by Sherie Keys
Oliver breathed a sigh of relief and though he looked somewhat afraid, he gave her a half smile and walked behind her to the door. He paused a moment and looked back at Beth, who beamed at him. “Good luck, Oliver!” she called out with a wave.
He waved back at her, and then Delphine walked side by side with him down the hall and out of the building. They got into her car, and he buckled himself up. She turned to him and gave him a friendly look.
“I was thinking that we could put you in school near my home; that way, you won’t fall behind in your studies, and maybe you could make some friends,” she began, wondering how he would take a change in schools. There was no way that he could live with her for a month on the west side of Manhattan and go to school in the middle of Harlem. It was much too far to travel every day.
“I’m going to be at a new school?” he asked, looking fearful again.
She nodded. “Yes, for the time that you’re with me. The school you’ve been going to is just too far away. I’m sorry.”
He bit at his lip again and turned his head to look out of the window. Delphine continued, “I was thinking though, that since you’re going to be starting at a new school, maybe we should head over to a few stores and get you some new school clothes and some new school supplies. You’re going to need them. What do you think? Could we go shopping together tonight? We can even eat out for dinner, since we’ll be out shopping.”
Oliver turned slowly and looked at her as if she was from another planet. “You’re going to take me shopping… for new clothes?” he asked in amazement.
“New clothes and new school supplies,” she added. He looked positively dumbfounded. “Do you want to do that?”
He nodded mechanically. “Yeah, sure. I want to do that,” he agreed quietly.
Delphine got them going on the road and noticed that he was silent and staring out of the window, his bear clutched to his stomach. She realized something, and she spoke with a gentle voice. “Have you ever gone shopping for new clothes?”
Oliver shook his head. “No,” he said simply.
She swallowed hard and blinked to hold back the tears that stung her eyes. “Well, this will be a first time for both of us then, because I’ve never taken anyone school shopping before. We can help each other figure it out.”
He turned to look at her, and the hint of a smile found his mouth again. They spent the whole night until the stores closed, shopping for clothes and school supplies, as well as a few toys and personal items. Oliver was uncertain at first how to go about shopping and he didn’t know how much he could get or what would be acceptable, but Delphine had deposited the check for a million dollars into her bank account and she knew that it would be available to her eventually. She told Oliver not to worry about what he was getting, that they would get whatever he needed, and he could splurge a little bit.
After the second store, they both got the hang of it, and the shopping trip became a little easier. When they were halfway through their shopping excursion, she stopped at a pizza restaurant, and Oliver had the time of his life ordering his own pizza his way. It seemed like everything was a first for him, just as much as it was for her, and they discovered together that they liked it, and that they liked each other.
When the shopping was done, Delphine took Oliver home and walked with him up the stairs; both of them carrying armloads of bags filled with all of his new things. He walked into the house with her, and she flipped on the lights and set the bags down in the middle of the foyer.
Oliver did the same and then stood up and looked around, seeming to get quiet again as he bit at his lip. Delphine noticed and put her hand on his shoulder. “What is it, Oliver?”
He was hesitant for a moment. “Is this all one home? Is this your home?”
She felt her heart tremble. “Yes, it’s all one home, and it was mine, but now it’s ours for the coming month. Mine and yours. We’re sharing it.”
Oliver nodded subtly. “It’s really nice,” he said, taking all of it in as he looked around. Delphine smiled.
“Thank you, I think it’s nice too.” Then, she bent to pick up the bags again. “Wow, we got a lot for you!” She laughed out loud.
He looked worried for a moment. “Did we get too much?” he asked, his eyes widening.
“Oh no, we got just what you needed, but next time we go shopping, we probably won’t be getting this much.” She gazed down at the massive pile of bags and shrugged.
“Next time?” he asked in astonishment. “We’re getting more?”
“Well, yes. I imagine you’ll probably wind up needing more things pretty soon.” Delphine turned her eyes to him. He just stared at the pile and gaped.
“I can’t believe it. I never had this much in my whole life, and now here’s all this… I just can’t see getting more. I’d never be able to carry more.” He shook his head and Delphine realized that he was thinking about how he had to carry all of his belongings with him. Her heart broke a bit more and she wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
“Well, we don’t have to think about that now. Let’s get this upstairs and get you settled in.” She bent and picked up most of the bags, and he carried the rest of them. Together, they went up the stairs, and when they got to the landing on the upper floor, she went into the first room and flipped the light on.
“This is the guest bedroom. It’s all ready; the sheets are clean, and there are fresh towels on the chair in the corner there. You have a desk where you can do homework, and there’s a dresser and closet where you can put all of your clothes. I can go buy a shelf for you to put some of your toys and books on. We’ll get you settled in and make this room comfortable for you.” Delphine turned and gave him a smile, but the smile faded quickly as she saw the stunned expression on his face as he stood still in the doorway.
