“You know I wouldn’t do it, right?” Robyn asked to be sure.
Joy turned back to her. “You did not know, so how could you, or why would you?”
“I just want you to know, I wouldn’t do something like that…ever. I care too much about you to turn your world upside down like that.”
“Yeah, it really sucks now,” she watched the protestations of the press as they were shoved back to the edge of the property. “Oh shit, I bet my family is going to show up next.” She sounded so sad that Robyn had to ask.
“What’s wrong with your family?”
Joy turned back to her. She couldn’t hold back now. Robyn needed to know everything about her. Could she trust her? Of course, she could. She had to trust someone. “They turned their backs on me when my parents died,” she said simply.
“They were grieving. Are you sure you weren’t upset too and didn’t see their concerns?” Robyn tried to defend these anonymous strangers, trying to see what a young Joy might have not seen.
Joy smiled and laughed a little at the naiveté. “They took everything from my parents’ house when they died, and I do mean everything: all the pictures, all the silverware, all their property, and then they sold the house. I had nowhere to live.”
“Didn’t one of them take you in? Is that when you went to live on the streets?” she asked, feeling concern for the younger Joy now. She dealt with this on a daily basis in her job, but she hadn’t heard this from her girlfriend. Looking at her in her fine clothes, it was hard to believe she had ever been on the streets.
“No, none of them. I have two brothers and two sisters. I grew up with them resenting me. I’ve analyzed it for years and I think they were jealous of the attention our parents gave me as the youngest. They were much older than me.”
“How much older?” She had moved so she was standing right next to the tall blonde, providing her comfort and support with her nearness.
Joy looked up as she thought about it. It had been years and it did not roll off her tongue as she had to think on it…hard. “Let’s see, Randall, he’s the oldest. He was seventeen when I was born. Then there is Cecelia, she’s…” she thought a second and said, “Fifteen years older. Patricia is fourteen years older and Stewart is twelve years older.”
“Wow, that’s a couple of generations in there. How old were your parents?”
“My mom was twenty-one when Randall was born and thirty-eight when I was born. I think it was harder when my brothers and sisters were growing up. Dad did not make as much money then. So, when I came along they had more because the others were leaving the house.”
“How do you know they resented you?”
Joy smiled again as she remembered. It no longer hurt, but the retelling of it sounded pathetic. “They used to do mean things to me like lock me in closets, pretending they did not know I was in there, and pinching me to make me cry. Stewart used to sit on me and fart on me. It was gross and I thought older brothers just did things like that. My sisters were pretty catty towards me, telling me I was fat or ugly, just criticizing everything I did. I finally just avoided them. I guess my parents spoiled me to a degree, but I did not know it. I just thought that was the way things were.”
Robyn was amazed to hear this side of the woman she had so admired. She had thought her the most sophisticated and ‘with it’ person she had ever met. Her own childhood without a father hadn’t been great, but this was a lot worse.
“When Mom and Dad died in that car crash, my siblings wouldn’t take me in. Instead, they said there was no money and made social services take me in. I went into foster care. It was gross…the houses, the people. No one wants a teenaged girl.”
“Did anyone try anything?” she asked. She knew what could happen in the system; the system was broken.
Joy nodded. “It’s why I went onto the streets at sixteen. I couldn’t take it anymore. I did not want to be around any of those people anymore. My family did not care about me, why should anyone in foster care? I managed to get a job, a couple of jobs as a bartender when I was eighteen. I was doing okay for a while there. I got my GED and I felt like I was going somewhere as I saved my pennies. Then something happened in the neighborhood where I was living and gang members or someone was after me. I couldn’t go home, I couldn’t work, so I went back to the streets. It was hard, but I had to do it. I couldn’t get into the shelters some nights and it was getting cold. We had an early freeze that November. One night, I was walking on Wisconsin Avenue and trying to keep warm, but the wind was blowing, you know how it does?” She waited for Robyn to nod before continuing. “I stopped at a drug store to warm up, but they wanted me out,” her memory of that night was kind of foggy. “I saw a five dollar bill on the ground and picked it up. That was a lot of money to me then. I should have bought food with it, but I went into a gas station and something compelled me,” she stopped again to raise her hand. “I swear, something or someone told me to buy a lottery ticket. So, I did, with that extra thing on it so it was taking up more of my found money. I put the ticket deep in my pocket and forgot about it as I had to find a place to sleep. I did not remember that ticket for like two weeks. Imagine my surprise when they said I had to take it down to the lottery office to claim it. They said they couldn’t pay over a certain amount. I think it was one thousand dollars or something like that. I went into the lottery office and I stank, I mean I stank bad,” she wrinkled her nose in remembrance.
Robyn laughed, remembering how they had met and how she stank then. They were a long way from that person. She smiled at the contrast, enjoying the story.
Just then Sue Ellen returned with half a dozen people and they picked up the boxes that were there, each taking one or two and leaving the office with them.
