband,” Deena added.

A rather mature-looking woman joined us. “I overheard the commotion and the introductions. I’m Melinda Braverman, your principal. Shall we go to my office?”

I did a quick chair count, borrowed one from outside the office and joined the crowd.

“Everybody knows why we’re here,” the principal said. “Deena, seriously? College coursework?”

“I love this stuff,” Deena blurted. “I couldn’t stop...”

“And so you went to Auburn...”

“We met some friends on line. They invited us. Flew down here and got us.”

“I’ve heard the whole story, Melinda,” Mizz Wilby said. “It sounds like a fairy tale. I was thinking ‘prank’ but this is not a middle school level prank. And when Doctor Patel called to talk with me, I’m thinking, ‘okay, let’s just see if she shows up on the Internet. She does. At Auburn, as a faculty member.”

“It’s all very real,” Haley said. “Did Deena show you our friends’ website?”

“There’s a website?”

Deena’s head bounced in an enthusiastic nod. “It’s linked to the businesses, but there’s a way to get to the less business-oriented pages as well. Type this URL into your browser.” She pushed one of Cindy’s business cards across the desk. “You can look at it later. There’s a note on the back to get to the extra-curricular activities. They do music and flying and cooking,...”

“And you’ve seen all this?” she posed the question to me.

“Yes. I was very much impressed by the business angle. Being an engineer, I know what a good engineering house looks like. This is that, enough so that when they offered me a chance to start up a local office, I jumped on the opportunity, and in doing so, left a very good, secure position to go off on this adventure. And for the academic side, well, I have these two that I need to keep on the path. And this is the best path. Mizz Braverman, I have never seen nor imagined the atmosphere for learning that these people have.”

“I thought this was about Auburn,” she retorted.