A Flower for Angela (13 page)

"But as you've seen from the students’ work,” Dr. Wheeler spoke up, "Miss Stuart has also included math, writing and reading within the unit."

"Remember the girls measuring their plants?" Angela jumped back into the discussion. Surely he would relate to this. "They also wrote their data in their notebooks and they read books and magazine articles about plant life because they wanted to understand what was happening."

"Traditional classes read articles, write answers and measure," Ricardo pointed out. "I don't see much difference."

Puzzled, Angela studied him. Surely he'd observed the process. They'd even discussed it at length. "These students do it individually. They search the information for their own use rather than following a forced reading assignment."

"If the teacher doesn't assign the work, how do they know if their students have read the necessary material?"

Willing herself to be calm, Angela took a deep breath. Again Ricardo's attitude baffled her. For someone who had insisted he possessed an open mind and a willingness to be objective, he was acting annoyingly obtuse. What kind of game was he playing?

"If you noticed, in our library there are at least a hundred books, magazines and pamphlets available on the different aspects of environment that we're studying. The students use them to find answers to their questions."

"That still doesn't mean a child of this age will be able to read them."

For a brief moment, when he rubbed his fingers against his forehead, Angela thought Ricardo might be suffering from a headache. Maybe that was why he seemed to question every practice she’d described. But the cool stare he leveled at her made it clear he knew exactly what he was doing.

The suit instilled a sense of professionalism but hadn’t given her as much confidence as she’d hoped it would when she chose to wear it that morning. Now, only her conviction in her beliefs could really do that.

“The children are participating in activities, Mr. de la Cruz." She punctuated each word with chilling clarity. "Their interest motivates them. In the case of their plants, they wanted to find information that would explain why they grew or died."

"How can you be sure they truly understand what they read?" He rapped out the question as if he had a whole battery in store.

"By their conversation and by the notes they take.” Angela snapped.

Each loaded question Ricardo asked further fueled her anger. Looking around her at the supportive faces of her colleagues, she struggled to defuse her temper to no avail.

"Would you excuse us for a moment?" she asked the group. "I need to confer with Mr. de la Cruz in private." She cast a cool glance at Ricardo. "Shall we?" She gestured at the door.

Ricardo preceded her into the corridor. Before she could follow, Dr. Wheeler grasped her wrist.

"You're doing fine," she assured her. Angela looked up to find the others nodding their assent. Their confidence in her boosted her sagging morale. She smiled before following Ricardo out the door.

CHAPTER 8

CLOSING THE DOOR behind her, Angela stepped into the hall and planted herself in front of Ricardo.

"What are you trying to do to me now?"

She stood with hands on her hips, aggressive and on the attack.

"You were the one who set up this conference," Ricardo defended.

"And you agreed to cooperate."

"I'm here." He looked truly puzzled, but Angela didn't let that fool her one bit. Ricardo de la Cruz was much too clever and manipulative to be confused.

"And I'm wondering why." She shook her head. "You don't appear to be hearing a word I say."

"What are you talking about?" He reached for her but Angela dodged him.

"You know very well, Ricardo de la Cruz, what I’m talking about. Every point I make, you argue with. You sound as if you don't believe I know what I'm doing in that classroom. You know better—you've seen me."

"Angela, Angela." He stepped forward in a swift motion to capture her shoulders in his hands.

She fought the arousal this created and scowled at him. "Don't touch me."

"I'm trying to help you."

"Some help. You doubt every statement I make."

His next move startled her. He stuffed his hands in his pants pockets, rocked back on his heels and burst out laughing. Shocked, Angela stared at him.

"Is that what's bothering you? Don't you see what I'm doing?"

"You're trying to discredit me.”

"No." He reached for her, but again Angela sidestepped him. He could charm her into believing anything if he touched her. "I'm playing devil's advocate. If you present the whole language process to the public, they're going to raise the same questions I have."

He was right. She could picture her school board doing exactly that. Did Ricardo plan to present this to the board after all?

"I need to see that you can defend yourself," he reasoned. "I need layman's explanations for what I saw. I spent four days in your room and I saw what your students could do, but I need to comprehend the theory behind your success."

She looked at him then, searching the depths of his eyes for the truth of his words.

"Do you understand now?” Reaching out, he took her arm. When she didn't pull away, he slid his fingers down to capture hers.

Angela held onto his hand as if to a lifeline. "Ask your questions.” She took a deep breath to strengthen her bravado. "I'll do my best to clarify our position."

"That's all I want."

Footsteps sounded in the hall. Angela glanced up to see Cathy Jones approaching. Quickly, she pulled her hand from Ricardo's, but the way the woman stared at them, Angela knew she'd seen.

