Authors: Alene Roberts
Billie’s mother, the gracious Margaret Bliss smiled. “Dr. Ackerman, we’re grateful that you’re helping our daughter with her goal of a business career.”
“
Well, Mrs. Bliss, Billie is the top student in the class.”
“
Oh? How nice to hear.”
In the void which followed, there was an expectant expression on each of the smiling faces.
Will Bliss broke the silence. “We’ll all leave you to your meeting now, Sheldon. Come again. You’re welcome to meet here as often as you need to,” he added, shepherding the group toward the door.
“
Thank you, sir, I might just take you up on that.”
After they had all left, teacher and student—
Pygmalion
and student—sat across from each other and Billie said, “I didn’t know I was the top student in the class.”
“
You got the highest grade on both exams and according to Nettie Newman, you deserve accolades on your grooming, dress, and diet. All in all, you are the most promising student of the four.”
He noted that she didn’t seem as pleased over this as he thought she should be. “What kind of a business would you like to own, Miss Bliss?”
“
I don’t know. As of yet, one hasn’t come to mind that fits my personality and needs.”
“
Well, we can work on that in the future. The committee has chosen to work on first things first, take one step at a time. The first step is self-management in the area that seems to concern the four of you—weight.”
Billie’s eyes probed his. “Have you chosen us because we’re fat?”
“
Uh . . . fat? I don’t consider you fat, just . . . Miss Bliss, we chose you four for many reasons. It just so happens all of you have expressed concern about your weight. And after all, isn’t attaining a pleasing appearance a significant part of self-management?”
“
Yes and no.”
“
What do you mean by ‘yes and no’?”
“
Yes for the other three, ‘no’ for me.”
“
Why ‘no’ for you?” Sheldon asked, starting to feel concern.
“
Because my overweight condition for the most part is not caused by lack of discipline; rather, it’s caused by my environment, or in other words, by the people I associate with. If my environment isn’t right for me, I don’t have self discipline—or I choose not to in order to ease my frustration.”
“
Miss Bliss, you’re confusing me.”
“
I know. I confuse everyone.”
“
Was there something wrong with the environment of my class which you attended last term?”
“
No.”
“
This term’s class?”
“
No.”
“
Then why would you tell me you have gained weight in both classes?”
“
Because I have. But—I’ve thought about this after we visited in your office, and I think my gaining weight in your classes doesn’t fit the usual pattern.”
A small sigh escaped him. He said hurriedly, “May we bypass this for now?”
“
Of course.”
He began carefully, slowly. “You all agreed with Nettie Newman that if a woman does not feel good about her appearance, it’s hard on her self-esteem, right?”
“
Right.”
“
Then the four of you all said that your weight was your greatest concern, right?”
“
Right.”
“
Then,” he took a deep breath, “may we work together on this as the first step?”
“
Yes, but it won’t do any good, and I hate to see you waste your valuable time.”
“
Why won’t it do any good?”
“
I can’t
tell
you why, I would have to
show
you why.”
“
Then you must show me.”
“
You won’t want to do what it will take to show you.”
Sheldon was feeling warm and his tie was choking him. He loosened it, got up, and began pacing.
“
Dr. Ackerman?”
He stopped and frowned at her. “What?”
“
Please take off your coat and tie. Sometimes, in July, the air conditioning in this big old home just isn’t adequate.”
“
I don’t feel that would be quite proper.”
“
I think it would be very proper. You’re not in the classroom. And I also think we both should dress casually during our meetings. If we’re both comfortable, we’ll be able to understand each other better.”
He studied her, then chuckled.
“
Why are you amused? It only makes good sense.”
“
It does at that, Miss Bliss, it does at that.”
He smiled as he took off his coat and tie and sat down again. “That feels much better, thank you. I’m ‘amused’, as you say, because I feel like I’m on a merry-go-round, and I’m wondering if I ought to close my eyes so I won’t get dizzy.”
Billie giggled, but not knowing how to respond to this, she got right down to business. “Now, what would you like to ask me?”
“
I have no idea.”
“
Shall I coach you?”
“
Coach me?”
“
Yes. Shall I tell you what questions to ask me?”
He gaped at her, a look of incredulity on his face. Then he smiled, the smile turning into a chuckle, the chuckle into a laugh.
Billie smiled, glad to see her stiff and proper professor unbending a little.
When Sheldon got himself under control, he felt a little chagrined. This was not going as he had planned. He cleared his throat, trying to resume the tenuous dignity a professor should have when working with a student. “Now, Miss Bliss, why would you have to
show
me? Why can’t
telling
me suffice?”
She sighed in frustration. “It would not suffice. As I’ve said several times now, you would not understand.”
Sheldon ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “Have you ever shown anyone this mysterious . . . uh, thing?”
“
After I tried to tell a few young men I dated, I tried to show them.”
“
Young men? What do they have to do with it?”
“
Everything.”
“
Uh, never mind,” he said, for fear of getting off on another confusing side road. “You say you tried to show them? Either you did or you didn’t.
Which is it?” he asked, agitation in his voice.
“
I showed them, but they didn’t understand.”
Sheldon was rapidly becoming more frustrated. “Miss Bliss, how then can
I
understand when you show
me
?”