Momentarily distracted from her story as she waited for them to leave, she continued, “I bet they were overwhelmed by the fumes,” she laughed again. She went on with her story, telling about the shopping she had done to get herself started, the class she took in San Antonio that had led to going to Switzerland. She told her briefly about her stay at Château Mont-Choisi, the first school where she lived for one year and the Institut Château Beau-Cedre, the second school where she stayed for six weeks. Her tongue rolled off the names in French that made it sound so exotic and real to her listener. “I went on to the Universität in Geneva. I’ve made a lot of contacts and friends there. I even took private lessons to make me what I am. And now, I sit here in Milwaukee again, where it all started,” she finished with a smile, holding out her hands as though in surrender.
“My God, you’ve lived a life,” she marveled. “No wonder you seem so prissy sometimes,” she teased.
“Prissy? Moi?” she said, as her well-manicured hand came up to her chest in mock horror.
They shared a laugh. “I’m almost glad this morning happened so we could share this,” Robyn told her.
“It doesn’t change your opinion of me? Of us?”
Robyn put her arms around her girlfriend, around her boss, “No, it just makes me love you more because of everything you’ve been through. If you lost it all tomorrow, I’d still be proud of you and proud to be called your girlfriend.”
“You love me?” was all Joy could say of those declarations because that was all she had heard, nothing else.
Robyn nodded. “How could I make love with you, sweet, sweet love, and not fall in love with you? The woman, not the money.” She shook her head at the silliness of it all. “I hope you will believe me when I say that I really didn’t worry about the money. I knew you had it, I wondered after all, but knowing how much it was,” she shrugged, “that doesn’t matter.”
Joy put her own arms around the smaller woman. “Thank you for that. I think I love you too.”
“You think?” she pretended mock outrage.
Joy smiled, holding Robyn tighter as she tried to get away. “I will let you know when I know.”
Robyn stopped squirming and smiled up at the blonde. “You do that,” she
teased, and reached up for a kiss. They both heard the team returning to empty the office and broke apart.
“Let me show you to your office,” Joy offered and led Robyn out of the trailer and away from the reporters on the other side.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Robyn was ecstatic. If she had designed the perfect office, the perfect facility, this would be it. The ‘town’ as they were calling it for now, would house three hundred people when it was finished. It was its own little community within a community. The office area itself was airy and light in vibrant and happy colors.
“They did a whole study on the importance of colors in offices,” Joy explained to her as she showed her around. “Happy colors make happy workers.”
Robyn could believe her. Her own office looked out on a courtyard where vegetables were growing and trellises were going up to grow more. Another office looked out on some of the hydroponics. They were within a greenhouse type of overhang that would keep the fish alive during the winter months and provide growing pods for the vegetables during the harsh weather that Wisconsin could experience. There were fountains that provided water to the various gardens that surrounded all the homes. Every square inch was to the benefit the community, even the playground where the children were free to run was enclosed in such a way that in winter, the plastic could be lowered and they had indoor places to play.
“That will be finished in time for winter,” she pointed to the playground.
“The houses though,” Robyn pointed out that the little sheds that constituted ‘mini-houses’ were quaint but very, very small. They were like a mini-village within their town, some of the gardeners and landscapers, utilizing the extra work force in the form of the homeless, were even now laying out sod, grasses, and gardens.
“Some people do not need much,” Joy pointed out. “We will be giving those out first along with the family dwellings on this end that are done. Those who have worked on the site get first right of refusal.” She knew some of those workers who had earned money on this project had already moved out of the shelters and into their own places.
They took a full tour around the property. A wall had gone up surreptitiously around the entire place under the guise of foliage, trellises, and usable space. There were solar panels on every roof of every dwelling; some of the workers, including the homeless, were installing them now. “Do you know how much hot water that can heat?” she said, pointing to just one panel.
“When are you going to tell the press about this?” she held out her arms to encompass the village.
“I had hoped next week, but I do not want me to be the main story. It’s about these people,” her nod took in the working homeless, working towards their own future homes and jobs. “They did this and they get this. I just provided the funds and the opportunity. We will see if this great experiment works. Your job will be to see that they feel comfortable in their new homes and get off the drugs and alcohol. We want them to keep their jobs and move on from here so we can help others. We want them to succeed.”
“I’ll do what I can,” Robyn promised as she looked about in wonder at all they had accomplished. She had seen Joy help to dig up some of the beds, even planting flowers that provided beauty. “It’s food for the eye,” she told a mother with her children as they helped her. The children had learned the hard way how harsh the streets could be. They looked forward to the time they didn’t have to shower in the shower trailer Joy provided on site or eat and sleep at the shelter, if they could find the room. Even now, some of the vegetables grown in the gardens here in The Town were being sent over to the shelters for the benefit of all.
“They’ll be digging up site B next week and moving the contractors there so we can keep people working,” she explained. “Next spring, one of the shelters will come down and next summer the second will fall. I hope they will take down the third in the fall, but we may have to keep it up until the following spring.”
“Will you be staying that long?” Robyn asked gently. She knew, especially after Joy’s story, she had a lot of ties in Europe.
