Chapter 8: Passing Element Nine and other adventures
Before Theresa got on full time, she had to pass the FCC License Test. Element Nine loomed over her like a big brick. She would have another crack at it. She had studied and worked on with some of the students on things that she had trouble with, particularly Bradley. Bradley was a geek. She worked until midnight and the next morning she had to go to take the test. They would have to leave at six in the morning to get there by eight. Her dad was driving her and he had just gotten in from work and he told her to sleep fast. She hardly slept at all. So much was riding on this.
She and her dad set out the next morning. It was dark cold and snowing. She prayed silently as they made the trip and when she got to the exam room, she started the test and began to remember all the equations and formulas that she had to put on the test. She handed it in and she heard the words. "You passed, you only missed three." She wanted to jump up and down, but Theresa was too timid to do such a thing.
Theresa enrolled in college that fall and although she was working full time she took a full time schedule at school. She was going to work and go to school. She took business courses, because she wanted to be in radio management. If for no other reason than to serve an under-served community where she lived.
Theresa usually worked the six to midnight shift and then had an eight o'clock class the next morning. She was finished with school about twelve thirty or one, so she would go home and take a nap and eat before work time. They started changing her shift, because someone had quit or something. She worked four thirty to one in the morning. Sometimes her relief was late. She would take her homework and do it while the programs were on. Maybe doing this she would get somewhere. Theresa started training some of the new people. There were several young ladies that had graduated from high school that she began training. That first year she would train about ten people. No one stayed for long, because they got bored or wanted to be the next "Johnny Fever". (a character on WKRP in Cincinatti). She gave it her best shot.
Time passed very quickly and quietly, Theresa had settled into school and working. One day in January the was a knock at the door and when Theresa answered it. It was a man from the local funeral home who wanted to know if the neighbors were home. She told them that they were at work and what they said next shocked Theresa to the core of her being. "Two kids were burned in a fire this afternoon. Where do the parents work?" She told them and everyone in the house was so upset to the point of shock. The neighbor was Martha, Theresa's childhood friend, who had three young children. She just couldn't believe what had happened. She wanted to call in to work, but figured she had better go. When she got to work, the news story was all over the wire. Fire kills two young children. She had to do the news. She told them she couldn't because the people involved were her neighbors. Someone else did the news seeing how upset Theresa was about it. There was a ballgame to run and Theresa was grateful because she could concentrate on the game. Someone happen to call Dusty and tell him what happened and he came to see her after he got off of his shift. He was there just to keep her company. He stayed until her shift ended.
The next days the story came out about what happened to the kids and Theresa attended the funerals of the kids. It was just a jarring time for her. Things kind of got back to normal until Dusty came by and tiold her that his parents were divorcing. They went to the mall and talked. Dusty was very upset and relied on Theresa for friendship. She later got him a T-shirt that said "hassle with care". Life in radio settled down to a normal rut. You come to work do your job and leave. Theresa was moved to day shift, which caused some trouble with other employees. It was hard being in that position, when in reality Theresa deserved this move, she had the talent and the seniority. Some didn't like it. Theresa rode it out and spent her evenings going to the library and reading or hanging out with Dusty. Nothing romantic, both of them were too young and scared.
There were several bad personal things that happened to Theresa during that time. During the summer Theresa's dad decided to replace the roof on the back of the house. Theresa had gotten the long range weather forcast. It was supposed to be clear all that week. On Wednesday of that week, a major thunderstorm hit early that morning. Theresa's room was ruined. The carpet had to be taken up, the stereo was almost ruined. She was devastated. Dusty called her and said he was moving to Colorado with some of his family and when she went back to enroll in college, they said she would have to go back to pick up some classes at the broadcasting school. One of these things she could have handled, but all of them was just too much. Theresa was about to walk into something that almost destroyed her.
She and her dad set out the next morning. It was dark cold and snowing. She prayed silently as they made the trip and when she got to the exam room, she started the test and began to remember all the equations and formulas that she had to put on the test. She handed it in and she heard the words. "You passed, you only missed three." She wanted to jump up and down, but Theresa was too timid to do such a thing.
Theresa enrolled in college that fall and although she was working full time she took a full time schedule at school. She was going to work and go to school. She took business courses, because she wanted to be in radio management. If for no other reason than to serve an under-served community where she lived.
Theresa usually worked the six to midnight shift and then had an eight o'clock class the next morning. She was finished with school about twelve thirty or one, so she would go home and take a nap and eat before work time. They started changing her shift, because someone had quit or something. She worked four thirty to one in the morning. Sometimes her relief was late. She would take her homework and do it while the programs were on. Maybe doing this she would get somewhere. Theresa started training some of the new people. There were several young ladies that had graduated from high school that she began training. That first year she would train about ten people. No one stayed for long, because they got bored or wanted to be the next "Johnny Fever". (a character on WKRP in Cincinatti). She gave it her best shot.
Time passed very quickly and quietly, Theresa had settled into school and working. One day in January the was a knock at the door and when Theresa answered it. It was a man from the local funeral home who wanted to know if the neighbors were home. She told them that they were at work and what they said next shocked Theresa to the core of her being. "Two kids were burned in a fire this afternoon. Where do the parents work?" She told them and everyone in the house was so upset to the point of shock. The neighbor was Martha, Theresa's childhood friend, who had three young children. She just couldn't believe what had happened. She wanted to call in to work, but figured she had better go. When she got to work, the news story was all over the wire. Fire kills two young children. She had to do the news. She told them she couldn't because the people involved were her neighbors. Someone else did the news seeing how upset Theresa was about it. There was a ballgame to run and Theresa was grateful because she could concentrate on the game. Someone happen to call Dusty and tell him what happened and he came to see her after he got off of his shift. He was there just to keep her company. He stayed until her shift ended.
The next days the story came out about what happened to the kids and Theresa attended the funerals of the kids. It was just a jarring time for her. Things kind of got back to normal until Dusty came by and tiold her that his parents were divorcing. They went to the mall and talked. Dusty was very upset and relied on Theresa for friendship. She later got him a T-shirt that said "hassle with care". Life in radio settled down to a normal rut. You come to work do your job and leave. Theresa was moved to day shift, which caused some trouble with other employees. It was hard being in that position, when in reality Theresa deserved this move, she had the talent and the seniority. Some didn't like it. Theresa rode it out and spent her evenings going to the library and reading or hanging out with Dusty. Nothing romantic, both of them were too young and scared.
There were several bad personal things that happened to Theresa during that time. During the summer Theresa's dad decided to replace the roof on the back of the house. Theresa had gotten the long range weather forcast. It was supposed to be clear all that week. On Wednesday of that week, a major thunderstorm hit early that morning. Theresa's room was ruined. The carpet had to be taken up, the stereo was almost ruined. She was devastated. Dusty called her and said he was moving to Colorado with some of his family and when she went back to enroll in college, they said she would have to go back to pick up some classes at the broadcasting school. One of these things she could have handled, but all of them was just too much. Theresa was about to walk into something that almost destroyed her.
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