Chapter 3 - A Better Day - A Steemit Exclusive Novel #Bruh

A Steemit Exclusive Novel. Click here for Chapters 1 & 2 . Follow for upcoming chapters, exclusively on Steemit!

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Chapter 3: A Better Day

Siri, call Bella.

Elnora watched the little green pulse flash across her iPhone screen as she waited at the stop light, several blocks from her school.

Calling Bella now

The digital Siri on her phone spoke to her in a deep, British male voice. That always brought a smile to her face. It didn't today though. At the moment, all she could think of were her students. She still couldn't believe she had walked out of giving the state test to her class. It all happened so fast. One minute she was reading the boring test admin script and the next minute she was face up to the sun, locked out.

Mom, are you ok?

Bella's voice echoed through the speakers of Elnora's smart car. Her daughter had answered the phone quickly and concerned. Bella knew her mother was giving the state test today. They had spoke on the phone until late last night. Her mom had been up until almost 2 am, procrastinating sleep, a typical reaction of theirs to anxiety. They called it 'biking it' after a cute story of an occasion when Bella forgot her bike somewhere and procrastinated for years before finally going back to retrieve it. Elnora was certainly biking sleep last night and today she was biking the reality of what she just did. Her first call should have been to her school principal.

I just quit.

Elnora spoke plainly and without emotion.

What??? You quit what, Mom??

Bella had been sleeping when she rolled over and saw her mom's number on her cell phone. She was wide awake now.

My job, Bella. I just quit my job. I walked out during the test.

That last sentence got to Elnora and she began to sob. She pulled her car into the parking lot of a grocery store and put it into park. The tears just came. Elnora didn't even know where she was driving. She had to pull herself together.

Mom, are you alright?

The fear in her daughter's voice shook her out of her sobs. She took a deep breath.

I'm OK, Bella. Just crazy. I just got fed up with it all. I couldn't stand there and give that test one more time. I couldn't just look those kids in the face and know they didn't have a chance against a rigged system. I was suffocating in there. I had to leave.

Elnora and her daughter knew it was true. She had spent many years of her career fighting school boards, state legislators, senators, heck, even a Secretary of Education or President, or two. She been through successes and failures; from the feeling like she made a difference to the dark, deep realization that she could only trust a small few, if any, in a world centered around politics and money. Elnora had certainly suffered some retaliation over the years. It quieted her. Her activism was crushed by the hard hand of opposition. She didn't have the money or heart to fight the huge corporate interests who didn't care for a small town teacher chirping the truth one tweet at a time. So, several years back, Ms. Elnora Sandy, went silent.

This morning, she broke that silence. Her daughter's voice echoed through her car:

Meh, screw that job.

Elnora chuckled. She knew her creative little millennial daughter was already scouring social media looking for signs of anything about it and had just stumbled across her mom's early morning test rant tweet.

Yea. You saw that, huh?

Her daughter persisted,

Seriously, mom. It is about time. Forget about it. You should have left long ago. I know you love it and you love your students, I know, Mom, I was in your class. You are a great teacher. But, seriously, Mom, you've been teaching 28 years and I still make more money than you my first year out of college. It's crazy, Mom. It's about time you retired. You have lots of opportunities ahead of you. We've talked about this!

Elnora knew she was right. Bella hit every argument right on the mark. And, she was also right that Elnora and her daughter had spoke of all this. They often discussed her opportunities after retirement.

You can write another book, Mom. Write about this. Tell your story, Mom. And, Steemit. Come on, Mom. For real? You have an even higher rep on Steemit than me - you could definitely turn that into some income. Seriously, Mom. Think about it. You've been wanting this.

Elnora knew her daughter was making sense. She looked up and glanced around the parking lot. It was early morning and people were strolling casually into the grocery store. Elnora thought to herself, so this is what people do during the day?. She rolled down her window and breathed in the fresh air. Her daughter was right. She was feeling better already.

What about the test, though, Bella? I just left those kids

There was a bit of a silence. The pause grew and so did the dread in Elnora's stomach.

Mom, you know that saying you have been writing on the board at the front of your classroom for the last 20 odd years?

Elnora smiled. The leaves of a nearby tree shook in the wind and one drifted down onto the front windshield of her car.

Tomorrow is always a better day.

They both said it together. Elnora pulled her car out of park and headed home. Her daughter was right. She would find a way. Her next tomorrow just started today.

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