The Billionaire Band Director

Chapter 26

            “I’m glad you’re all here,” said Martha, smiling at her new class.  

            She really was.  It was her second class of the day.  Her first class had been a world literature class with twenty students.  Since it was a lower level class, students had been moved into the class to make it full.  This class, her magical realism class, was an upper level elective.  Students had been given very little notice that it would be available and yet ten had transferred into it.  Ten is a perfect size for this class, she thought to herself.  Small enough that everyone will be involved in the discussion and big enough that no one will feel too singled out.

            “I know you don’t know much about me or the subject, since we’re both new to the school, but I think we are going to have a great semester together.  In fact, just this morning, I was talking with my mother’s ghost about the reading list for this class.”

            Martha surveyed the room and saw twenty eyes popping.  Good, she thought, they’re all paying attention.

            “Magical realism depicts a realistic view of the world with magical elements added it.  It’s using levitation to fly upwards in a grocery store and find the shortest checkout line, or using telepathy to argue about whose turn it is to take out the trash, or,” Martha smirked at her class, “chatting with a ghost about your plans for the day over a cup of coffee.”

            She had their full attention.  They didn’t need to know that she really had talked to her mother’s ghost this morning.  They wouldn’t believe it anyways.  

            “Magical realism is not fantasy novels that take place in fictional worlds that focus on dragons and adventure.  Magical realism takes place in our world, the real world, and it deals with issues real people can relate to.”

            Martha turned and wrote “Real World” on the whiteboard behind her.  She turned back to her class.

            “It adds in elements of magic or fantasy, but they are not the focus of the story.”

            Martha turned back to the board and added “Magical Elements.”

            “These magical elements are accepted as an expected and even common part of life, like sneezing.  There is typically no explanation of how they work because the narrator perceives them as ordinary.”

            Martha added one more line to the board, “Lack of Explanation.”

            “So, while I might tell you what my mother’s ghost, specifically, looks like, or what we talked about, I would not explain how ghosts work.  In this story, ghosts are assumed to be something normal that everyone already knows about.  This is not a ghost story- it is a story with a ghost in it.”

            She saw that they had all written down what she had up on the whiteboard, but that they were all looking up at her.  She liked that.  

            “We are going to start with a short story by Jorge Luis Borges…”

            Martha started her Spanish language magical realism class and her Latin American literature class the same way, since she decided to start them all with the same short story.  She knew students talked, and she wanted their untainted reactions.  Her world literature classes were starting with the Epic of Gilgamesh, so mentioning her mother’s ghost in those classes would just make her seem crazy.

            She knew it was too early to make a judgment, but Martha was pleased with her students so far.  After her last class of the day, her other world literature class, she retreated to her office.  She left the door open in case any students or other teachers needed to stop by.  She typed detailed notes about what had happened in all of her classes that day.  When she was done, she reviewed her notes on Gilgamesh.  I wonder how many students will make the connection between Utnapishtim and Noah’s Ark on their own, she wondered.  She guessed it would be several.  Although it was only the first day, she could tell that there were a lot of smart kids in her classes.

            Martha’s musings were interrupted by the vibration of her phone.  A notification told her she had a text message from Landry.

            “Successful first day?”

            “Not fired yet, to the best of my knowledge.” Martha wrote back.

            Landry’s response was almost immediate.

            “Sounds like something to celebrate.  May I bring you and Josie dinner tonight?”

            Just then Josie showed up in the door of Martha’s office.

            “Done for the day?” Martha asked.

            “Yup!” said Josie.  “Ready when you are!”

            Martha threw Gilgamesh into her big leather purse.  She picked up her phone and remembered she had a response to send.

            “Hey, do you want Mr. LeBlanc to come over for dinner tonight?” Martha asked Josie.

            “Uh, YES! Of course!” squealed Josie. 

            Martha smiled and quickly wrote back to Landry that they would love to have dinner with him.  She left with Josie, locking her office door behind hear, and they walked back towards Dahlia house.