The Choice (29 page)

“In your car,” Ben said, dipping his spoon in his soup bowl.

“And don't worry about getting in trouble with the school administration,” Betsy added. “You've been at the school forever, and everyone in Rutland thinks you're fantastic. I don't think Dr. Vale would cross you.”

Sandy laughed. “I wish that were true, but the key to survival in the school system is learning how to not rock the boat. I teach my English classes, work hard with the cheerleaders, and tutor a few Spanish-speaking students. In those areas I'm bulletproof. Step outside of my bubble, and I could get my hand slapped, or worse.”

“I wouldn't want to take you on in a fight,” Ben said. “Do you remember the time you almost broke my arm when we were arm wrestling?”

“That story gets taller every time you tell it,” Sandy replied with a smile. “What's the name of the lawyer in Tryon? My student needs an answer fast.”

“Jeremy Lane. If you like, I could call him for you tomorrow.”

“What would you tell him?”

“Just some background about you and your student. That way he could decide before you get in your car and drive to Tryon whether he may be able to help.”

“Let him do it,” Betsy said. “If it weren't for you, Ben wouldn't know his right foot from his left.”

“I would have figured it out eventually,” Ben protested.

“But the color coding helped,” Sandy said. “Remember?”

“Yes,” Ben responded dutifully, “blue is left and red is right.”

It was Spirit Week at the school, and the hallways were decorated with banners and posters. Based on her years of seniority as a teacher, Sandy didn't have homeroom responsibilities. There was a knock on the doorframe. It was Carol Ramsey.

“Come in,” Sandy said.

“Good morning,” Carol replied. “I noticed Maria Alverez sitting in your classroom yesterday afternoon. Didn't she have a class?”

“Yes.”

“Why did she come to see you?”

Sandy couldn't dodge a direct question.

“She mentioned that you took her to the health department and wanted her to see an ob-gyn in Atlanta. Did you know she's covered by her father's health insurance policy at work?”

“Really?”

“Yes, she showed me the card.”

“What did you say to her?” Carol asked.

“I mostly listened.”

Carol nodded. “Please keep it that way. I don't want her to receive inconsistent advice.”

“I'm not trying to do your job,” Sandy replied evenly. “I have plenty of responsibilities of my own.”

“I'm sure you do. The police department is going to send out a bilingual female officer to talk to Maria sometime this week. I haven't scheduled an appointment with the clinic in Atlanta.”

“But why go all the way to Atlanta for prenatal care?” Sandy couldn't resist expressing her opinion. “Won't one of the local ob-gyn doctors accept her as a patient? As a juvenile, she should qualify for Medicaid if the pregnancy isn't covered on her father's health insurance at work.”

Carol looked directly at Sandy.

“The doctor in Atlanta is on the staff of a women's health clinic. I think Maria should know about all her options.”

“An abortion clinic?” Sandy felt the blood drain from her face.

“Is one of at least three options Maria should consider. The women's health clinic provides information about resources available for single women who want to raise a child, abortion for those who aren't ready for motherhood, and adoption.”

“Are you going to tell her father about this?”

“It's not necessary at this point. The parental notification requirement isn't triggered until a woman decides to exercise her reproductive rights. I'm surprised you didn't know that. The clinic is a well-respected facility that meets all the state regulatory requirements.”

Sandy didn't like the way Carol was lecturing her. The bell rang, signaling the end of homeroom. In a minute students would start streaming into the classroom.

“Don't forget your commitment to let me do my job,” Carol said. “That means keeping your interaction with Maria inside the proper boundaries. I have Dr. Vale's full support.”

Sandy wanted to ask if Carol had told Dr. Vale she was going to transport a sixteen-year-old student to an abortion clinic in Atlanta without her parent's consent.

Carol left the room. Sandy stared after her, but her mind was filled with the image of Maria, confused and dazed, sitting in a chair as a group of people bombarded her with advice and recommendations that included the death of her unborn baby.

That evening Sandy warmed up a bowl of Betsy's soup. It tasted even better the second day. Her cell phone rang. It was Ben.

“I talked with Jeremy Lane,” Ben said. “He said he'd be glad to meet with you and your student. It turns out his mother helps teenage girls who are pregnant, so he's sympathetic.”

Sandy told Ben about her conversation with Carol Ramsey.

“That hacks me off,” Ben said with an edge in his voice. “You know a lot more than—”

“I'm not trying to get you on my side,” Sandy interrupted. “I know you support me, but I haven't had a chance to think through what I should do, and I didn't see Maria today at school.”

“Do you know where she lives?”

“The trailer park off Haggler Road.”

“That's a rough place. Don't walk around out there in the dark calling her name.”

