Lenny Marks seldom found herself unprepared. Lessons for her grade five students were religiously compiled a fortnight in advance, her tax return would be ready to submit no later than the fifteenth of July every year and her home fire escape plan was reviewed and updated each summer.
Lenny knew the location of both of Selby South Primary School’s defibrillators and exactly how to use them, she serviced her bicycle regularly to keep it in prime shape and carried a bottle opener on her set of keys despite never – as yet – needing it. She found tremendous peace in this level of organisation, which was as close to happiness as Lenny Marks ever planned to be.
Happiness, she knew, was unstable and quite unreliable. And Lenny was neither of those things. Instead she aimed for the contentment of a routine, which had served her quite well up to and into her thirty-seventh year.
And still, despite knowing exactly what her Monday morning should contain, Lenny now found herself under the unexpected and interrogating gaze of Mrs Finlay, office administration. The clock had barely ticked over 8 am and Lenny had only just turned her teapot the requisite three times – the way her grandmother had taught her, despite it apparently not making a jot of difference to the taste – when Mrs Finlay bustled in to disturb the good order of things.
‘So, is it a secret husband?’ Mrs Finlay asked, eyes alarmingly wide and voice predictably loud.
‘Is what?’ Lenny asked.
‘Well, it’s addressed to Helena Winters. And I didn’t know who that was. A mistake, I thought, and was going to send it back return to sender. But Lora said, “That’s no mistake, that’s Lenny Marks.”’
Lenny read the front of the envelope: Helena Winters. A name from long ago and of a girl she thought she’d left well and truly behind.
She didn’t reply, which failed to slow Mrs Finlay. Lenny cast her eyes around, hoping the other occupants of the staffroom were not listening. It was fairly clear they were. Or at least Kirra Reid, grade four, was. Kirra dallied over the instant hot water tap a few moments too long. It was instant hot water after all, and there was no need to wait for it to boil; it wasn’t a lengthy task. Deidre Heffernan, grade two, on the other hand, was poring over the form guide – as per usual – and had not even registered there were other people in the same space as her.
‘And I thought to myself, I never knew Lenny was married. How interesting. Isn’t it?’
‘Isn’t what?’
‘That you’ve been married?’
‘I haven’t,’ Lenny replied, lowering her voice. Lenny deplored other people knowing her business and felt anxiety growing at the thought of being the subject of office scuttlebutt.
Leave a Reply