Wayward Paths and Golden Handcuffs

by S.J. Thomason

  Nick looked at his mom, who was taking notes on her tablet. She said, “So, the five homes each provide shelter for sixteen children?”

  “Yes, each home features eight bedrooms, double occupancy. We’ve considered triple occupancy, but we feel that a larger occupancy would make socialization more difficult for our already challenged children. When there are three, one is often left out.”

  “To shelter an additional three hundred, you’d need a hundred and fifty bedrooms of double occupancy. If each home provided ten bedrooms, an additional fifteen homes could satisfy those needs, right?”

  “Ten bedrooms could be difficult. The homes would need to be redesigned and we’d have to add another staff member for each home,” Joan said. She pulled out an income statement and a balance sheet, which documented all of the financials associated with running the foster home.

  Catherine took the paperwork and placed it down in front of her on the table. “Let me take a moment to study the numbers. You can continue the conversation as I’ll keep my ears tuned in.”

  Damien said, “Well, let me just say that we appreciate your interest in Collins. This place is so rewarding. I started here as a volunteer and made my way onto the board. I find giving and serving so much more rewarding than receiving and taking.”

  “Amen to that,” Janet added.

  Michael added, “We do the best that we can to ensure that our children make a positive difference in this world, and making a difference in their lives makes a difference in our lives. Whew. Lots of differences and here we’re all working together.”

  Nick chuckled. He’d responded to each of them with a nod of approval as his mom continued with her review of the numbers.

  She looked up. “These numbers seem reasonable and in line with my expectations of a facility of this type. I’ve been studying your organization for a short while and am interested in your mission. I love what you’re doing for the children.”

  Joan added, “Children are our future and the future of our world is in their hands. Aside from providing them with a safe and secure environment, we try to do what we can here at Collins to guide their future paths by instilling Christian values and identifying and utilizing their callings and gifts. Our late founder Barbara was all about identifying their spiritual gifts and blessings to help them develop their futures.”

  “I applaud your work and the work of your founder, Barbara Collins,” Catherine said. “I had the great privilege of listening to her when she served as the key note presenter at the Orange Bay Annual Women’s Luncheon a couple of months ago.” She looked at Nick and grabbed his hand. “Nick and I would like to provide some of the funding that you need for an expansion. What we can’t fund, we’ll raise. I have numerous connections in the region who would be happy to contribute to this excellent cause.”

  “Wow!” Janet exclaimed. “That’s wonderful news.”

  The board members glanced around the table as they nodded their heads with wide smiles before looking back at Catherine and Nick. Joan offered a hearty “God bless you two and God bless the children! You’ve answered our prayers.” She paused and said with a slight chuckle, “Perhaps Barbara is up there by his side cheering us on too.”

  “God inspired us to be here and we’re so glad to have this opportunity,” Nick said in a serious tone.

  Catherine said, “Can we take this list of expenses and any architectural plans you’ve drawn up for the current homes or for additional homes to our people? We’d like to iron out some specifics and numbers in the next couple of days. And I’ll need to make some calls to a few of my friends from the Chamber and Fox ‘n Fields. Would you be willing to meet again on Thursday?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Excellent. We’ll see you then,” Catherine said. “It was a great pleasure meeting with all of you.”

  “Likewise,” Joan replied.

  “Yes, we’re honored indeed,” Damien said.

  She and Nick got up, shook hands, and walked out. Nick could feel the excitement in the room as he exited and walked down the hallway with his mom to the front door. Feeling a mix of passion and joy, he smiled. His mom was smiling too, seeming truly happy.

  “Giving is always superior to receiving,” he said.

  “Definitely.”

  Chapter 28

  The Divine Intervention

  A few weeks later on a late Tuesday afternoon, Nick was having a snack in the kitchen when the phone rang.

  “Hello,” he said.

  “Hi, this is Joan Landers. Is this Nick?”

  “Yes.”

  “Nick, I’m thrilled to report that they’ve broken ground on the new home sites and facilities this morning and they’ve completed the roads. The general contractor tells me that everything should be ready by December 15th, God willing. I’m so excited Nick! I’m now in the process of filling the vacancies with the kids who have the greatest needs in the county. Fifty kids. We’ll be sure to keep siblings together to make the transitions easier. This is amazing. We’ll certainly need to plan a celebration come December. It will be a Merry Christmas indeed!”

  “That’s excellent news, Joan. We’re thrilled too. I’ll let my mom know when she gets back from her doctor’s appointment. There’s nothing better than giving kids the lives they deserve.”

  “Nothing better, Nick. Nothing better. And many thanks to you and your mom. You’ve made a difference in the lives of so many children.”

  “Thank you Joan.”

  ***

  Just over an hour later, Catherine and nurse Fey arrived home from her appointment with the doctor. She was going to be given an update on the success of her first round of chemo based on the x rays and scans she’d just taken. Nick watched her closely as she slowly entered the kitchen and walked into the family room, followed by nurse Fey. He wanted to gauge her mood to figure out how he should respond.

  “Nick, I have news.”

