Loving Eleanor(BWWM)

Chapter Two

Location: New Haven, Connecticut
Date: August 15th, 1949
Name: Stephen Dale Curtis
Age: thirty-nine

"What a day," Dale said as he warmed up his dinner on the stove. He taught three English classes at the university, but he only had two on Mondays. English Literature, however, was taught five days a week. He enjoyed every second of it though, English was his passion.

Once his food was warm, he took a plate from the cabinet and took it to the living room. A sense of peace washed over him at the serene feeling in his quiet home as he ate.

He lived alone and he was never married. He found that the common denominator in the women back home in Jackson, along with New Haven, was that they were all docile and whiny. Two traits that he found unbearable and unattractive.

He was content with being alone until he found a woman he could cherish without her getting on his nerves.

The radio came on out of the blue and Ernest Tubb began singing, Dale took it as a note to plan his class for the morning. "Shucks," He muttered as he thought of the smart-mouth colored woman. She was already a pain.

He didn't want to see her homework in the morning, he always had trouble understanding gibberish, and he was sure that her work would be sloppy. She would fail his class for sure, he would make sure of it.

-

The next morning, Eleanor was wide awake and ready to show her oaf of a Professor her homework.

"Hazie, darling, how did you sleep?" Leroy, her father, asked as she exited the bathroom.

Eleanor walked to the dining room and pressed a kiss onto her father's cheek. "Good morning," She answered and sat next to her mother. "I slept fine," She said and put some bacon on her plate.

"Did you manage to complete your paper?" Mildred asked kindly and took a sip of her coffee.

Eleanor nodded and continued eating her breakfast. She didn't want to think about her paper, not until she got off the bus and into her classroom.  She wanted to have peace of mind.

"I'm headed off to work now. Would you like me to drop you at school, Hazie?" Leroy asked once he finished his breakfast.

Eleanor shook her head and swallowed her grits. "I'm quite fine with catching the bus. Have a great day at work though, daddy!" She responded with a warm smile.

Mildred rose from her seat and walked Leroy to the door.

"You save some lives today, Dr. Bush. Pray for your sweet girl as well, I believe that her Professor will give her some more trouble today," She whispered and checked his collar for any dirt.

Leroy wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I love you, my sweet attentive wife. I will pray for her," He murmured and released her. "I should be home before dinner," Leroy mentioned and walked out of the door.

Mildred watched her husband back out of the driveway and once he was down the road, she went back to the dining room.

"It's getting late, you don't want to be late to class," Mildred informed her daughter while clearing the table.

Eleanor tried to smile at her mother, but she wasn't feeling it. She wanted to drop out of English Literature and find a different English class, but she didn't want Professor Curtis to feel like he won.

"I know it's hard to deal with a difficult teacher, but I know that you can do it. Go get dressed and show your Professor that you're a smart and excellent young woman and student." Mildred said, trying to offer some encouragement to Eleanor.