Warning: The next two chapters may break your heart. Please vote and comment after reading.
Chapter 11
Board and advisory board members had met a few weeks after the board training for a special meeting called by Board President, June Baker.
June was a tall, shapely woman with a honey brown complexion. She carried herself in a stately manner befitting royalty. The members joked that she probably slept in her high heels, since no one could remember ever seeing her in flats, tennis shoes, or low heels. For that matter, no one had seen her wear the same shoes twice. A buyer for Macy’s, she often traveled and purchased her extensive wardrobe from many areas of the world.
June had a passion for victims of domestic violence after losing her niece, whose husband had killed her and then himself. Heartbroken because her family had not recognized the signs of abuse and provided intervention, June determined that she would become part of a program helping other battered women. She saw Irene on television as part of a panel discussing domestic violence following the death of a woman and her two children at the hands of a jealous boyfriend. June had written down the telephone number for A Sister’s Place and called the next day to volunteer. She staffed the phones, answering hot line calls from women fleeing violence in their homes. It broke her heart to refuse shelter to a caller because their 24 beds were full.
June was speaking to a woman early one Sunday morning, giving her telephone numbers for other shelters, when she heard a booming voice demanding to know who the caller was talking to. The man took the phone and began to yell and curse at June, who could hear the woman crying in the background. She didn’t respond to any of the insults and finally he said, “Well, you don’t have to say anything, but you can sit there and listen to me kick her stupid ass. I run this mother, and I’m going to show her who is the boss.”
June could hear the blows and hear the woman’s cries that soon turned to screams. She left the phone line open while she called 911 on a cell phone to get help for the victim. As evidence of that person’s need for an immediate response, June put the hotline phone up to her cell phone and let the operator hear the beating the woman was receiving. It was difficult to listen to, but June remained on the line until she heard the door bell ringing and banging on the door as police demanded entrance. She heard a police officer call for an ambulance before the line went dead.
After that incident, June felt she had to do more. She determined that A Sister’s Place needed more space, more beds, more everything. That day she knew she could help much more as a board member to raise funds for major expansion. She joined the Board of Directors and the next year, when the current president had a job transfer to Huntsville, Alabama, June was elected President, based on her hard work and vision.
One year later, June had called an emergency meeting at the Normandy library located near the shelter. Irene arrived, restless after a night of worrying about whether June or anyone else was resigning from the board. She was pleased with the fundraising so far. Over a third of the nine hundred thousand dollars needed had already been raised. Currently, a concert featuring Jill Scott was in the works and everyone was encouraged and pleased with the job June was doing. Her energy was contagious and she had learned early to tap into Jeff’s contacts and resources.
June arrived close to the noon meeting time. Three executive board members were still missing, but June explained that they were waiting for everyone at another location and would we all come with her. She asked to drive Irene’s van and the members got in. They pulled out of the lot and turned left into Natural Bridge Road traffic. She continued east to New Florissant Road and moved into the left turn lane. After the turn, Irene watched as familiar sites were passed, including St. Vincent’s, which provided a program for homeless families. She recognized the animal hospital on her left where Oso went for his shots and tests. As she looked at the hospital, June slowed and turned into a gated property on a hill just beyond the animal hospital. Irene had passed this property many times and admired it. She often wondered who lived in the house on the hill surrounded by black iron gates. From the road she could see the trees that lined the property on that side. More trees were located on the spacious lawn. June pulled to the back of the property where there were several parking spaces in front of a walkway leading to a door. Beyond the parking spaces, the driveway continued to circle the house. As they walked to the door, Irene saw the rear ends of two cars. There was something familiar about the cars, she thought, when the door opened and they were greeted by the owner of one of the cars. A black Cadillac Escalade.
Jeffery Evans had opened the door and he immediately made eye contact with Irene. The love and joy on his face was unmistakable as he smiled at her with a wicked grin. June locked arms with him in the hallway, and then turned to face everyone behind her.
“The executive board of A Sister’s Place would like to welcome you to what we hope and pray will be the next home of our shelter. Thanks to Jeffery Evans, we have found an unbelievable deal in this property. We want you to tour the building. Afterwards we can meet in the dining room to discuss the proposal to purchase this property. Irene, will you join me as we begin the tour?”
Irene was leaning against the wall, feeling overwhelmed and a bit faint. She was replaying what June had just said, looking in Jeff’s eyes and trying to continue standing on her feet. As if to read her mind, Jeff stepped behind her and put his arm around her shoulders, while another member took her hand. Together they helped Irene reach June, who took the other hand. They walked to the other end of the hall which opened into a foyer. The floor was cream ceramic tiles. The walls were papered in a red velvet floral pattern with a cream background. There was a guard rail with cream wooden panels beneath. The front door was large with glass panels. Just inside the door was a large crystal chandelier. Standing facing the door, June directed everyone to the right through an arched doorway into a large living room. Three large windows faced the front of the house. There was a fireplace with a white wooden mantle and a gold framed mirror above. French doors led to a room with lots of windows and two exit doors; one led to a covered car port, and the other led to a patio in back with the door they had recently entered.
