SIX
M ary had a long talk with three of her employers about giving up her work. They were nice, but she knew they didn’t really understand why Mary had to quit working for them.
One asked if the money wasn’t enough, and offered a substantial raise if Mary would stay on.
That was just too hard to turn down. Mary agreed to stay, but she was adamant about the other two jobs. She explained that if she had another stress attack, it could be much worse, and she had her kids to think about. She had to stay healthy so that she could get them all through school. Her doctor had insisted that she had to give up some work. In the end, they accepted her decision and even gave her severance pay.
Matt was delighted that she was following doctor’s orders. “We get to keep you around for a while, right, kids?” he asked them when they were all enjoying hamburgers after a particularly great fantasy movie on their Saturday out.
“Right!” they chorused.
“It’s been a super evening, Matt. Thanks again.”
He smiled warmly at her. “It’s only the second of many,” he said easily, finishing his hamburger. “I see a pleasant future for us.”
“Us?” she teased lightly.
“Us,” he agreed. “We’ll be best friends for a couple of years and then I’ll follow you around Phoenix on one knee with a ring in my hand until you say yes.”
She laughed delightedly. “I just might hold you to that,” she murmured.
“We can carry your bouquet,” Ann enthused.
“And tie tin cans to the bumper of the car we haven’t got yet,” Bob added, tongue-in-cheek.
“We can take care of him when he’s sick,” Ann added in her sensible way.
Matt gave Ann a beaming smile. “And I can take care of all of you, when you need it.”
“I might be a policeman one day myself,” Bob mused.
It was nice to see that the children liked Matt as much as she did. It wasn’t wise to look too far down unknown roads.But she felt comfortable and secure with Matt. So did the children. He was truly one of a kind. She had a feeling that it would all work out just perfectly one day.
“Deep thoughts?” Matt mused.
“Very nice ones, too,” she replied, and she smiled at him.
Her new job was more fulfilling than anything she’d done in her life. She felt a sense of accomplishment when she and her volunteers—many of them, now—carried food to the legions of hungry people around town.
More newspaper interviews had followed, including stories about her co-workers, which made her feel like part of a large, generous family. Which, in effect, the food bank was.
“You know,” she told Tom one afternoon, “I never dreamed that I’d be doing this sort of job. It’s like a dream come true.”
“I understand how you feel,” he replied, smiling. “All of us who became involved in this work are better people for having been able to do it. The more we give, the more we receive. And not just in material ways.”
“Yes,” she said. “There’s no greater gift than that of giving to other people.”
He nodded.
She glanced at her watch and gasped. “Goodness, I have to get on the road! Mr. Harvey, did I ever tell you how grateful I am to have this job?”
“Only about six times a day,” he murmured dryly. “We’re happy to have you working for us, Mary.”
“I’ll get on my rounds. Good night, Mr. Harvey.”
He smiled. “Good night, Mary.”
She went out the door with a list of her pickups and deliveries in one hand, her mind already on the evening’s work. Matt was on duty tonight, Bob and Ann were at sports competitions, John was with Tammy, who’d agreed to pick up Bob and Ann at the games—her kids were playing, as well. Mary could pick them up on the way home.
Home. She thought of the neat little house she was now living in with her kids, rent free, and of the nice used compact car she’d been able to afford. It didn’t seem very far away that she and the children had been living on the streets, with no money, no
M ary had a long talk with three of her employers about giving up her work. They were nice, but she knew they didn’t really understand why Mary had to quit working for them.
One asked if the money wasn’t enough, and offered a substantial raise if Mary would stay on.
That was just too hard to turn down. Mary agreed to stay, but she was adamant about the other two jobs. She explained that if she had another stress attack, it could be much worse, and she had her kids to think about. She had to stay healthy so that she could get them all through school. Her doctor had insisted that she had to give up some work. In the end, they accepted her decision and even gave her severance pay.
Matt was delighted that she was following doctor’s orders. “We get to keep you around for a while, right, kids?” he asked them when they were all enjoying hamburgers after a particularly great fantasy movie on their Saturday out.
“Right!” they chorused.
“It’s been a super evening, Matt. Thanks again.”
He smiled warmly at her. “It’s only the second of many,” he said easily, finishing his hamburger. “I see a pleasant future for us.”
“Us?” she teased lightly.
“Us,” he agreed. “We’ll be best friends for a couple of years and then I’ll follow you around Phoenix on one knee with a ring in my hand until you say yes.”
She laughed delightedly. “I just might hold you to that,” she murmured.
“We can carry your bouquet,” Ann enthused.
“And tie tin cans to the bumper of the car we haven’t got yet,” Bob added, tongue-in-cheek.
“We can take care of him when he’s sick,” Ann added in her sensible way.
Matt gave Ann a beaming smile. “And I can take care of all of you, when you need it.”
“I might be a policeman one day myself,” Bob mused.
It was nice to see that the children liked Matt as much as she did. It wasn’t wise to look too far down unknown roads.But she felt comfortable and secure with Matt. So did the children. He was truly one of a kind. She had a feeling that it would all work out just perfectly one day.
“Deep thoughts?” Matt mused.
“Very nice ones, too,” she replied, and she smiled at him.
Her new job was more fulfilling than anything she’d done in her life. She felt a sense of accomplishment when she and her volunteers—many of them, now—carried food to the legions of hungry people around town.
More newspaper interviews had followed, including stories about her co-workers, which made her feel like part of a large, generous family. Which, in effect, the food bank was.
“You know,” she told Tom one afternoon, “I never dreamed that I’d be doing this sort of job. It’s like a dream come true.”
“I understand how you feel,” he replied, smiling. “All of us who became involved in this work are better people for having been able to do it. The more we give, the more we receive. And not just in material ways.”
“Yes,” she said. “There’s no greater gift than that of giving to other people.”
He nodded.
She glanced at her watch and gasped. “Goodness, I have to get on the road! Mr. Harvey, did I ever tell you how grateful I am to have this job?”
“Only about six times a day,” he murmured dryly. “We’re happy to have you working for us, Mary.”
“I’ll get on my rounds. Good night, Mr. Harvey.”
He smiled. “Good night, Mary.”
She went out the door with a list of her pickups and deliveries in one hand, her mind already on the evening’s work. Matt was on duty tonight, Bob and Ann were at sports competitions, John was with Tammy, who’d agreed to pick up Bob and Ann at the games—her kids were playing, as well. Mary could pick them up on the way home.
Home. She thought of the neat little house she was now living in with her kids, rent free, and of the nice used compact car she’d been able to afford. It didn’t seem very far away that she and the children had been living on the streets, with no money, no
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