A Valentine for Miss Evers

By Alan Cliburn

Robbie buttoned his jacket to the top and stuck his hands deep into his pockets as he turned to leave.

“Do you have enough money for your valentines?” his mother asked.

Robbie nodded, making the coins in his left pocket jingle.

“Remember to get enough for everyone in your class,” Mother cautioned. “And don’t forget your new teacher.”

Should I get a valentine for Miss Evers? he wondered. She’s just a substitute teacher.

Robbie was choosing some valentines from the drugstore card rack when two of his school friends came in.

“Hi, Steve, Rick,” Robbie greeted them.

“Any good ones left?” Steve asked.

“Lots of them,” Robbie answered.

“Maybe I’ll just get this package,” Rick decided, picking up a cellophane bag and reading: “Forty valentines with envelopes, plus one for Teacher.”

“I wish we knew Mrs. Davis’s address,” Robbie spoke up. “I bet she’d like to get some valentines from the class.”

“I have an idea!” Steve said excitedly. “We could all put cards in the valentine box for Mrs. Davis and ask the principal to take them to her.”

“That’s a great idea,” Rick agreed. “And we don’t have to worry about giving Miss Evers a valentine.”

Robbie frowned. He didn’t like Miss Evers very much, but he wondered if she’d be hurt when no one gave her a valentine.

“I might get one for both of them,” Robbie announced.

“How come?” Rick wanted to know. “Miss Evers isn’t really our teacher and it’s no fun being in her class.”

“I know,” Robbie admitted. “And I’ll be glad when Mrs. Davis is back, but—”

“But what?” Steve interrupted.

“Well, if I were a substitute teacher, I’d feel kind of bad if all the children brought valentines for the regular teacher and nobody gave one to me,” Robbie explained. “After all, Miss Evers has been our teacher for almost two weeks now.”

“But it’s her own fault that nobody likes her!” Rick argued. “She could at least smile once in a while.”

I wish she would smile, Robbie thought. Miss Evers is strict, all right, but at least she keeps the room quiet and makes sure we do our work.

When Robbie got home, he showed his mother the valentines he had picked out.

“Your friends at school will like these,” she said. “And I’m glad you bought one for each of your teachers. I know they’ll both appreciate them.”

After supper that night, Robbie signed and addressed his valentines. On Mrs. Davis’s card he added, “Get well soon!”

He wasn’t sure what he should put on Miss Evers’s card or even if he should sign his name. Finally he wrote, “I hope you have a happy Valentine’s Day!” and then he signed his name “Guess Who.”

The next afternoon Miss Evers placed the large red and white box on a table at the front of the room and removed the top. “We’ve finished our work for the day, and now it’s time to pass out valentines,” she announced.

Robbie’s heartbeat quickened as Miss Evers began to read off the names on each valentine. “Here’s one for Mrs. Davis,” she said. “I’ll see that she gets it. And here’s another one for her!” Soon there was a little stack of cards for Mrs. Davis.

“Marcia, Steve, Johnny, …” Miss Evers called as she passed out the valentines. Everyone seemed to be getting nearly an equal number—all but Miss Evers; she didn’t have any.

“Sharon, Robbie, Miss Evers—

Suddenly she stopped passing them out. “Miss Evers?” she echoed, a surprised look on her face. “How nice!”

Everyone was quiet as she opened the envelope. Robbie watched her expectantly.

“What a lovely valentine,” she said, smiling and holding it up. “And it’s from somebody named ‘Guess Who!’”

Robbie blushed as Steve and Rick looked at him.

“This is the nicest valentine I’ve received during all the years I’ve been a substitute teacher,” Miss Evers continued. She looked at the card again. “Thank you, ‘Guess Who,’ whoever you are!”

Miss Evers smiled a beautiful smile and it seemed to Robbie as though she were smiling right at him.

Illustrated by Nina Grover