Friday, August 29, 2008

The Principal and The Mom


As a rule I am not attracted to older men but every now and then you have to give the over 40 crowd their props and I had to give him his and I had to give my mom hers. In a room full of women trying to get his attention his eyes were only on her. It was my second time seeing him and my reaction was the same as the first time. wow there really is a god… I thought when I’d spotted him. Handsome didn’t come close to describing him. Over six feet tall with medium length thick dark hair that had a hint of silver in it, eyes the color of gun metal, a dazzling smile, and a solid body that had obviously taken the words “milk does your body good” to heart. The man had obviously been dipped in the blessed side of the genetic swimming pool.

Despite the fact that the air conditioner was set on arctic there were several fans going strong in the school’s main office. I have a theory about this I’ve noticed that in offices where you have a high concentration of women over a certain age fans seems to go hand in hand with air conditioning. I call it the menopause theory, make of it what you will. She sat in the school’s waiting area a languorous expression on her face as she read Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”. Despite the brutal heat wave she looked radiant. Her full lips and fair complexion were flushed a subtle pink from the heat. The unruly mane of auburn curls framing her face seemed to be behaving nicely despite the humidity. Her hair and long airy skirt fluttered around her every time the industrial sized fans rotated her way keeping her free hand busy trying to keep the hair out of her face and her skirt from flying up. The white silk t-shirt she wore fit her fit a little loose and tired of sliding it back up it she sat there revealing a slightly freckled shoulder which only served to accessorize her charming bohemian look.


He was walking past the waiting area when he spotted her and stopped to stare as she pushed away a fall of errant curls away from her face. After several seconds a tiny smile pulled at his lips, he ducked into a nearby office only to return quickly with something in his hand. He stepped directly in front of her “Hi, my name is Matt” he said as he opened the chilled bottle of water and offered it to her. I shook my head as I answered my ringing cell phone. Wow he’s good, crazy for approaching her but good. She glanced up at him and smiled, “Hi Matt, I’m Maggie” she said as she accepted the water. He sat down next to her and tilted his head to read the cover of her book and from there a conversation was born. From the double takes the staff was doing at seeing him there it I got the feeling that this wasn’t normal behavior for the man. Their conversation was interrupted when one of the secretaries approached with my sister Caitlin in tow. The counselor was ready to see the woman now she said. “I’m the mom” she said pointing to Caitlin. “I see where Caitlin gets her beauty from,” he said and added “I’m the principal.” as he took the now empty water bottle from her hand and chucked it into the recyclable bin. He grinned at my sister and Caitlin laughed and rolled her eyes at him.

Maggie was there for a meeting with her daughter’s counselor the secretary informed him nothing serious that required his attention. I don’t think he cared why she was there he was happy that she simply was no way his enthusiasm at her presence was faked. “Come on Maggie I’ll walk you” he offered as he stood up holding out his arm to her. She took his arm and he led her to the other side of the building stopping occasionally to show us some of the student’s art work decorating the walls of the new school one of them a painting by my sister.

The counselor met them in front of her office door and stepped forward to embrace mom informing the principal that they were old friends. After a few seconds it became obvious from the way he was standing there that he had every intention of sitting in on their meeting. The counselor looked at him curiously but he ignored the look and reached for the office door following closely behind mom when she finally entered.“Hey Matt don’t you have some principalling you need to be doing?” Caitlin asked. “No” he replied as he pulled out a chair for mom and took the seat closest to her.

His eyes never left her as she spoke with the counselor a fact that had not escaped the counselor and Caitlin who stared at him with a tight lipped smile and a whole lot of mischief in her eyes. His eyes darted from mom’s moving hands to her expressive face when she talked and when she’d laugh he’d smile. He seemed to find a thousand excuses to touch her. A hand lightly grazing her shoulder or a brush of his finger tips on the back of her hand to draw her attention to something. When counselor’s fan blew several stray ringlets into her face he lifted his hand and tucked them behind her ears. I guess that had been a totally unconscious move on his part because it seemed to shock him as much as it did her. Despite her shock mom gently reprimanded him. From across the room I mentally chuckled my mother had no idea of the effect she was having on the man.

When the meeting was over the principal insisted on walking us to the school exit , “Did you bring a car or would you like me to get you a cab?” he asked when we reached the exit. “We walked” Caitlin replied. “They live right across the street” the counselor added. He looked down at my mother and inclined his head slightly and flashed a smile at her “So then I will definitely be seeing you around” Mom stepped forward and held out her hand, “It was a pleasure meeting you Matt.” He held onto her hand for a little longer than necessary and smiled at her, “The pleasure was mines Maggie.” My little sister looked up at him, “You can let go of my happily married mother’s hand now Matt.” The principal laughed and playfully tugged the end of her braid. “Okay well that’s our cue to leave, come on girls.” She said as reached for the door. The principal reached it first and held the door open as we stepped outside.

We were halfway down the block when Caitlin turned and saw he was still watching us “Matt stop staring at my mom!” Caitlin chided she then giggled and leaned into me, “here we go again another Mr. T and Doug” she whispered referring to a couple of teachers at her former school who’d developed crushes on our mother. I gently punched Caitlin on the shoulder and nodded my head “Shut up it kept you and Stevie out of detention for years.”

Labels: mom

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