Chapter 6 A slight chance

Chapter Six

While the kids were in physical education, Clara graded papers at her desk. She looked at the withered roses, their petals falling haphazardly to the vase's bottom. She now felt as though she was a wilted rose, with fragments of her life constantly falling away. Nelson Williams kept coming to mind, and she wondered why he had not bothered to get in touch with her despite sending her roses. But why should he? She had, after all, crept out of the lounge to keep from running into him again.

Her students were at music when her friend Jonny burst in for a brief conversation.

Jonny threw the classified section of the newspaper on her lap and exclaimed, "Look at this, Clara." "I believe I have resolved your issue."

Clara chuckled. Jonny was constantly trying to solve everyone's problems. he enjoyed challenges, particularly those that were not personal to her and did not require her to become emotionally invested. "So, what am I meant to observe?" Clara asked, running her eyes down the columns.

"That is the one I marked for you," Jonny pointed.

Clara read, Preschool Facility for Sale.

She gave Jonny a quick look. "A daycare? You have got to be insane. Unaware of how carefully Jonny had considered it, she remarked, "That would tie me down more than I am now." She had an incredible mind, and although she wouldn't admit it, an extremely high I.Q.

"No, it won't. Just listen to me a minute. Just stop and think. There must be a small room somewhere you can turn into a tiny apartment for your parents. They'd be right there with you and you could look in on them any time you felt like it."

Jonny's remark grabbed Clara's attention, and she was thoughtful before she replied. Taking her parents to work with her everyday would be the perfect solution to silencing her constant fear that her mother might fall, or perhaps something worse could happen. "You've got a point there, but it must cost a fortune. I could never afford something like that. Anyway, how do we know it's a good investment?"

"Read the rest of the advertisement," Jonny Prompted. "It says the daycare is still under operation with an established enrollment, and the staff would consider staying on with the new owner. It sounds perfect to me. You could look out for your parents and still have an income."

"I'll think about it," Clara informed Jonny without any intention of doing so. The cost of such an adventure would be prohibitive for her with her meager funds. Yet, being able to take her parents to work with her was an arresting thought. That part seemed an excellent advantage. It would solve present problems and those later on as her parents' conditions worsened.

"You can do it, Clara," Jonny encouraged, backing toward the door. You've got business skills you learned in your father's business during your summer breaks from school before he retired. Give them a call. It won't cost a thing to find out about it. See you," she said, and was gone, leaving her innovative idea pounding Clara's overworked thoughts.

While she was thinking about the benefit of being able to bring her parents to work with her, Clara tore out the advertisement and placed it in her wallet at the end of the workday. Perhaps Jonny was correct. Perhaps something had to change.

She looked at the withered roses as she prepared to leave her classroom. The story of my life, she thought.

Her mind trailed to the night she met Nelson Williams. It was just one more petal of her life dropping away. She grabbed the vase off the desk and dumped its contents in the trashcan.

All the way home, the ad about the daycare drew her thoughts. The mere idea of being able to take her parents to work with her daily had a peaceful quality. Looking for solutions to her problems and heavy burdens never ceased. Like Trudy, she began to see the value in such an arrangement that a daycare might offer. When she arrived home and found her mom and dad napping, she picked up the phone and called. Like Jonnysaid, the call wouldn't cost a thing.

She must have talked for a good twenty minutes with the owner.

"Miss Dalton, my wife and I have been running the nursery for twenty years. We've made a good living here and managed to save a healthy retirement nest egg. Now, we want to do some traveling before we get too old to enjoy it. We're selling below appraisal price in hopes of a quick sale. Do you mind telling me why you're willing to give up a good teaching job to take on the burden of a business?"

"My parents are disabled and I thought I could create a dayroom for them so I can watch them while I'm working. I refuse to put them in a nursing home."

"You sound like a wonderful daughter. There is an addition in back that would be perfect for a dayroom. My wife and I are honest folks and we would never try to deceive anyone. A business has its share of problems, but I can honestly say we've been fortunate to have a good enrollment that has grown rather than dwindled. Parents want to know their children are safe and we've provided that peace of mind for them."

"What terms are involved?" Clara inquired. She thought of her parents' savings and wondered if she dared risk spending it.

"With a decent amount down, I'm willing to finance the rest for a point lower than the bank would charge on interest. We could work out a payment plan that would be suitable to you. You're welcome to see our books."

It all sounded too good to be true. Clara's concerns about leaving her parents alone would be resolved and spare her the painful stress she was forever under when she wasn't with them.

"I think I'd like to do that. Is tomorrow after school alright?" she asked and received an affirmative reply. When she hung up the phone she wondered if she was losing her mind to even consider such a thing.

She was glad she had worked with her dad. She had often worked on his account books and understood them well. She would be able to tell if the purchase would be too risky to make. She wished she could consult with him now about such a venture.

After making dinner for her parents and doing her evening chores at home, which included grading papers, Clara crawled in bed, too wound up to sleep. An inner voice encouraged her to consider the daycare. Another voice warned her it was risky business.

She was reminded of an old adage about swimming or sinking. If she sank, they all would drown. Her parents' savings would go toward the down payment and would be nothing less than disastrous if something went wrong. What if she couldn't pay the mortgage on the daycare? What would she do then? Worrisome thoughts kept her tumbling restlessly.