She looked at him as she considered his question. “Well, you probably won’t be able to, but I thought maybe because you’re so brilliant you just might, but . . .” she frowned as her voice trailed off. Abruptly she stood up, walked to the mantle, and rested her folded arms on it, her chin resting on her arms, her back to him. He noticed that her hair was shiny and loose down her back except for a curl resting on her right shoulder.
While she thought about it, Sheldon waited— holding his breath.
Her back still to him, she said, “I guess being brilliant in the dynamics of business wouldn’t necessarily help you understand this. Oh dear.”
Sheldon was feeling the first stirring of panic. “Miss Bliss, I—”
“
Dr. Ackerman,” she interrupted, turning to face him, “are you married?”
“
Married? Uh . . . no! What does that have to do with anything?”
“
Have you ever been married?”
“
No!”
“
Oh dear.” She walked back to the couch and sat down. “Do you enjoy the company of women or would someone your age call it dating?”
“
Miss Bliss!” he exclaimed, standing up and stepping a few feet away, then pivoting around to face her. “It seems we are far afield here. What does my personal life have to do with all this?”
“
It does, Dr. Ackerman, believe me. Please answer my questions.”
“
Let’s get this straight. No! I’m not married. I have never been married.
And what’s more, I haven’t even dated in years.”
“
Oh,” she frowned, her face full of concern. “Then I don’t know if this is going to work, Dr. Ackerman. And I’m so sorry you’ve led such a lonely life.”
“
Sorry? I didn’t ask you for . . . for sympathy concerning my personal life.” His voice had edged a decibel higher. “I just want to know, uh . . . “ He looked blank. “What do I want to know?”
“
You want to know why you would understand when I show you, when others I showed, didn’t.”
“
Oh, yes. Thank you.”
“
You might understand, but it’s likely you won’t.”
Sheldon sat down again, baffled and worn out. “Tell me again,” he said slowly, “why you have to show me anything.”
“
Because you want to help me manage my life, starting with my weight problem, and I told you that it would be a waste of your time because—”
“
Stop! Don’t say another word. I can’t handle another explanation, if one could call it that. Just show me and we’ll see if I can understand.”
“
How much time do you have, Dr. Ackerman?”
His patience was at the breaking point. “Enough to get this solved!”
“
Are you willing to do what it takes?”
“
What do you mean?” he asked warily.
“
I’m wondering . . .” She bit her lip, thinking. “Well, it might not look proper.”
“
I’m getting dizzy on this merry-go-round. Every time you open your mouth, I get dizzier.”
“
May I qualify something?”
Sheldon exhaled. “If you can, Miss Bliss, without complicating it.”
“
I think I can arrange it so it will look proper.”
“
Good! Now how long do you think it will take?”
“
It may take two weeks, a month, two, who knows? Depends on your time and your ability to grasp or comprehend my problem. Then you’ll want to find a solution, and then you’ll find that—”
“
Hold it!” he exclaimed, holding both palms outward. “What if after a month, we find that I can’t even fathom your problem? What then?”
Billie looked down at the floor, pulled her hair up off her neck thinking, then leaned back on the couch. Her arms still holding up her hair, she stared at the ceiling.
It seemed like an interminably long time that she was frozen in this odd thinking position. He waited her out.
Finally, dropping her hair, she sat up straight and looked him directly in the eye. “I’ll have to drop out of the program.”
“
But, Miss Bliss . . .”
“
Dr. Ackerman, I thought we four would be working with Mrs. Newman on this. I didn’t understand that you and I would start by working on my overweight condition.”
“
The other three girls are also working on this with their individual counselors.”
“
Why is that necessary?”
“
Because,” he began, shaking his head ever so slightly, “this way you’ll get more personal attention and help. I want you four young women to succeed in the business world. And won’t, uh, feeling good about your appearance give you more confidence that you can succeed?”
Billie studied her professor’s intense and concerned blue eyes. She leaned toward him. “I never would have guessed it, Dr. Ackerman, but you really are a kind and caring man.”
-
The family, who had gathered out on the back porch, were in the midst of speculating on Dr. Ackerman’s age, when Billie joined them.
“
He’s no more fifty than Billie is,” exclaimed Matilda.
“
No, he’s at least fifty-five, Tilly,” Uncle Henry countered.
“
He’s probably a very young-looking fifty,” suggested Margaret.
Will Bliss, relaxing on a reclining lounge chair, smiled as he listened to the debate. Bill Bliss, the patriarch of the family, stated, “You’re all a little daft.
That young man is no more than thirty-eight or thirty-nine.”
Noticing Billie standing there smiling, her mother asked, “Oh, Billie, is your meeting over?”
“
Yes, Dr. Ackerman just left.”
“
Do you know how old he is, Billie?” asked Aunt Tilly.
“
No, just like all of you, the class is in a dilemma over it. They have even made bets on it.”
“
How often are you going to have these meetings with Dr. Ackerman?”
her father asked.
“
It depends. The plan was to meet with our group once a week and with our individual counselors as needed. Dr. Ackerman and I will be meeting again tomorrow night, but I, uh, need to tell you something. When we four candidates met with the committee, we all agreed that our first need was to lose weight.”
Will Bliss frowned. “Is that necessary? I thought this was a project to help you girls learn how to succeed in business.”
“
It is, Papa, but the committee feels that, in order to have confidence in our own ability to manage a business, we have to learn how to manage ourselves.”