Chapter 3
Maggie wiped off the counter and packed up the breakfast garbage. She slipped on her sweater and headed for the door. With no shred of food left out, maybe, she’d return after work to find an ant-free kitchen counter. She hurried as she opened the apartment door and bumped right into the stranger standing on the other side of her door.
“Excuse me,” he said with a pleasant boyish smile. “I was just going to knock. I’m Billy’s new science teacher, Calvin Phelps. I’ve been stopping by to meet the other building tenants one by one. I just moved into your building about a month ago.”
“Well, welcome to the wonderful world of ants. I was just taking my kitchen trash out, which is what they asked all the tenants to do, while we all wait with bated breath for them to send in an exterminator.”
“I hadn’t noticed a problem, but I’m single, so I usually don’t cook anything. An insect problem surprises me. This is a very nice apartment complex. The matter is that I’m here because Billy mentioned he had a pretty powerful projector microscope. I said I would pick it up and take it to school to show to the class. Billy said it was too large to get on the bus easily.” Calvin noticed that Maggie hadn’t expected him to stop to pick up the microscope.
Maggie smiled. “At the risk of being only a couple of minutes late for work, in the name of science, I’ll take the time to find it. Billy didn’t mention it, but if you can wait a minute, I’ll get it out of his room. I hate to ask, but can you hold the garbage bag until I get back?”
“No problem. Thanks for the tip about the ants.” Calvin stepped into the apartment and quietly closed the door as Maggie departed down the hall to Billy’s room.
Calvin silently followed her to the doorway of Billy’s bedroom. “Need any help? Wow, nice room. He’s got a junior size lab going on in here. I can see you’ve given Billy a lot of scientific opportunities. He has a reputation for being a science whiz if I can believe what I read in his prior teacher’s evaluation notes.”
“Billy’s adopted. So I’m not sure where all his talents come from, but his interest certainly does seem to gravitate toward science, so my husband, correction, my former husband, and I fostered it ever since he was a tot.” Maggie located the microscope behind the bowling game and under the old hockey gear in the closet.
“I hadn’t realized Billy’s parents were divorced. Not uncommon, I guess, in today’s world,” Calvin casually added as he moved toward the bed stand next to Billy’s bed. From the dark depths in the arm of Calvin’s suit coat, six ants silently emerged into the dimly lit room, dropped down on the bed stand, and began traveling toward Billy’s closet. Calvin stepped back into the center of the room.
“Here you go.” Maggie smiled. “Yep, I’ve learned divorce lurks where you least expect it. Maybe it would help if you could offer some intriguing extra credit projects for Billy. It just may help end the gloom and doom attitude he’s harboring. Billy seems to have lost his enthusiasm for school. It’s something I never thought I’d ever see happening.”
“It’s worth a try. Some sort of recognition in the classroom might help.” Calvin exchanged the small bag of trash for the boxed microscope. “Give me a week or so, and then we’ll set up a conference, and then we can talk about any progress he’s making.”
“Thanks, Mr. Phelps. I think I need an insider at school to help me figure out how to help Billy through all of this. It’s been over a year now, and I truly miss the positive side of Billy’s personality.”
“I’m sure being twelve, you know, the moodiness, and being a new kid trying to fit in, is all part of it. But if you don’t mind his having extra homework, I’ll try to get him more involved.” Calvin carried the box to the door.
“The Science Fair has always been important to Billy, and it’s around the time of the year that they begin working on that. Isn’t it?” Asked Maggie.
“I noticed he has participated in a science fair before. The students are beginning to select partners for their projects. Does Billy have a second microscope here at home?” Calvin casually asked as he carried the box to the door.
“No. I hope you won’t keep it indefinitely. Science is something Billy enjoys. I guess that once curiosity is ignited, there is just no stopping the scientific mind.”
Calvin gave Billy’s mother a practiced smile, “I only need it until I accomplish what I have set out to do. I shouldn’t need it for any extended period.”
“No problem, as long as it’s back when he starts to work on his science fair project. We might have found an answer or at least the start of renewing Billy’s interest in school,” Maggie said with a smile.
She felt encouraged after the science teacher left. The day was progressing nicely. She dropped the garbage in the dumpster with enthusiasm. Just the glimmer of hope that progress might be made with Billy’s attitude about the new school made the day seem brighter.
Maggie arrived at work a full fifteen minutes late, but she could shave that off her lunch hour and make things right. She was well into her workday, and the pile of clutter had multiplied on her desk when she noticed a telephone message from one of the moms who lived at the complex. The office assistant had scrawled it on the phone message pad. “Maggie, my cell phone just went kaput this morning. So have Julie’s, Sandy’s, Dot’s, and Sue’s cell phones. Yours isn’t working either. Think we burned them out calling in about the ants? See you later at the phone store in the mall.”
Maggie checked her cell phone, and it was dead even on the charger. She had a second charger at home, and she decided to try that one after work.
Having to stand in line at the store and delay tonight’s supper didn’t sound appealing. The only extra stop she wanted to make on the way home was to pick up Billy and Matt’s favorite ice creams. Maggie was determined tonight was reserved for family-style fun. She had off from work the following day. The pet shop and phone store were both at the mall, so those errands could wait until tomorrow.