The Hathaway

Assessments

After dinner, Ben and I took Evelyn on a tour of the rest of the building. She made all the appropriate sounds as she admired the grand ballroom, and commented on how cozy our third floor apartment was. We ended up sitting on the restored porch that sat above the main entrance and offered a beautiful view of the surrounding area. We had not had a chance to entertain in this space so we relished the opportunity to spend some time relaxing with a friend among the tree tops.

As the sky began to grow dark Evelyn remarked, “It’s been a lovely evening, but I should probably call my son to come and pick me up.”

“I wouldn’t hear of it,” I reacted. “I’ll be happy to drive you.” She protested, but I insisted.

Ben walked us down to the car, and she gave him a quick Nana kiss on the cheek before getting in. Once inside, she stuck her head out the window and told him, “Practice, practice, practice.”

He laughed and promised he would, waving as we drove off.

“You were right,” she said during the drive. “The kids are pretty special. They each have their own quality, strengths and weaknesses.”

I smiled and asked, “I’d love to hear your take on them. Sometimes I think I’m too close to be impartial.”

“But you shouldn’t be impartial,” she said earnestly. “They look to you and Ben as parents, that was clear. It’s your job to have a special fondness for them.” She thought for a second and added, “Except for Kevin. He looks at Helmut as a parent. I think he considers you to be more like uncles, still authority figures, but his heart belongs to Helmut.”

“I think I knew that,” I admitted. “But I’d never been able to state it so clearly.”

“I felt that Kevin had a deep well of strength, but it has come at a cost. It seemed to me that he has been through more than the others, has had to fight harder, and has consequently developed beyond his tender years. As such he is also the most fragile. Much of his strength is little more than bravado. They all need love more than any other children I’ve ever met, and Kevin needs it most.”

I listened and it was like she had lived with them longer than we had. “What about the others?

“Well, Ash is intensely insecure and will need constant reassurance, but he’s a good kid at heart and anxious to please. Perhaps a bit too anxious. You’ll have to watch that he doesn’t lose himself in his desire for the approval of others. He’ll be an easy target for manipulative people, but given the right support, he will probably offer intense loyalty.

“Jodi is very similar, though it’s not so obvious. She’s probably going to spend a lot of energy on trying to fit in to some clique or other, especially if they define themselves as outcast. She seems to have given up on parental approval and is moving toward the edges. You can’t stop that. All you can do is offer guidance to keep her away from self-destructive groups. There is a fierceness about her that can be her greatest strength. Help her focus on using that strength in positive ways.”

“How could you get all that from one brief visit?” I asked in amazement.

She laughed, “I’ve raised more babies than just my own. And I taught Sunday School for over thirty years, you get pretty good at reading kids.”

I chuckled back and asked, “So what about Chad and Sabina?”

“Chad is afraid he will be invisible. He thinks there’s nothing special about him so he comforts himself with food, and he’s probably going to be the one who acts out the most, you know, class clown. He wants to make sure you notice him, even if that attention gets him into trouble. He’s not a bad kid, he just lacks the ability to see his own value. He needs you to help him find his fire. I got the feeling that he might have a special kind of creativity that he hasn’t learned to tap into yet. It might be in the arts, but it could also be something else.

“Sabina is a bit of a conundrum to me. She is wrapped up in so many layers that I couldn’t get a good read on her. I didn’t sense insecurity, more that she considers herself to be different from everyone else on a primal level and doesn’t feel she has any peers. She’ll have a tendency to stay by herself a lot and only open up to people she trusts.” She looked at me and softly added, “She trusts you and Ben, and I think she is learning to trust the other kids as well, although I think she still has her doubts about the social workers. I’m not sure what her greatest need is, but finding her someone she considers to be an equal would probably go a long way to helping her avoid becoming a recluse.”

We sat in silence for a moment as I tried to take in all she had said. I finally managed to say, “Thank you, those are good insights.”

I pulled into her driveway and before she got out she added, “You’ve taken on quite a responsibility, and I bet you didn’t realize just how big of a task this was going to be when you started.”

“I didn’t,” I admitted. “I thought we were just going to be landlords.”

“Oh, no,” she laughed. “You care too much for that. Those kids are already under your skin. Raising children changes you. They will always be a part of you. And especially...You’ve chosen to commit yourselves to children that no one else wants. They will always need more love than any others. I hope you’re ready, because This is going to take everything you’ve got.”

I didn’t know what to say. I hadn’t thought about it that way. Hope House had started as a project. A way to utilize the extra space and do some good while helping to pay the mortgage. But she was right. It was personal now. She seemed to understand my silence, allowing me a moment of reflection before putting a hand on my arm, and continuing, “You’re doing a good thing, and I admire you for having the courage to...”It was her turn to look inward. “I owe you an apology. I should have stood up for you at the church. Put a stop to the protesters before they even got here.” She took another moment and added, “I can't change the past, but you have an ally now. I will not let them pass judgment again without challenging it. I’m afraid that’s all I can do.”

“That’s enormous,” I said gratefully. “One voice, especially a well respected voice, can make all the difference.”

“I don’t know about ‘well respected’ but I have been there an awfully long time and I’ve never caused any trouble.”

I chuckled, “Yeah, well if you start standing up for a bunch of gay kids living at an old brothel you may be starting a new career as a troublemaker.”

She laughed. “Then maybe it’s time for a change.”

I leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “I’m so glad you came over tonight. We’ll have to do this again.”

“I would like that,” she smiled as she exited the car.

“Do you remember the song?” I asked before putting the car in gear. We sang it though together and she wished me goodnight as I backed out of her driveway and headed home.

Andi had arrived while I was out, and she was wandering throughout the various rooms, using a crystal pendulum to read the energy of the building. The kids seemed to have finished their homework and were playing computer games or hiding in their rooms. There was no sign of Helmut or Kevin, and I wondered if they were off somewhere chatting. Ben was stretched out on the couch, practicing his new hobby, while Sylvia and Beth were sitting at the kitchen table sharing a snack. I joined these two, pouring myself a glass of milk and grabbing a cookie. “What are you still doing here?” I asked Sylvia. “Doesn’t Miss M. still mandate evening meals as a requirement for residency at the boarding house?”

“You know there’s flexibility there, especially when it’s part of a job. Besides,” she glanced at Beth and smiled, “I like the company here.”

“So I gathered,” I chuckled. “Can I get an update on Helmut and Kevin, or would you two rather be left alone?”

She pushed my shoulder playfully. “Idiot!” she chuckled. “They went for a walk around the grounds just a few minutes ago. Helmut was very willing to offer Kevin what guidance he could, but who knows what he’ll actually end up saying.”

“I know what an asshole Helmut can be, but I also know how much he loves that kid. I trust him to do everything he can to keep him safe and happy.”

“I think you trust him a little more than I do,” she doubted, “But I’ll trust your judgment on this.”

At that point Andi came in and asked, “Can I see you and Ben upstairs?”