“I won't. I'll wait to see if she's at school tomorrow.”

“Good. I'll send you a text with Jeremy Lane's contact information.”

Sandy spent a troubled night thinking about Maria. It especially bothered her that the Hispanic girl lacked a supportive family surrounding her. There was no Aunt Linda willing to take her into her home or a wise adoption caseworker like Mrs. Longwell to guide her. Sandy had no idea about Maria's religious or cultural views concerning adoption or abortion. After an hour of tossing and turning, Sandy fell asleep to restless dreams.

When she arrived at school in the morning, she poured herself a cup of coffee in the faculty lounge and headed down the hallway to her classroom. When she turned the corner near her room, she saw Maria leaning against a locker by her door. Sandy hurried toward her.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Maria shook her head. Her hair was disheveled, her clothes wrinkled.

“Do you want to talk?”

“Yes.”

Sandy unlocked the door. There was no way she was going to turn the girl away. As soon as they were inside, Sandy closed the door and locked it. Maria sat down in a chair opposite Sandy's desk.

“What happened?” Sandy asked.

“The police came to our trailer last night. They took my father and the other men to the jail. I ran over to Rosalita's and stayed with her.”

“Why did they arrest your father?”

“I don't know. He showed them his green card, but it did not help. If he does not go to work, he will lose his job.”

Sandy thought about Carol's comment that a criminal violation may have occurred. She leaned forward.

“The police may be asking all the men in the house questions to see which one made you pregnant.”

Maria looked puzzled, so Sandy switched to Spanish.

“Yes, I understand. But why would they take away my father?”

A small wave of relief washed over Sandy. She explained in Spanish why Maria's father had also been arrested. Maria's face paled. She stood up and began to speak rapidly.

“I have to go and tell them. Will you take me? Rosalita is at work.”

Sandy hesitated. She could ask Carol Ramsey to transport Maria to the jail. Another possibility would be to find a teacher who didn't have to teach first period to cover for Sandy.

“Let's see if Ms. Ramsey can take you,” Sandy suggested.

“No, I want you to go with me,” Maria said, shaking her head.

“I have to teach my classes,” Sandy said patiently. “This is something Ms. Ramsey can do for you. It's her job.”

“What if they don't let my father go?”

“Then I'll find a lawyer to represent him.”

Maria seemed to relax a little bit. They went to the counseling offices.

“Wait here,” Sandy said.

She left Maria in the hallway and went to Carol's office. It was empty. Sandy turned away and almost ran into Carol. Sandy quickly explained what had happened.

“Are you behind the arrests?” Sandy asked when she finished.

“I reported what I thought necessary, but I didn't tell the police what to do. I thought an officer was going to interview Maria later this week.”

“She wants to try to get her father released immediately.”

“Then I'll take her to the jail,” Carol responded without hesitation. “And if the arrests are related to my report, maybe I can find out what happened.”

Sandy thought about the lawyer Ben had contacted. It might not be necessary to see him.

“Okay.”

She and Carol walked to the entrance of the school together.

“Ms. Ramsey is going to take you to the jail to find out about your father,” Sandy said to Maria.

“I'm glad to help,” Carol said. “I'll be back in a minute.”

“And I have to teach my class,” Sandy said. She glanced over her shoulder as Carol moved out of earshot. “Come see me later,” she whispered to Maria.

Sandy returned to her classroom. A few minutes later, she saw Maria and Carol leave the campus. They didn't return until shortly before lunchtime. When Sandy entered the cafeteria, she noticed that Carol was sitting alone. Sandy hurriedly went over to her.

“Can we eat together?” Sandy asked.

Carol seemed irritated by the request.

“Yeah, but I'll be here for only a few more minutes.”

Sandy quickly selected her food and returned to the table.

“What happened at the jail?” she asked. “Did the police release Maria's father?”

“For now. It turns out they went to the trailer looking for the man named Bernardo. When he wasn't there, they arrested everyone to see if they could get information about his whereabouts.”

“Why were they looking for Bernardo?”

“I don't know. The detective said it was part of an ‘ongoing investigation.' It didn't have anything to with Maria.”

“Did she meet with an officer?”

“Yes.” Carol looked at Sandy. “And after this morning, I have serious doubts that Maria is competent.”

“Competent?”

“To make decisions in her own best interests. We tried to communicate with her in English and Spanish. Neither worked, so I'm going to have her evaluated.”

“You think she may be mentally incompetent?” Sandy asked, trying to digest Carol's statement.

“It's something I have to consider, given my observations.” Carol took a bite of her salad. “And you're not helping me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Talking to her behind my back. Maria needs to open up with me, but she won't as long as you're manipulating her.”