Benjamin Tasker Middle School
Bowie, Maryland

Ursella Bowman didn’t mind returning from vacation in the middle of the week. It meant she had only two days to clean up the mess her substitute had left for her before she could recuperate on the weekend.

She walked into the mailroom and immediately thought she’d need that weekend much sooner. There were postal-storage bins stacked and the electronic meter had been left on the floor. Why in the world didn’t that woman have any respect?

Ursella started picking up empty boxes and sorting undeliverable mail that needed to be returned. She shoved a collection cart to the side and noticed a six-by-nine padded manila envelope that had gotten stuck between the cart and the wall.

It was addressed to Benjamin Tasker Middle School and it looked like a child’s block printing.

Ursella shook her head as she slipped the envelope into the principal’s mail slot. She hoped it wasn’t something important.