He looked pained in a way, and she set all the bags down and went to him. “What’s on your mind?” she asked softly.
“It’s just… it’s all too much to believe,” he said in his small voice.
“What is?”
He raised his eyes and looked at her. “It’s too much to believe that after eight years anyone would finally want me. That I would come to a home like this, and have my own room, and new clothes and toys and things. Nobody’s wanted me since I was born. Always been in an orphanage. Just never thought it would happen. Can’t believe it. It’s too much.”
Delphine’s heart melted in her chest and she swallowed back her tears. With every bit of effort in her, she gave him a big smile. “We are both going to be getting used to living in a new way. We’ll sort it out and make it work for us.”
He nodded, and she tilted her head to one side. “Would you like me to help you put things away? You can choose where you put them. The room is yours, so you organize it any way that you like.”
Oliver shook his head. “No thank you. I’ll put it away.” He gave her a half smile, and she patted his shoulder.
“I’ll leave you to it, then. When you’re all settled I’ll be right down the hall in the next room. I’ll leave the door open. Just come get me and then I’ll show you around the house, okay?” She looked at him encouragingly.
“Okay. Thank you, Delphine,” he said her name for the first time, and it filled her heart with lightness.
She left him to unpack on his own and she went to her room, feeling as if she was walking on eggshells. She wasn’t sure just what she had done and if it was a good idea or not, but she did know that she had already made more good changes in Oliver’s life than he had ever had before, and that felt like a real change to her; a real difference, and she loved that. She was just going to have to take it a day at a time and see what came.
Oliver took a while putting things away, and Delphine stepped quietly down the hall to peek through the door and see how he was doing. He was taking each piece of clothing out and folding it just as neatly and nicely as he had seen it folded in the stores, and the putting them in the dresser drawers one at a time. There was a
pile of price tags on the bed, and in the corner by the door was a stack of the bags that all of his new things had come in. It made her feel good to know that she had given the boy things that he needed, liked, and truly appreciated. It gave her a sense of accomplishment, and she felt as if it was life changing for him.
As she saw him putting the last of it away, she knocked on the open door and walked in only as far as the doorway. Oliver looked up at her in surprise.
“Are you all set?” she asked, giving him an encouraging look. He nodded. Delphine reached for the pile of price tags on the bed. She tucked them into one of the bags by the door and then stuffed the rest of the bags into that one. “Do you have anything that you want to throw away?” she asked, noticing that his pillowcase was sitting in the corner by the closet, still half full.
Oliver shook his head. “No. There’s nothing I need to throw away,” he replied, and she realized that he wasn’t ready to let go of his old things, though at the same time he wasn’t ready to put them away with his new things, and she understood. He was in limbo, in transition. She knew that they were both in that same place, and so she said nothing about his pillowcase.
“Would you like a tour of the house now?” she asked, stepping back out into the hallway. Oliver nodded shyly. “You can use any part of this house anytime you want to, unless it’s past bedtime. We’ll work out some rules for you and see what works, but while you’re here, this house is your home, so I want you to be comfortable in it.”
“Okay. Thank you,” he said, following her as she gave him the tour. They went all over the upstairs, including her bedroom, and the downstairs, through the refrigerator and cupboards so that he knew where everything was, and then they settled on the sofa with some ice cream to talk about rules of the house and to get to know each other a little better. When their talk was done, they went upstairs, and she made sure that he brushed his teeth and got his pajamas on to go to bed.
As he put his toothbrush in the holder beside hers, he looked at them thoughtfully and then raised his eyes to hers. “This was the best day of my whole life,” he said with a bit more of a smile on his face. She knew that he meant it, and it touched her deeply. “I hope that we are a good match, because I like you. You’re a nice lady,” he added, a sparkle of hope in his eyes. She could only smile and nod at him, giving his shoulder a pat as they left the bathroom.
When he was settled in his bed with his teddy bear, she came in and read him a story, and before long he fell asleep. She rose from his bed and stared down at his small body at rest beneath the blankets, his head resting on the pillow. She couldn’t understand how anyone could have passed up raising such a sweet boy, but then she remembered that they were on trial for a month and she needed to truly see the month out to be sure that it was a good match for them both.
With morning came the first day of a new routine, a new schedule, a new life for them both. She made sure that he was dressed well and had all of his school supplies in his backpack, saying a silent prayer of thanks to the sales lady who had five children and knew just what they would need for Oliver to go to school. With lunch packed for him and a good breakfast in his stomach, they headed out of the door and went to the school a few blocks away.