  “Yeah?” He looked at her but couldn’t determine whether she was in a good mood or a bad mood. Maybe she was concealing something. That wasn’t good. He watched her as she sauntered a little closer to him in the family room and stopped just in front of him. He got up from the couch and gave her a gentle hug. Nurse Fey remained in the kitchen, watching the two.

  “What’d you find out Mom?”

  “Well,” she said solemnly, and then paused for Nick’s reaction. Nick felt as if she were about to drop the death bomb. She continued, “I met with the doctor, who went over my x-rays and scans. Nick,” she said in a slightly upbeat tone, “the cancer’s still there, but it’s receded by 50%. The good news is that I’m done with chemo treatments for six weeks and within a week or so, I should feel well enough to return to work, part-time. And this time, the doctor said there’s a chance that I could beat this thing.”

  Nick took a huge breath and sighed, “That’s good news, right Mom?”

  “Yeah. A little good news never hurts. But keep praying for me.”

  “You know I will.” He hugged her tightly and looked upward, saying a prayer in his thoughts for her recovery.

  “Nick, I hate to say this but my ribs are still a little sore.”

  “Oh, sorry about that.” He released her and backed up about a foot.

  Nurse Fey said, “I’m praying for you too, Catherine.”

  “Well I have good news for you and Fey too. They broke ground on the first five home sites today. The roads are complete and they anticipate that everything will be done by December 15th.”

  “Excellent. That’s just after your graduation. We’ll have to plan two parties!”

  “No Mom, I disagree. How about one celebration of the home sites with all of your friends and all of my friends, new and old, and of course you, Nurse Fey? Graduations happen every semester, but how often do you hear about a family who helped fifty kids at Christmas time by providing them all homes? We should throw a huge celebration with all of the staff and the kids
in the foster home. I can already see the lights and the tables and the crowd and the Christmas tree and a gigantic Nativity scene, which would dwarf the Christmas tree. We’ll place it smack dab in the center of the lawn in the middle of the home sites in the big play area. We can light it up with all sorts of bright colors: red, green, yellow, blue, purple, and more. And we’ll play traditional Christmas songs and contemporary Christian music all night long. “Silent night,” “Joy to the World,” “Away in a Manger,” and all of the good contemporary songs. Happy birthday Jesus!”

  “Love it, Nick. And why not have the party double as a fundraiser for the children and more homes? I’ve been able to secure some funding already, but a fundraiser always helps to secure more. I’ll call some of my connections with deep pockets.”

  “Great plan!”

  “Agreed,” Nurse Fey added.

  “We’re going to have a blessed life Nick, a life of giving.”

  “Amen to that,” Nick said as he smiled at his mom and Nurse Fey.

  “Yes, amen,” Nurse Fey added.

  Chapter 29

  The Surprises

  Wednesday, July 23rd, began in an ordinary way. Nick got out of bed, showered and dressed before heading into the kitchen for breakfast. He made himself a plate of eggs and sausage and downed a glass of orange juice before his mom came into the kitchen at 6:30. She entered the room with a bright smile.

  “Top of the morning to you, Mom!”

  “Top of the morning indeed. It’s a little rainy outside, but I imagine it’ll let up by the afternoon. I’m heading back to work today. Thrilled about that.”

  “Yeah, we’ll probably head inside of the sports complex today for a little basketball. If it lets up and the fields dry, we’ll get to play football. The kids like basketball too, so either option’s cool.”

  Nick strolled over to the front door and headed outside to retrieve the newspaper, which was waiting for him at the end of the driveway. The morning was misty and the air thick and hot, which wasn’t unusual in the Florida summer. Nick picked up the newspaper and pulled off its wet plastic wrapping while simultaneously skimming the headlines. The most prominent headline didn’t get his attention, but an article just below it did: “Husband’s Accidental Shooting by Wife Perhaps Not Accidental.”

  “Crap,” he said when he saw the picture of Braedon Ramsey. “They leaked it anyway.”

  He folded the paper to conceal the headlines and headed back into the house.

  “Gotta use the bathroom. Be right back,” he shouted as he headed upstairs.

  The article discussed the alleged accidental shooting by Tricia Ramsey, who said she was an active member of the Fellowship Church. She sung in the choir, taught Sunday school classes, and was an active volunteer there for years. Her husband, an independent press photographer and reporter, had had at least one affair with the CEO of Fox ‘n Fields, Catherine O’Brien. Text messages indicated that the two had dated, confirmed by O’Brien by police investigators. O’Brien further indicated that she was unaware that Mr. Ramsey had a wife or children. He’d indicated to her that his wife had passed away of cancer a couple of years before they met. She’d broken off their short relationship soon after it started.

  “Those cops are the worst,” Nick thought. “They told her it wouldn’t be leaked. Now Mom looks like an adulterer, though she didn’t even know he had a wife.”

  He flipped the paper open to page 7 to read the continuation of the story. There he saw the picture of Tricia Ramsey and her two twin daughters in front of a Christmas tree. Braedon Ramsey wasn’t pictured in that shot, which appeared to be professional.

  “Cute girls. Pretty Mom.”

