Part 17

Part 17 Ghosts in the Mirror

It is now Tuesday morning. My first day back at work in a while. I feel shaky and I stare into the mirror (“I look like a ghost”, I remark to my wife). Becah says I look fine. I carry Bree who is half asleep to the couch and tuck her in to sleep some more before I go to the office. Everyone greets me affectionately at work. Shortly after I arrive, we lose power in our section of the school. A lady is yelling at an assistant principal who confiscated her son’s cell phone because he was texting in class, and a fifteen dollar payment will be required before it will be returned.

That evening at home is marred by dramatic confrontations with Bree over her inappropriate dressing for cold weather – much of the time she is sent to spend in her room. G G is here for the last night for a while. Dinner (tostados) again doesn’t taste good. As is becoming predictable, sleep is disturbed, with hourly awakenings and dry throat.

The groggy, dry-mouthed morning is at my doorstep all too soon. Although the granola for breakfast flops, I finish the scrambled eggs. Despite my lack of enthusiasm for driving to work, a big surprise grabs me as I enter my office. Wrapped elegantly is a huge basket of gifts, including a big card with Mickey Mouse on the cover, signed with comments, prayers, and well wishes by staff members. The big hit is an autographed live CD by Peter Noone (former child star and vocalist of the once and still performing Herman’s Hermits). Sharon, a teacher and self-proclaimed “Noonatic” follows him on tours and got him to sign a CD for me when she caught a recent show of his at Disney World. The high school student are leaving early today after finals, and administrators are treating everyone to a catered lunch from Carrabas Italian restaurant. Normally I would be all over this, but my mouth is not normal, so I go home to rest instead.

I awake the next morning somewhat more refreshed (because I was able to sleep for two successive hours without awakening) to be greeted by a slightly warmer, rainy day. More blood work at the treatment center, as CNN displays the horrible scenes of earthquake devastation in Haiti. I struggle with my mood returning to the office, where I attempt to do a large amount of work in preparation for the many days I will be incapacitated (the students are again out early for finals and fortunately I am not tied up in meetings for the afternoon). Back at home, tensions escalate, with the kids crying frequently and Becah experiencing the anxiety that will only accelerate in the coming days.

After a slight improvement in sleep I awake the next morning and moisturize my dry mouth with a gel, improving my oral situation while still adjusting to taste problems. I work at the office, with students out today with teachers attending inservices. My medical insurance company rears its ugly head and I must wrestle with who has what payment obligations. I realize now the real reason not to have medical procedures is the financial rather than physical discomfort. Leaving the office later in the afternoon, I play “Daydream Believer” by the Monkees and find that I am still capable of experiencing moments of genuine happiness.