A Sister's Place

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Everyone had settled down.  The two vans and four cars contained sleepers or talkers.  I was sure the women were discussing what happens next.  Until tonight, each had been on a new journey with a determined path full of hopes, dreams and goals.  They had made new friends, their children had become children again, and dreams were becoming possible.

I was sitting with Grace in June’s car.  Grace had told us there were no available beds in the St. Louis metropolitan area or in St. Charles.  One director had called back and offered a couch or to double up until we could make better plans.  We were grateful, but knew this was against the single bed rule for all homeless programs. I suggested checking two of the motels we sometimes used. The American Extended Stay had refrigerators, stovetops, and pots.  We would have to break the single bed rule with two double beds per room for each family.  Grace suggested we get another double room so staff could stay there as well.  June, usually the take-charge person, had been strangely silent during this exchange.

Jeff’s truck pulled up as I started to ask June’s opinion.  We got out and walked to his truck to hear about the damage.  He got out looking very sad and worried.

“The rear up and down add-on is gone.  The floors and walls are heavily damaged.  The smoke damage finished what the fire didn’t consume.  We are going to be able to salvage a lot of the front offices, but it will be days before the fire captain will let us go in.  I’m to call him before we try to go inside.”

Looking at June, he asked if they could speak privately for a minute.  She walked to the other side of his vehicle and I turned to Grace.  I asked her to call Extended Stay while I instructed Rita to call staff and volunteers.  I didn’t want them to learn about the fire on the news.  I called our board public relations and asked her to control reports that would identify the location as a domestic violence shelter.  Confidentiality protects everyone, so no pictures.

Jeff and June returned to Grace and me as we were completing our calls.  Strangely, they were smiling.  I started to smile too, though I couldn’t figure out why for the life of me.  Jeff took my hand and June did the same with Grace.

“Do you trust us, Irene?  If so, we want you to come with us and no questions asked,” Jeff said with a gentle squeeze of my hand.  I looked from him to June and sensed it was okay.

I told Rita we would be gone for just a few minutes. Promising myself not to ask questions and not to cry, I followed Jeff to his truck and he opened the passenger door and settled me in, then opened the rear door and did the same for June and Grace.  I looked at the vans and cars, which looked very lonely as we drove away.  June answered her phone and seemed to be giving instructions in a hushed tone, but I was too focused on trying to keep my promise to listen.  I looked back at my Gracie and saw her making notes in a journal. I knew that, like me, she was trying to plan our next steps.  I reminded myself that at the next MCADSV meeting I must tell them we need a plan for regrouping and housing a full shelter in case of disaster.  We had trained for fire drills, but then WHAT?  After this, I want to be on that planning committee.

The clicking of the turn signal made me look up just as the iron gates began to open wide to allow us entrance.  The gates work?  Why are all the lights on?  The lights are not free, guys!   I turned to Jeff to ask a question, and then remembered my promise.  I looked back at June who had developed such a beautiful make-up free glow.  This had better be good!  My staff and residents were on a parking lot and my fearless leaders wanted me to take a belated open house tour.  Okay, be nice, Irene!  They mean well.  Give them ten minutes, and then send Grace to the front porch to call Extended Stay.  Where were the grocery store gift cards?  We’ll need to do lots of grocery shopping.  Each room will need groceries.  No communal cooking for a while. 

The truck stopped and Jeff was standing by my open door.  At the same time, he opened the rear door and June and Grace had gotten out.  I caught Gracie’s look and it said, “What the hell?”

On the front porch I saw three familiar faces.  One face made me smile with great joy.  It was Bonnie, our old therapist.  She retired three years ago and has been living her dream of traveling the world.  She was my trainer in understanding the dynamics of domestic violence and was always just a phone call away if I needed her.  I knew she was in North Carolina visiting relatives, but I had planned to call her in a day or so to tell her about Ms. Moody and to do a little talk therapy as I started my healing process.  But here she was, dressed like June – tennis shoes and a cute little black dress.  I walked to the door and gave Bonnie a big hug and kiss, then hugged the two former board members standing with her.  The hugs, kisses and smiles almost made me forget Ms. Moody and the fire momentarily, but soon my worry returned.

June took my hands and we headed to the living room.  At the entrance I stopped, unable to take another step or close my mouth.  The room had been transformed.  The walls were now a rich crème.  A super- sized abstract rug full of brown, beige, gold and burgundy sat under a fourteen piece chocolate brown leather sectional sofa.  Two round cocktail tables sat in the middle of the sectional.  In front of the windows were two burgundy leather arm chairs and a matching round end table.  The heavy, dark drapes at the big front window had been replaced with wall-to-wall vertical blinds and topped by a valance with all the rich colors of the rug.  The mirror over the fireplace had been replaced with a giant picture of women and children at a seaside picnic.  Everywhere I looked in the room, I saw something more beautiful than the last thing I looked at.  I walked to the back door and looked at the add-on space, which now has a new floor and new walls.  There were cork boards and posters.  An open metal upright cabinet was full of office supplies.  A long table and two desks completed the room. We went back into the living room and June asked everyone to sit down.

“Everyone here knows about the fire at the shelter tonight.  We have six women and their fourteen children sitting on the library parking lot.  All the shelters are full.  I propose that we bring the families here.  Three of the bedrooms upstairs are ready.  I called ahead and got a bed count.  We have fifteen beds made up and ready to go.  Tonight our guests brought linens, bath towels and wash cloths to the open house.  There are eight boxes of personal care items in the dining room corner.”

“I checked the boxes when June called, and we have enough personal care items to last 2-3 months,” said Bonnie with a big and encouraging smile.  “I have made a list that includes Pampers, baby wipes, and Kotex products.  We need groceries, a vacuum cleaner, a mop and two brooms  No one adopted the laundry room, so we need a regular and a large capacity washer and dryer.”

June added, “Jeff and I were talking about who we know and he believes we can have everything you need in a couple of days.  Jeff wants to give each woman a gift card so we can take them to Wal-Mart today to buy underwear and a couple of outfits for themselves and their children.”

“I called people from our guest list and ten of them are at the grocery stores shopping as we speak,” said Trisha, one of our former board members and a real organizer.  “The shoppers were here earlier for the open house, so they will deliver groceries tonight.  Staff and board members are on their way to put up groceries and help everyone get settled.”

I was speechless, but I had one question.  What to do about our inspection?  It was not scheduled for two more weeks.  Jeff smiled and told us not to worry.  He will represent us in getting that taken care of.  What else was there to say?  I reached for my phone to call Rita, but Grace read my mind and told me that the cars are in route to the new shelter, so we stood as one to go outside and welcome everyone.