“I have a reason to stay here indefinitely,” Joy said, looking directly at Robyn meaningfully.
They both were happier after the long tour around the facility.
“Ms. Parker, ma’am,” one of the workers approached her as they took a shortcut through the little houses back toward the offices.
“Yes, Barney, isn’t it?” she asked with a smile.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said as he removed his carpenter’s cap from his head in respect. “I think someone’s already living in one of the houses,” his nod took in one of the little houses.
Joy looked where he nodded and saw what looked like someone in a window, but they quickly hid. She sighed. This site had heavy security at night as so many wanted to live here, and they had not had their full inspections. “Could you come with me, Barney?” she asked as she turned to walk toward the little house. “Robyn, could you go get one of the contractors we saw working earlier…and quickly?” she added as she saw her nod and head off at a near run in the opposite direction.
“You there, come out. We saw you,” she called into the occupied house. No one answered. She did not expect them to. She tried the one door and it was locked, as all the houses should be. Next, she went around to try the back door as each house had two exits in case of emergency. As she reached for the door, she heard the distinctive click of the lock under her hand. “Hey, that’s cheating,” she said in a joking manner. “C’mon, we know you’re in there. You can’t stay there. Come out this instant!” she called in an authoritative voice. She really did not expect anyone to come out, she knew she wouldn’t if she had been caught this way. She was surprised when the door unlocked and a big brute of a man opened it.
“Whatcha want?” he asked rudely.
“You are in my house and I want you to get out,” she answered, just as rudely.
“Your house?” he asked, sounding confused.
“Yes, it’s my house,” she confirmed, sounding angry. “You are trespassing, sir, and I want you out immediately!” Barney made a move as though he was going to go forward, but she put her arm out to stop him. “You have not earned your house and this is not the way to get one. There is a process and you aren’t allowed in there.”
“I ain’t leavin’,” he said belligerently and went to slam the door in her face.
Joy was quicker and she winced as he slammed the door on her Prada shoe. “Dammit, that hurt,” she said with a little more force than she had to. The man scared her. His sheer size alone was intimidating. She slammed the door back with her hand flat on it and it bounced against him. He was surprised as he towered over her tall frame. “I told you to get out of my house and I meant it,” she told him angrily.
“Whatcha gonna do about it?” he demanded, but the tone had changed slightly. He was not used to anyone questioning what he did.
“I’m going to ask you once more to leave. If you do not, you will never qualify for one of these homes. You have to wait your turn just like everyone else. Have you worked for it? Did you help build these houses like the others who have first choice?” Her hands outstretched, encompassed all they had built around them.
Her questions seemed to confuse him at first and then, the meaning began to penetrate his mind as he considered them. “No, I didn’t help,” he grudgingly admitted. “But why can’t I have one?” his belligerence was back.
“You have to work for them. If you like, I will introduce you to one of the contractors and you can tell him what you can do to earn one.”
“You’d do that?” He was surprised. People didn’t usually do things for him unless he demanded it; he was used to intimidating them into doing what he wanted. She was treating him with more respect than he was used to.
“Of course, I will,” she nodded. “But, you must vacate these premises now.” She did not add that if he didn’t leave, they would drag him off the property and probably have him arrested and thrown i
n jail for trespassing. That would not be a good start for her foundation. The press would really make a story out of that. Her heart was beating painfully in her chest as she confronted the big bully.
“Okay,” he said suddenly, reaching for a bag that he had on the floor near the installed couch. He followed her out and she marched towards one of the builders. “Frank?” she called when she saw him, and he looked up from where he was showing someone how to nail joists together. “Do you think you might talk with this guy?” her thumb took in the big hulk that had followed her from the house. She turned to him. “What is your name?”
Surprised at the respect she had shown him, and the trust, he answered gruffly without thinking, “Dan.”
“Dan is looking for a job. He would like to find out what he can do to earn a house in our village. Could you see what he might be good at?”
Frank smiled, as this was not the first time she had asked such a question. The work program she had instituted from the beginning was working well. If someone didn’t work out in one section of the program, they were tried in others. Few, if any, washed out in all sections. Sometimes they had to try several fits until they found something they enjoyed or were good at, but there was plenty to do. “Hi, Dan. C’mon over here and let’s see what you got,” he made a come-hither motion with his hand and went back to work.
“Good luck, Dan. Please follow the rules and let’s see what we can do to earn you a place to live,” Joy told him as she held out her hand to be shaken.
Again, surprise on his face, Dan found himself shaking the tall blonde’s hand. “Thank you,” he said gruffly, his voice showing that he was not used to saying the words. She smiled up at him as she firmly shook his hand.
Joy watched momentarily as he hesitated and then put his bag down at his feet as he joined Frank and the other people he was training. She turned and went back to the house he had been occupying. “We’ll have to make sure this is cleaned and figure out how he entered,” she told Robyn when she saw her. “Let’s have Sue Ellen look into this,” she sighed.
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