Tools of Learning

He stood nervously swaying from side to side.? His sweaty palms gripping the dog eared pages.? The man shifted and looked up at the three sets of penetrating eyes.?

He gulped. Why had he left his daughter talk him into this.? He wasn't a teacher, though she insisted he was.? He smiled thinking of her handing him his papers just before he walked into the room.

"The board is ready to hear your proposal Mr. Phillips." He grabbed the glass of water.? Did they notice his shaking hands as the glass was lifted to his mouth?? Drink slowly and stall for more time.? Deep breath.?

He thought back to his bedroom.? He stood there and practiced his speech or proposal with his daughter and her stuffed animals as his audience.? When he had finished she rose from the bed and gave him a standing ovation!

"That was awesome Daddy!"? Followed by a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.? It was her love that brought him here.?

He wanted a better life for both of them and teaching just might be the ticket.

"Mr. Phillips?? Are you okay?" He was brought back to the coldness of the room.? How low was the temperature in here?? He cleared his throat again and looked down at the papers.

"Tell us about yourself." It was a cold voice.? The voice was robotic, like they had sat in these presentations for a long time.? The owner of this voice had seen and heard lots of proposals.? This was going be a hard voice to persuade.

"My name is Ian and I'm an auto mechanic and I'm the proud Dad to Kerry." His voice was trembling.? His hands gripped the papers tighter.

"Have you taught before? What credentials do you have?" The cold voice echoed through the room.

Ian gripped his papers tighter.? Why are they asking questions?? Those will all be answered in good time.? He knew this was a mistake, why had he let Kerry talk him into this?

"I've taught my daughter how to perform car maintenance.? I'm afraid I don't have credentials." Ian's voice trailed off.

"I think I speak for all when I say we've heard enough." It was the cold voice again.? Do the others even talk?

"We are looking for someone with a solid background in teaching youth.? I'm afraid that appears to be lacking from your skill set."

He slinked away.? He opened the door and saw his Kerry standing there!? She was looking at him with anticipation in her eyes.? When she saw his facial expression and saw the disappointment her anticipation turned to sadness.

Ian saw his daughter's face turn to sadness and felt the weight of his world on his shoulders.? He wouldn't survive the long drive home.

Damnit! What was he doing?? He was here for her, for them, for a better life then the one they currently had.? He wasn't going down without a fight!

He turned back to the door and grasped the handle.?

"I'll be right back Kerry!" Kerry had heard that voice before.? It was the voice of a determined man.? She was taken back to family court where her Dad had to fight for her.? He wasn't going to let her Mom just take his daughter.? And now these many years later she heard that voice again.? Kerry knew that the board was about to get to see a side to her Dad that people rarely saw.

He entered the room with renewed confidence.? He glanced down at his papers and saw his favourite picture of Kerry lovingly taped to the corner of the first page.? She had grease marks on her face and was holding an socket wrench.

"I think we were clear Mr. Phillips." It was the cold voice again.

"The problem was I wasn't clear.? I wasn't clear how I love teaching my daughter the basics of cars.? I wasn't clear how much this opportunity means to me.? For fixing cars and teaching others to fix them will provide me with many delights."? He had found the courage to speak from the heart.

"We have already ma...." The voice started to say.

"No! You haven't heard the rest of my proposal.? You haven't heard about the passion I have for cars but for also teaching others.? You haven't heard what I can do!" Ian was enjoying his new found confidence.

"You see after my ex-wife and I divorced I saw the light leave my Kerry.? She went from being a boisterous little girl to a shrinking violet.? I fought for her and fought to have my time with her.? But still that light was gone.? Then one day when I was fixing a car in the driveway she wandered up.? Next thing I knew she was handling the wrench and removing the gasket. But beyond that I saw a light in her eyes. I saw that my Kerry was back!" Ian paused, tears were welling in his eyes.?

Would the board look favourably on this or think him a sentimental old fool.

"Continue please!"? This wasn't the cold voice.? This voice was yearning to hear more.

"Well I just loved that the simple act of teaching her what I was doing to that car could bring back the light.? I started to think maybe I could do something about bringing the light to the world.? I know it sounds sentimental.? I won't apologize for that.? Cause I think when you get down to learning at it's essence it's about bringing confidence and new skills to others.? Its bigger then teaching mechanics of a car.? It's bigger then anything.? Teaching to me is about a bigger calling.? That's why I am here today.? I want to touch others like I have touched my Kerry."

Silence.? Ian was trembling, not with fear but with pride for having spoke from the heart.

"I think we have heard enough Mr. Phillips.? Welcome to the Wayne Vocational School of Learning."

Kerry and him were about to embark on the ride of their lives. He smiled and pumped his arms.? He was ready for the journey that awaited!? The ride home with Kerry was going to be filled with hope and optimism.? This was going to be a hell of a ride!