It was 3 pm, and I was ready to leave the station to check the situation in one of the most crime-ridden places in town.
My office phone rang. I said, "Hello, how can I help you?"
A woman's voice sounded tense, "I am not sure if I dialed the correct number, but I urgently need a policeman. My former husband is outside the door and threatens to break in. I am scared."
"Ma'am, you dialed a police captain. Give me your name and address, and I'll send a squad car to your house."
"My name is Thelma Marshall, and I live at 256 East Park Street."
The name sounded very familiar. About 20 years ago, when I was in high school, my favorite teacher had the same name. Could it be her?
"Lady, out of curiosity, are you a teacher?"
"Yes, I am. I do not see the relevance to my urgent need."
"I'll be at your home in less than 10 minutes."
...
I was a young teenager in junior high. When the school year started, our class got a new young teacher. She introduced herself as Mrs. Marshall. Our first day was chaotic: Several students were noisy. The impression was that our teacher was too inexperienced and could not control the unruly students. The confusion lasted only one day. On the following morning, Mrs. Marshall announced, "Yesterday, I wanted to let you vent and start the transition from home to class. However, today, we'll be more serious. So, if anybody is not in the mood to participate, he or she is welcome to leave." Two students stood up and were ready to leave. She smiled at them and said, "OK, guys, get out and I'll mark that you elected to leave. On our final exams, I intend to score fairly everybody who attended the class and deduct what they answered incorrectly. However, for you two, every wrong answer will be scored as a double mistake. Guys, close the door behind you."
The 2 guys stared at each other and sat down. She chuckled, "I see you understood my message. You are here to study, and my intention is to teach you the best I can. In class, if you have questions about the material, raise your hands, and I'll try to answer. Anybody who misses classes without appropriate reason or decides to interfere with the teaching will find out that he/she will be punished harshly. Call it the carrot-and-stick method. It will take you up to 2 weeks to find out I like to teach and really want to help each and every one of you to succeed, but I will not tolerate interruptions."
Mrs. Marshall was right. It took us a week to realize she was a great teacher. She explained the material in simple terms and repeated it multiple times to make sure all of us were on board. She patiently answered the stupidest questions without being sarcastic or disrespectful. After a month, half the class, including me, admired her.
The first day of my senior year was also the day I turned 18. I came to class 30 minutes early and sat in the first row. Mrs. Marshall arrived 10 minutes later and grinned, "Ron, I see you chose to sit before me. Do you have an eye problem? You know it's harder to cheat if you sit in front."
I grinned, "My vision is 20/20. I wish to be in the front row because I can hear you better when other students whisper."
"Good reason. Last year, you worked hard and deserved your A. I hope you'll do as well this year, too." I blushed and whispered, "Thank you."
During the following weeks, I watched her up close and realized her face was very cute. She had short brownish hair, full lips, and... dark blue eyes. I used to think blue eyes went with blonde hair, but she was an exception. She always wore suits that hid her body shape, but her tummy was flat, and I guessed her chest was somewhat bigger than average. I loved the way she spoke: She had a unique way of pronouncing 'th.' Often, I caught myself ogling her lips without listening to what she was talking about.
Mrs. Marshall smiled regularly and never raised her voice. I liked the way she taught us, and a few months later, I felt I was in love with her... Throughout my senior year, I didn't have a girlfriend despite several opportunities. I was hypnotized by Mrs. Marshall. At our end-of-the-year party, most of the time, she was surrounded by well-wisher students. I managed to catch her alone when she was on the way to the restroom and confessed to being in love with her. She grinned, "Ron, I also like you a lot. However, love is something you'll experience later in life. Obsession with teachers is a known thing. I am flattered, but in due time, you'll find your true love."
It was 19 years ago and the last time I saw Mrs. Thelma Marshall.
...
I arrived at the small house 7 minutes later. I rang the doorbell, and Mrs. Marshall opened the door. She wore a long robe. Her hair was slightly longer, and a couple of wrinkles were noticed near her eyes, but she was as impressive as before.
