Free The Second Half by Lauraine Snelling

and bring defunct kitchen appliances back to life. His gift for repairs saved the school hundreds of dollars a year. Maybe thousands.
    “As you know, Chet, an annual evaluation covers all the bases, or tries to. I see that one thing has not changed since last year. I know you start with cleaning Stone here in the morning. I hardly ever see you get to work on time. You’re always fifteen, twenty minutes late.”
    “Yes, sir. Don’t know how that happens so much. My day just don’t seem to get started right most days. Sorry, sir.”
    Ken nodded. “On the other hand, I never see you clock out when the day is over at five. You’re always working, doing something for at least another half hour or more. Sometimes you don’t get out until six.”
    Chet shrugged. “Sorry.”
    “Don’t be. Technically, I should lower your evaluation for your frequent lateness. But I won’t. The way you work until the job is done, the school is more than getting its money’s worth. I put in extra myself, and I admire that in others. How long have you been here, four years?”
    “Five, sir, come July.”
    “Ah! Good. Then you’re due for an in-grade pay raise. Your supervisor is still Harry Nicholson, is that correct?”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “Anything else?”
    Chet shrugged again. “Can’t think of nothing.”
    “Neither can I.” Ken stood, so Chet stood. “Chet, would you do me a favor?”
    “Why sure, Dr. Sorenson. More’n happy to.”
    “Take the rest of the afternoon off and go home and relax. I’ll call Harry and tell him.”
    “Well, uh…” Chet grinned broadly. “Since that’s what you told me to do, I’ll do it. Thank you, Dr. Sorenson!” He left.
    Ken sat down and picked up the phone. He and Harry Nicholson were old friends—their kids had gone to school together—but he wouldn’t tell Chet that. Keep it formal. He opened his lap drawer to look at the phone list and punched in Harry’s number.
    Harry answered on the second ring. “Nicholson.”
    “Sorenson. How’s your daughter doing with her new job?”
    “Hey, Ken! She loves it. Wish I liked my job half as well. How’s your kids?”
    “Marit’s chugging right along, and Steig is deployed again.”
    “Where to?”
    “Karachi.”
    Silence at the other end. Harry’s voice dropped a little. “Pakistan. Well, best wishes and blessings to him from Marge and me both.” Another brief silence. “How’s Mona taking it?”
    “So far, so good. She tends to worry a lot, but she seems to be holding her own well.”
    “Still, it’s always tough. And you’re retiring, right? Or retired.”
    “Semiretired. Winding up some things. Aren’t you about ready to hang up your spurs also?”
    “I’m going to put in another eighteen months, and then my retirement check will be bigger. You know, it’s based on your top three years, and I’m halfway through a pay upgrade. But yes, I’m gonna hang it up.”
    “Good. Harry, I’m calling about Chet Rankin.”
    “He in trouble? Not Chet.”
    “Trouble? No. For some reason I was supposed to do his annual evaluation, and…”
    “I thought that was my job.”
    “So did I, but Dale handed it to me. So I did it.”
    Harry sighed. “Mine not to reason why, mine not to make reply, mine but to do and die. Something like that.”
    “Right. I’ll write it up and get it over to you. It will glow. He’s up for a raise in a month. I want to state for the record he is worth his weight in gold and should start his in-grade at step two.”
    “I was thinking the same thing. To hear him talk he’s a few trees short of an orchard, but he’s a whiz at fixing air handlers.”
    “Same over here in Stone. Incidentally, I gave him the afternoon off.”
    “Good!”
    They chatted a few minutes more, nothing earth-shattering, and hung up.
    Ken stared at his desk. What was Dale up to? Something, that was for sure. Ken hated office politics. Hated it! But he was actually quite good at it; in academia, you have to be. He was