"I thought you were in a big meeting this afternoon." Cathy raised an eyebrow.

Cathy's question filled Angela with a sense of foreboding. "It's still going on."

"Is Mrs. Edwards in there?"

Angela nodded, disliking the way the other teacher’s gaze traveled speculatively between her and Ricardo. "Do you need to talk to her?"

"It can wait. I'll see her later. Lupe and I need to discuss some plans with her." Her voice turned sugary. "After she's finished with you."

Impatiently, Angela shifted toward the door of the conference room. "We've got to get back. Excuse us."

Ricardo guided her back inside where all eyes riveted on the two of them.

"Just a meeting of the minds." Angela smiled, trying to ease the situation.

"More like a clash," quipped Dr. Wheeler. "Bound to happen when two people as strong and determined as you are collide."

Ricardo laughed, his genuine appreciation of good humor lacing his tone. "She is imposing."

"Don't we know it," the science professor added with good-natured regret. "We've gone several rounds with her ourselves while defending our theories against her practical knowledge."

"Which is what I'd like to ask you about." Ricardo brought the discussion back to base with his expertise as an interviewer.

For the next two hours, they reviewed the edited tapes and discussed the theory behind each scene. The professors backed Angela with research data. Mrs. Edwards assured Ricardo of the positive reaction from parents. Angela drew on knowledge she wasn't even aware she had acquired to respond to the continual barrage.

Ricardo’s questions were pointed and astute. Now that Angela no longer felt threatened by them, she could see how they revealed the theory and basis for her methods. Her respect for him rose another notch.

She smiled and continued, "The students' high achievements are partly due to their teacher's expectations. Just as we know all children learn to talk, we
know
that they can also learn to read and write. We don't limit them by assuming that because they're Spanish speaking or because they live in the
barrio
, they won't succeed."

She turned abruptly and faced Ricardo. He shifted in his chair as if caught daydreaming. Surely he was listening?

Dr. Wheeler added, “I regularly see students in other schools who don't try because they don't believe they can succeed."

"I've been in classes," another professor spoke up, “where students are continually told by their teachers that they're in the ‘low’ group or the ‘slow’ group."

While the professors continued to debate, Angela studied Ricardo, wanting to trace her finger along his jaw. Then he looked up and their glances met. A cough brought her up with a start. She tore her eyes away from him and gazed at Dr. Wheeler.

"I can see your point," Ricardo interjected. "But how can we alter these ingrained beliefs about failure?”

Dr. Wheeler responded and Angela smiled in thanks. In her opinion, that represented the primary advantage of the whole language method. After Dr. Wheeler finished, she leaned toward Ricardo for emphasis and spoke in an excited voice, "Success and pride in their work motivate the children to want to learn even more."

Ricardo sat back, enjoying Angela's enthusiasm. In spite of exhaustion that etched tiny lines around her eyes, they sparkled with animation.

He wondered how secure she was personally. He had the feeling that she wasn't so self-assured in her intimate life. He longed to find out.

Shifting in his seat, he tried to concentrate on her words. It was too easy to be distracted by the movement of her moist lips, by her graceful hand gesturing in emphasis and the flowery fragrance that drifted his way whenever she moved.

"Using their own language and experiences encourages pride of their culture and position in society." Angela explained.

Dr. Wheeler cleared her throat and Ricardo swiveled around to face her. As she remarked, “You ought to appreciate that, being Hispanic yourself," he remembered the humiliation he had once felt because of his accent and his determination to rid himself of it. Although he loved his family, he had still been deeply ashamed of his Chicano heritage.

If he'd grown up proud of the traditions of his people, he might not have built such a wall around his inner feelings. Yet that toughness had brought him to where he was today. Obtaining fluency in English and gaining knowledge of "the system" had been absolute essentials.

"The students
need
to learn English," he said with conviction.

"That is definitely encouraged," Angela assured him. "And they do learn English. But they do so with pride in being able to speak two languages rather than being embarrassed that they speak Spanish."

Suddenly the image of an English teacher he had had in his freshman year at the university came to mind. She had made him feel good about being bilingual. Due to her influence and nurturing of Ricardo's lost sense of pride, he'd set out in a new direction toward a successful career. Yet, in all these years, he'd never before given the credit to that instructor. When he thought about it now, he could see that her true dedication had been a major influence in his life. Angela was such a teacher—one who would affect others in a similar way.

Ricardo appreciated the quality that drove her to care for her students. His admiration for her generous and giving nature grew deeper the longer he knew her. She had gained his respect and friendship, elements that—for the first time in his life—he felt were essential to his interest in a woman.

