Chapter 2

An “Ah Ha” Moment

Jettison put on his bathrobe and wandered down to the kitchen for a bowl of cereal. Dove was already there peeling a banana with a glass of milk at her elbow.  He grunted his hello and then moved toward the cabinet.  Dove took a bite of banana, chewed, took a drink and then spoke.

“The cereal’s on the top shelf…the box you got doesn’t fit the usual place.”

Jettison pursed his lips at the accusation.  He always got the wrong size, the wrong shape, or the wrong color. He reached up, grabbed the oversized box (which had been on sale) and then rummaged around another shelf looking for a bowl. Dove took another bite of banana and spoke through her chews. “Kiddo broke the last one this morning…In stead of carrying it to the sink like a normal kid, he threw it.  He wanted to see if it would fly -  like a Frisbee.”

Jettison snatched a soup cup off the shelf and poured out his cereal making a large mound. Dove watched as she took the last bite of her banana. ”You know…there’s no room for the milk now.”

Jettison nearly took the door off the refrigerator as he swung it open looking for the milk.  The gallon was right there in front of him, but with only a fifth of an inch of milk in it.  Dove swallowed the last of her milk.  “I told you to get four gallons.  Tasha and Kiddo seem to live off milk these days.”  Jettison started to pour his cereal back in the box, his hands were shaking.  Dove walked out of the room and came back with a gallon wrapped in her arms.  She walked over to her husband, kissed him on the cheek and passed the milk into his hands. “I hid it in the freezer so you’d have some tonight.  It’s not frozen…I checked.” She turned to walk away but Jettison spoke up.

“Thank you.  It’s been a rough day.”

Dove leaned against the counter but didn’t say anything.  Jettison poured the milk into his bowl and took a bit, chewed and then began.  “I hate teaching.”  He stirred his cereal into the milk and then reached for the sugar. “I shouldn’t say that…after all I’ve been a teacher long enough to know that it isn’t all about “Ah Ha” moments.  But you know, its been so long.  Lord Almighty, it has been so long since anyone had an “Ah, Ha” moment. But all I ever seem to do is corral angry, impudent, unruly kids while the good ones wait and wait and wait and I hardly ever get to them.  It’s awful.  I do everything but teach.  I hate it.”

Dove sighed as she moved into the living room.  “Ah, I know what you mean.”