Miss Meadows

Beautiful day.

Yes, it certainly is.

- That's a pretty dress. - Thank you.

What you reading?

- Poetry. - I know a poem. Want to hear it?

- No, thanks. - I love Little Pussy.

Her fur is so warm. And if I don't hurt her, she'll do me no harm.

What's the matter, don't you like it? Hey, why don't you and I get some lunch

and you could read some of those poems to me?

No, thank you. I prefer to read silently.

Oh, 'cause I'm real hungry and I hate to eat alone.

Then perhaps a cafeteria-style diner would suit your needs.

Think you're pretty cute, don't you?

My mother says I have a certain kind of loveliness

though I believe in the Anasazi Indians that the face is for others to look at.

Get in.

I'm going to walk away now. I suggest you let me.

Get in!

- Are you threatening me? - Get in!

Toodle-oo.

Who saw him die? "I," said the fly, "With my little eye."

Mother dear, how do we get blood out again?

I told you, dear. Lemon juice with equal parts ice water.

If you let it soak long enough, no one'll know the difference.

- It'll be our little secret. - We have so many, Mother dear.

Now, tell Mother.

Don't fib. Did you accidentally cut yourself with a knife again?

No, but don't worry about me, Mother dear.

- Oh, Mother never stops her worry, Mary. - You always say that.

- 'Cause it's always true. - I can take care of myself.

So... what does my little big girl plan on doing today?

I am substitute-teaching in a low-income,

racially mixed bottom-scoring, first-grade classroom.

Oh, you poor darling. You could have run a charm school

in a soon-to-be bankrupt department store or been president.

But that wasn't my destiny, Mother.

Well, I hardly think your destiny is being a temporary teacher.

Well, no one knows their destiny except... God...

or... a best-selling author.

Well, I just don't understand why you don't something more permanent.

Permanence is temporary, Mother dear.

Well, I suppose there's some truth in that, Mary.

The truth is relative.

- I guess I should let you go. - You'll never let me go.

- Toodle-oo. I love you. - Toodle-oo. I love you too.

Life is mostly froth and bubble. Two things stand like stone:

Kindness in another's trouble and courage in your own.

What the author in this book is trying to tell us,

that no matter what the most important things in life are kindness and courage.

Who can tell me an example of courage in their own lives?

- Miss Meadows, Miss Meadows! - Gordon?

- Mrs. Meadows? - It's Miss Meadows. Let's continue.

If you're a "miss," does that mean you miss having a husband?

Well, that's one interpretation.

Although the other is that I prefer it that way because I have all of you.

So who has an example for me?

Wow! You thought of one, Heather?

Can I take a snack break now?

No, not yet. Can I help you find an example of courage?

Well, Mrs. Dodd left us.

Well, Mrs. Dodd isn't here right now. Miss Meadows is.

She's never coming back.

- Of course she is. - No, she's not!

My grandma had the same thing she does and she died.

I saw her in her coffin. She looked like string cheese.

Well, it sounds like Mrs. Dodd is an example of courage.

How about we make "get well soon" cards for Mrs. Dodd

and I will personally see that she gets them? Are we doing coloured or plain?

- Plain. Coloured! - Plai... Oh, my goodness!

Mrs. Dodd's got the Big C. Don't fill those children's minds with false hope.

There are over 13 million cancer survivors throughout the world.

The only thing false is not having any hope.

- Is that a fact? - Yes. For verification,

you can contact the American Cancer Society.

All right, Miss Meadows. I've had it up to here with you.

Perhaps you're confusing me with the scarf around your neck that's in danger

of becoming a tourniquet. I shall return to Mrs. Dodd's class.

The children don't need any more changes right now.

I shall give them as much consistency as I can

which might serve to reassure them in these troubled times.

- Go home. Your cheque's in the mail. - I seriously doubt that.

I rarely receive any cheques through the mail. Toodle-oo.

- Good morning, Mrs. Davenport. - Good morning, Miss Meadows.

Oh! Your garden looks especially perky today. What's your secret?

Honestly, coffee grinds and meticulous weeding.

- Really? - Yeah.

All right, I'm gonna have to try that. I just have to say, Miss Meadows,

it is such a pleasure having you in the neighbourhood.

Ever since you've moved here, things just feel different.