“When I was in school, we had summers off,” Delphine explained to the receptionist in the school administration office.
“Me too,” she gave them a sunny smile. “But this is a year-round academy. The children go for six weeks, then have three weeks off, then back for another six weeks. Holidays are off as well, but we find that this kind of continuing schedule without a three-month break in the summer helps the students to retain more knowledge and to succeed better in their education goals.”
“Well we’re definitely interested in that. How far are you into the current term?” she asked, wondering how different her life would become being a full-time mother to an eight-year-old boy.
“We’ve just started it. We’re only three days in, so this is a good time to start,” she offered with a happy tone.
They got the paperwork done, had a tour of the school, and met Oliver’s new teacher at the first recess break. Oliver looked grateful that he was meeting her while the class was outside at recess. Delphine promised him that she would see him at the end of his school day, and that she would be outside to pick him up. He agreed, though he looked extremely nervous, and she waved goodbye to him, her heart pinching some as she left him in the classroom with his new teacher.
She called Justin as soon as she got home and had a cup of coffee in front of her. He answered right away.
“How is it?” he asked, diving right in.
“It’s so strange. It feels good and it feels really weird all at once. I have no idea what I’ve gotten myself into, but I think it’s a really good change for him,” she said with an uncertain tone.
“What kind of kid is he?” Justin’s curiosity was going full force.
“He’s good! He’s a really good kid who has been through some sad starter years. He’s respectful and thoughtful so far. He’s nervous about all the changes, but he’s hopeful and I can see how much he’s trying to make it work. Super cute. I guess we’ll see what a month brings.” She smiled, feeling her heart warm.
“I am really looking forward to meeting him. Speaking of meetings, we need to get our meeting with the investor going soon. How is your schedule?” he turned the conversation to business.
“With Oliver around since yesterday, the only thing that I’ve thought of is him. I’m sorry. I thought I’d spend today working on the renovation plans and see how far I got before I called about the meeting.” She reached for a large square of paper and laid it out on her table as she spoke.
“That sounds good. Get settled with Oliver and bring him by to meet me, maybe this afternoon if you get a chance. Show me what you’ve done with the renovation plans. I’ll be at the warehouse cleaning it up. We may not know quite what we’re doing with it yet, but at least I can start getting it ready for change. There’s a lot to do.” He sounded excited and serious at the same time.
“I’ll come by after I pick him up from school.” She paused a moment. “Wow. Did I just say that?” She laughed, and they said goodbye. Her world felt like it was upside and just right all at the same time.
Delphine worked on the renovation throughout the rest of the day until afternoon. She’d gotten a good deal done on it, but it wasn’t finished. Rolling it up into a tube, she took it with her and drove to the school. She was a little early, but she wanted to be right at the door when Oliver got out of class.
She waited for the bell to ring and wondered if mothers of other children were so worried about school. She hadn’t felt so worried about another person in a long time. It felt like eternity before the bell finally sounded, and when it did, she searched the crowd of children coming out of the school, looking for him.
Oliver came walking out slowly with two other boys. They were talking and gesturing animatedly with their hands, laughing with each other. She felt her heart jump into her throat and her eyes stung with tears again. He had his new backpack slung over his shoulder and for anyone else in the world, he looked just like any of the other kids, with nice clothes and shoes, clean and happy. Almost like he had a normal life. Deep inside her, she began to really want that for him, a normal life. He deserved it, and she knew that she could give it to him. His words from the night before haunted her thoughts. No one else had ever given him a chance. She wondered how different his life would be if she kept him as opposed to taking him back. She knew that it would be completely different, unless someone else adopted him. Beth had told her though, the older the kids in orphanages get, the less people want to take them into their homes.
Oliver looked up and saw her, and his face brightened with relief as a real smile formed on his face. He lifted his hand and waved at her, saying goodbye to the two boys he had been talking to. She waited for him to come to her, not wanting to embarrass him in front of the other kids by
rushing to him. He was beaming with joy.
“It looks like your first day of school went really well. Did you enjoy it? How did it go?” she asked, reaching her hand out to take his backpack. He let her carry it, and she knew that that was another step of trust for him.
“It was great! My teacher is really nice, and the other kids were nice too. I made some new friends. That was them. Josh and Brad. They sat by me in class, and played with me for afternoon recess, and I had lunch with them too.” He was bubbling on and on about all the details of the day, and she watched him and listened closely. It was like seeing a completely different kid than the one she had picked up from Beth’s office the day before.
“Do you want to come back tomorrow? Do you think that you will like it here?” she asked as they clicked their seatbelts and drove away from the school.