100- Caroline's Absense

I stayed awake all last night, wondering about Demarcus and his mother. Were they able to sleep at the church again? How will they get food? Will they ever find a home?
To add to my worry, Caroline has not yet returned to work from the holiday. It is unlike her to be absent so many days in a row, and I began to fear that her family also suffered a tragedy. My concerns sparked me to visit Principal during my Planning Period.
“Hello, Sweet- Pea.” Principal warmly welcomed me into her office.
Her casual attitude made me feel agitated. Doesn’t she realize the sadness all around us? I forced a smile and took a seat in a pink arm chair. “I won’t keep you long,” I bumbled. For some reason, Principal always makes me feel a little nervous, “I just wanted to ask about Caroline. Have you heard from her? She’s been out for so long…”
“Humph.” Principal frowned and looked down at her desk.
This frightened me. Principal never frowns. “Is she okay?” I prodded.
Slowly, Principal answered. “Well, yes. Caroline is fine. She… she just…”
Spit it out, lady!
“…she just decided to take a couple more days off. Caroline will be back soon.”
If everything is okay, why do you look so uncomfortable?
I could tell that Principal was keeping something from me. I know I wasn’t going to get anything more from her, so I quit asking questions and thanked her for her time. As I left the office, I swear I heard Principal release a sigh of relief.
My suspicions were answered when I entered the Teacher’s Lounge. Draped over the copy machine were several gossip vultures. Their voices were hushed and their eyes were shiny.
“Can you believe it? How embarrassing!” One of them said.
“Oh, lord,” Exclaimed another, shaking her head, “They have only been married three years!”
A third gossip addict chimed in, “I always thought that Viamonte was a little trampy. Caroline ought to beat her ass.”
Viamonte. Caroline. Beat her ass?
For the first time all year, I was interested in what the scandalmongers had to say. “What are you all talking about? What happened with Caroline and Ms. Viamonte?”
The group grew silent and stared at me. They seized me up, deciding if I were gossip worthy.
“Come on,” I whispered in a sisterly voice, “I won’t tell, I promise!” To prove my allegiance to the scandalous clique, I smiled brightly and put my finger to my lips.
Just spill the beans!
True to their busybody natures, the teachers were easily won over. “Oh! My! God! You haven’t heard?” Gushing with elation, the group proceeded to inform me that Caroline had caught her husband, Mark, in bed with Ms. Viamonte over the Christmas break.
“Viamonte hired Mark to paint her house, but apparently there was a lot more than painting going on! Eh! Eh!” One of the teachers nudged me. “You know what I mean?”
The group giggled. I nodded.
“They’ve been having an affair?” I asked dumbly.
“Oh, yeah. Apparently, their little rendezvous has been going on for months. Caroline’s furious. She’s filing for divorce and is threatening to quit if Principal doesn’t fire Viamonte…”
“…but,” another teacher chimed in, “Principal can’t just fire Viamonte. She has no reason. So, we,” the teacher gestured to the group, “We are going to force the tramp out!”
Force Viamonte out? Like some kind of teacher militia?
I left the Teacher’s Lounge in a daze.
Poor Caroline! She lost her husband, and may lose her job. Should I have told her? I’ve known for months and didn’t say anything!
I thought teaching Elementary School would be all about roses and sunshine.