She looked around to be sure I was alone and let me inside. "Sir, after I talked to you, I yelled at Mort that I called the police. He cursed me and drove away."
I smiled, "Mrs. Marshall, I am no 'sir.' I was a student of yours almost 20 years ago."
She inspected my face carefully and mumbled, "...are you Ron Garrett?..."
"Yes, I am."
She laughed, "If you didn't mention you were my student, I would have never guessed. Back then, you were a skinny, pimpled boy, and now you are a tall, handsome man. I recognized your eyes and the smile..."
"Teach, I would always recognize YOUR blue eyes. Mrs. Marshall, let's talk first about your former husband to ensure your safety, and afterward, I'd love to chat with you about everything else."
She giggled, "You are no longer my pupil, so call me Thelma. May I call you Ron, or you rather I call you Captain Garrett?"
I joked, "It's Ron until I become chief of police."
"I was married to Mort for about 10 years. Initially, he was loving and caring and was happy to accommodate everything I needed. I tried to be a good wife as well. But later, something happened to him. He started becoming jealous and blamed me for cheating on him, which I never did. He began stalking me and appeared unannounced at my school's social events. Each time I danced with another teacher, he saw it as a betrayal and caused embarrassing scenes in front of others multiple times. At one point, I couldn't take it anymore and asked for a divorce. He begged me to stay, but it was too late. I let him have the majority of our savings and became officially divorced 3 years ago. I moved from our larger house into this one and was ready to start over, but he continued chasing me, interrupting my social life on several occasions. I complained to the police twice before, but there was no clear evidence he was dangerous, so nothing was done. This time, he knocked on my door and claimed he loved me and wanted us to get together again. I told him I wasn't interested. He shouted, 'If I cannot have you, nobody will.' After that, I called you." Thelma glanced at me pleadingly, "Can you do something about it?"
"I will try my best. I'll need his full name, address, and a picture of him. My guess is once I talk to him, he will be too scared to approach you again."
"Ron, I hope you are right, but he is a smooth talker and may attempt to lie or trick you into thinking he is innocent."
I grinned, "Over the years, I've dealt with different kinds of men and interrogated scoreless criminals. Trust me; I'll do everything possible for my favorite teacher."
Her face relaxed, and she said, "Great. Now tell me what I can offer you with a piece of cake: Coffee? Tea? Cold drink?"
"Coffee with a sweetener will be perfect."
Thelma brought everything on a tray and gazed at me, "Tell me about you. I am curious to know what made you join the police."
"In high school, I was impressed by your talk about great inventors like Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Johannes Gutenberg, and thought of inventing something for humanity. But I was never as smart or innovative as them. Later, my intentions were more toward firefighting or EMD. One day, I was present when a couple of criminals tried to rob a store. A policeman intervened and saved the day. On that day, I made up my mind. After college, I joined the police and advanced rapidly to become a captain."
Thelma smiled, "It's an unusual story. I am so proud of you."
It felt so easy to talk to her... We chatted for another half an hour. Then I stood up and said, "Thelma, thank you for the cake and coffee. I loved your company and hope to be able to spend time with you again soon. Let me talk to Mort first, and I'll contact you with the results."
...
The same evening, around 7:30 pm, I knocked on Mort's door wearing regular clothes. He opened the door and smiled, "Are you the plumber I called?"
"No. I came to talk to you about another matter."
He tried to close the door in my face, but I pushed him back. He was about 50 years old, 5'9", 180 pounds, slightly balding, and with a small belly. He was no match for my 6'2", 190-pound frame. I led him to his living room, and we sat on the sofa.
He stared at me, frightened, "What do you want?"
"Are you familiar with Thelma Marshall?"
"She is my former wife."
"She talked to me and asked me to convince you to let go."
His sneaky eyes brightened, "I don't know what you are talking about. She stalked me a couple of times."
I hugged him and whispered threateningly, "Mort, my friend, I got access to the street camera and saw you shouting by her door. I hate it when somebody is lying to me."