BY FIVE, everyone in the conference room was exhausted. Ricardo felt as if he'd been blitzed with a full college curriculum in the space of a few hours. In fact, he supposed he had been. Rubbing the back of his neck, he stood to stretch his legs, stalling for a moment to gather his thoughts before presenting the anxious group with his reaction.

All eyes—tired, yet attentive—were upon him. But he was only aware of Angela's gaze. He looked at her and smiled.

"What you've discussed today, in combination with my observations of Angela's classroom, has been impressive."

Several sets of shoulders, including Angela’s, sagged in relief.

Dr. Wheeler spoke up. "It's revolutionizing education, although the system has been slow in accepting it. Students do respond to the whole language approach. It stimulates their minds and instills in them a love of reading and research."

When Dr. Wheeler paused, Angela continued, "The main problem, now, is changing the thinking of teachers and parents. We adults are the products of the old, traditional system. It's hard for us to understand how this process can work."

Ricardo reacted defensively to what she said at first, but realizing he'd been guilty of exactly what she'd described, he admitted to the group, "I thought I was open-minded about education, but, until now, I couldn't even see how rigid my ideas were."

"Don't feel discouraged," Dr. Wheeler assured him. "Even we have trouble assimilating it completely."

"It's also why we have so much difficulty with implementing the program," another professor added. "Teachers like Angela help us prove what can be done with the whole language approach."

"Seeing is believing." Dr. Wheeler added.

The last comment sparked an idea in Ricardo. Perhaps he could be of help. "Would you give me permission to polish the editing on this tape and combine it with a voice-over explanation of your theory?"

Angela's eyes narrowed. "What for?"

"I might be able to devise a tool you can use when presenting your theory."

Dr. Wheeler insisted, "We'd want input."

"Of course. Angela can help me and you can preview the film before it’s a wrap." There wouldn't be any problem finding time to get together with Angela. He'd already planned ahead on that score.

In spite of their exhaustion, enthusiasm spurred the group to participate in another half-hour of discussion until, weary but hopeful, they finally adjourned the meeting.

Ricardo went immediately to Angela's side, ready to whisk her away from the others. As far as he was concerned, his so-called private investigation was over. Now he was ready for a personal quest.

But before he could steer Angela away, Mrs. Edwards confronted her. "We need to talk, Angela. I'll call you later."

Ricardo groaned when he saw the puzzled expression on Angela's face.
Don't ask now
, he silently ordered.

The side door opened and the two teachers who'd introduced themselves in Angela's room approached. He groaned again, impatient to leave.

"Lupe, Cathy," Angela acknowledged their presence, her tone oddly strained.

"How'd everything go?" the tall one asked Angela.

"Fine. If you'll excuse us, we were just leaving."

Her chilly tone and abrupt dismissal startled Ricardo. He wasn't about to complain, however. Eagerly, he followed Angela as she thanked the professors and then hurried out the door. When they were finally outside, he guided her to his car.

"What was that last bit all about?"

"You don't want to know. Talking about those two will make me grumpy, and I'm too tired to even be that."

Ricardo chuckled as he helped her settle into the seat. She was touchy at this time of day. He'd have to do something to remedy that. All sorts of ideas came to mind.

He slid into the driver's side and reached across to cup Angela's cheek before starting the engine. "Alone at last."

"And Friday night at that." Angela smiled as she fastened her belt.

The weekend he'd been dreaming about all week was here at last. He'd made dinner reservations, but for a brief moment he was tempted to take her to his home and start right there.
No. First things first.
He put the Ferrari in gear and headed out of the parking lot.

"What did you think of today's discussion?" Angela asked him as he wove in and out of the Friday night traffic.

"No you don't," he cast a critical glance her way. "You promised me the weekend, and we don't talk shop on time off."

"But, Ricardo—” she laughed “—I'm dying to know."

Ricardo gripped the steering wheel. From her laughter, he knew she thought he was teasing her. But even if he wanted to, he couldn't tell her his response. Besides, he had other things on his mind. "We'll go over it all later, when we view the videos."

"You're serious, aren't you?" she observed.

"Never more so," he assured her. He could feel her studying his profile and sought to distract her. "How does dinner and dancing at The Matador sound?"

"Sure. They serve good Mexican food there."

He preferred to anticipate the weekend awaiting them. As he pulled up in front of the Matador, he realized this would be their first intimate time together and he vowed it would be memorable for them both.

RICARDO SWERVED the sleek Ferrari into the long, curved driveway. He had always admired the elegant grandeur of the old mansions along the city's exclusive central corridor. He loved living in the area. Even though his house was considerably smaller than those surrounding it, the structure was built in the same architectural style.