  The story ended with the comment that Tricia Ramsey was 5 1/2 months pregnant when the shooting occurred and that investigators were trying to determine whether the incident was accidental, provoked, or premeditated. They couldn’t determine whether she had read the text messages or had knowledge of the affair. An investigation was underway.

  Nick studied the picture of Tricia Ramsey and reflected on the story. She had indicated that she was an active member of the same church he attended, yet he didn’t recall seeing her there in the choir. The choir captured much of his attention during the service since they generated much of the excitement in the church.

  “Nope, don’t recall seeing her in the church. Maybe she sings in a different service.”

  He studied her picture and then remembered something.

  “Mom needs to see this.”

  ***

  A short while later, after his mom read the article, Nick said, “Look at her picture. Does she look familiar to you?”

  He watched her as she studied the picture of Tricia Ramsey by the Christmas tree with her children and slowly shook her head.

  “Mom, is she the same woman we saw on the boat with the governor last month?”

  “Sure looks like it. I like to think that I never forget a face and I distinctly recall her face as she smiled at us that day. That’s the same big smile. Now the mistress has a name: Tricia Ramsey. And she was visibly pregnant then, consistent with a pregnancy at four and a half months.” She paused and appeared to be reflecting on the situation.

  “Didn’t you say that the governor’s mistress had been pregnant before?

  “Yes, I did.”

  “I wonder if those twins are his. Look at their hair. His same hair color. Braedon had dark hair and eyes, and those kids have reddish hair and light skin and eyes. Tricia has brown hair and a darker complexion than those kids…”

  “Nick, I don’t know what to do about this. I hardly want to out the married governor. He’s a powerful man and I’ve been supporting him for the past few years. We’ve raised all kinds of money for his campaign and the election is only a few months away.”

  “I’m not sure what to do either. But what I do know is that I saw her with the governor and the last time I saw Braedon was at the church. He was there a couple of weeks ago and I saw him standing in a line waiting to shake the pastor’s hand. I never saw her in the church, Mom, and she told the press that she sings in the choir. I’ll bet.”

  “I’ll need to think about this Nick. And we need to think of their children. Would they be better off without their mother, because she could be imprisoned? Where would they go? And what about her unborn child?”

  “Maybe Governor Kinnaird needs to worry about that. He’s probably freaking out right now. Dirt bag.”

  “I’m sure he is. Hopefully there are other witnesses aside from us who can report this to the police.”

  “What if no one does? Who wants to go up against a powerful governor with billions at his disposal? And Mom, think about it. This could cost him the election.”

  “True,” she said as she shook her head.

  “Do you still support his platform? His opponent would be better for the people. Michael Clark supports education and the environment and children’s programs and welfare programs.”

  “They’ve always painted Clark to be a bleeding heart tree hugger. And welfare programs often discourage working. Those programs are bloated and in need of serious reform.”

  “Yeah…well which candidate do you think is most likely to work on reforming them while still working in the best interests of the people of Florida?”

  “I don’t know. I guess you’re asking which is the lesser of two evils. Nick, I need to think things over. I’m still not sure what to do here.”

  “Okay, Mom. Well, I gotta get to work soon and I know you do too. Let’s talk more tonight.”

  ***

  On his way home from the summer camp, Nick stopped at the grocery store and picked up a steak, some shrimp, pasta, and salad items so that he could surprise his mom with a nice dinner when she got home. He knew she’d be home around 7 p.m., so he had some time to make preparations.

  He cleared the centerpiece from the dining room table and set out candles, along wi
th their best china from the china cabinet, glasses, and silverware. Classical music played softly in the background as he marinated the shrimp in a light blend of dill and herbs and the steak in a garlicky, pepper seasoning. Everything was ready for the grill around 6:45, but he put the steaks on first, since they took longer to cook. Then he boiled and prepared the bowtie pasta with a touch of butter and parmesan cheese. The shrimp were added last. Finally, he tossed an arugula and spinach salad with raisins and pecans with a small spritz of Asian ginger dressing.

  By the time his mom walked through the garage door at 7:15, everything was ready.

  “Wow. Nick, you’ve outdone yourself,” she said with a wide grin as she approached the table and put her briefcase down on the counter. “What’s gotten into you? You’ve never cooked up a meal like this before for me.”

  “Well, I thought we should celebrate your first day back at work. I love you Mom.”

  “I love you too. Thank you. This all smells delicious.” She sat down at the table next to him and folded her napkin on her lap.

  “Nick, I think we need to say grace.

  “I agree.”

  “Thank you Lord for everything you’ve blessed us with in our lives and for all of the people and the opportunities around us. Please help us to avoid wayward paths and to fulfill our missions in your name as we strive to grow closer to you and to walk with you. Thank you for this meal, Lord, and for my son, for whom I’m forever grateful. Amen.”

  “Amen to that.”

  “Nick, I was thinking of ways to deal with the governor’s mistress issue on my drive home when a line popped into my head.”

  “Yeah. What was it?”

  “And the truth will set you free.”

  “That simplifies things. So we can report how we saw her on the boat to the police?”