For the better, I hope.

Oh, yes! I mean, it's a pleasure to live here again.

I do hope you'll renew your lease and stay for good.

Stay for good? Good to stay.

What doth the bluebird say?

Miss Meadows, a new dentist joined Doug's practice

and he's available and we thought we might fix you two up.

Thank you. But I don't need a dentist.

Oh no, I just meant... Well, I don't want you to end up an old maid.

That's impossible. I don't clean houses for a living.

And I have no intentions to start domestication training.

- Okay. - But thank you. Ooh...

Careful on the thorns. Toodle-oo.

Oh, it's okay.

Okay. No broken legs.

Good job. Yeah.

Excuse me, miss.

Hello, Sheriff.

Do you have any idea why I pulled over?

Yes. I parked my vehicle illegally in the middle of the road

which causes the same safety hazard as leaving a vehicle unoccupied.

But I was concerned for the safety of this toad.

And there was no on-street parking.

Do you think if I kissed it, it would turn into a prince?

Maybe.

Or it'll just be one lucky toad.

This is a '56 Metropolitan Nash?

Yeah, it reminds me of an old pair of saddle shoes I once had.

Reminds me of my grandmother's kitchen floor.

So clean you could eat dinner off it.

I prefer a table setting.

Right.

Can you... One... Don't move.

Do you think that's really true? That you can make a difference in this world?

I think it's impossible not to try.

I feel the exact same way.

- What is it you do for a living? - I teach kids.

- Oh, that's nice. - My pleasure.

All right, so I think I'm gonna let you off

- with a warning this time, Miss... - Meadows.

- Meadows. That's a beautiful name. - Thank you.

Can I ask where you're from?

"Can ask" is if you're physically able; "may ask" is permission.

Toodle-oo, Sheriff.

C-Carry on.

I know it's hard but although Mrs. Dodd has left this world

and is teaching in another, we're never going to forget her, right?

And she's never going to forget any one of you.

I can feel her spirit in this classroom right now, especially if I close my eyes.

I see her.

She's wearing that blue dress. She looks so pretty.

And she's smiling at all of you. Do you see it?

- Yeah. - Do you see her pretty smile?

Yeah.

See, we're starting to remember her.

If we do this every single day, she'll always be with us.

- Okay? - Yeah.

You're probably wondering why I passed your cards back out?

I was thinking that we should paste them, each one to its own balloon,

and then one day, we're going to release them.

Yeah.

- You said she'd come back. - I know, sweetheart.

I was wrong. Sometimes Miss Meadows...

Lie! You lied!

Heather. Excuse me, children. Why don't you get started?

Heather, sweetheart.

Heather, sweetheart. Heather.

Come here, come here. Heather.

It's okay, sweetie. I'm so sorry.

I'm so sorry.

All the bad people stay and all the good ones die.

I hate the world. It's a terrible place.

I know. Sometimes it is but not all the time.

And it's our responsibility...

to make it a better place.

Hey, Miss Meadows, do you want to come to Happy Hour?

Hey, Katharine.

I don't see how Happy Hour will make much of a difference...

- Bye, Miss Meadows. I like your outfit. - Well, thank you. Have a good afternoon.

- Toodle-oo. - Miss Meadows.

- May I? - Sheriff.

An absolutely splendid edition that is essential to all.

If this doesn't make you proper, nothing will.

Thank you.

I've always wanted my own copy.

A sentence contains no unnecessary words,

a paragraph no unnecessary sentences.

Make every word tell.

I would like to take you for an afternoon spin

in my 1970 classic Chevrolet pickup truck.

I would like that very much.

How, may I ask, do you know where I work?

I ran your plate.

Your work address came up. I...

- That's illegal. - Yes, it is. I feel really bad.

I just... I couldn't stop thinking about this girl

in the middle of the road holding a toad.

Dead right, I'm sorry. I apologize to you. I broke the rules.

I think it's okay to break the rules sometimes.

Good.

You tell your kids that?

What?

That it's okay to break the rules sometimes?

Well, I remind them of their goodness.

How to...

protect themselves if they're around someone that they don't think is good.

I like that.

Listen, if kids aren't safe, if they don't feel safe, we're all lost.

- I like the rain. - Why?

Makes me feel clean.

I bought this property a few years ago.