Irene and the other members who had not seen the house before were all quiet, looking around the room like kids in a candy store. June led everyone back to the foyer and into the dining room, which contained a dark mahogany table and 8 matching chairs, a large breakfront, and a side table. The walls contained two silk paintings of Japanese women and a silk folding screen. The colors in the room matched and complimented the paintings, including the heavy silk drapes. Beyond the dining room was a small breakfast room and behind the breakfast room was the kitchen. The second floor housed five large bedrooms and three bathrooms
The front porch ran the length of the house and had four front pillars. It had the look of an old southern mansion. Irene asked if she could sit in one of the big white rocking chair while the board went inside to discuss the details of the house and vote. She knew this was the house for the new shelter. As executive director, she could not vote, but had seen approval reflected on the faces of her board members.
Irene rocked slowly in the chair. Her eyes were closed again, only this time she could see the faces of her staff and the faces of women coming to the door for the first time. Victims arrived stressed out from fleeing a violent home, but equally apprehensive about where they were going. Would it be clean? Will we be safe there? What about the rules?
A Sister’s Place had had three locations and had outgrown each one. Each location had been nicer and larger than the last.
“What are you seeing behind those closed eyes?” Jeff asked, sitting down in the chair next to Irene.
“I can’t believe you kept this a secret from me.” Irene continued to rock gently with her eyes closed. “Even this morning, all you said was ‘see you later,’ but I never thought you meant you would see me in a few hours.”
“You’ll never know how hard this was. Sometimes when you were upset about turning people away, I wanted to tell you, but June would have killed me. When I found this…..”
“You found the property?” Irene exclaimed, sitting straight up and wishing they were alone so she could wrap her arms around him and squeeze real tight. She wanted to be more surprised, but knew how involved and committed Jeff had become since joining the advisory committee. June was always singing his praises and promising to try to clone three more of him. Finding men who understand the plight of battered women and wanted to help on Jeff’s level was not an easy task. More important, it was going to take more men like Jeff, understanding and getting involved, to help end the abuse of women and children.
“Why aren’t you in there voting?” Irene asked Jeff, remembering that the board had to decide.
“Baby, I am an advisory member but the deal is too good to pass up. I was standing back watching faces during the tour, including your face. Almost like watching a jury selection. I knew the vote would be a yes. The property had been part of an estate sale. Houses this size, in this area is selling for over two hundred and fifty thousand. I had it appraised and a housing inspector gave me a list of repairs and improvements needed along with an estimated cost. It comes to over $100,000.00.The cost and improvements come to two hundred and twenty-five thousand.”
“But the house looks so good and well-cared-for. Why so much for improvements?”
“Because the owner had a property caretaker after he moved out-of-state because of a stroke. The caretaker loved this old house because it had been in the family for many, many years. The problem is the house was cared for as far as appearances go, but was not updated or kept up to code. Also, some work will be needed because of the number of people you will be housing here. For example, the rails on the stairs to the second floor are beautiful and look quite stately, but they need to be reinforced and have wood added to prevent a small child from getting an arm or a leg caught between the slats.
Look, Irene, I know you will need additional rooms for the program, but you will have over 3.5 acres here. June and I met with a professor at the university whose class is going to adopt drawing the additional space as a project. If the vote goes well, he and his students may start coming here in a couple of weeks to measure the current house and land and begin drawings for the new spaces. That will all be done as in-kind donations.”
Irene relaxed and started pulling one of her braids, as she often did when deep in thought. She slowly opened her eyes, turned to Jeff and took his hand.
“Words cannot express how grateful I am to you and the board. Some days this project has felt like mission impossible. I had determined to stay the course and figured it would take about two years before we could move. I have been sitting here seeing the house as a woman seeking shelter might see it as she arrives. Not knowing where she’s going and what conditions she and her children will have to live in, and then seeing this beautiful old home and being able to exhale. Thank you.”
Jeff looked at the tears starting to gather in Irene’s eyes and he knew what a super-hero felt like. He raised his hand that she was holding and gently kissed the back.
“No, thank you. Now let’s go and see how the vote is going,” Jeff said, standing up and pulling Irene up, too. On her feet, in front of this wonderful man who understood and shared both her burden and her vision, she put her head on his shoulder and didn’t care who might come out and see them. Today she knew that their relationship had taken a new turn and her heart had no plans to resist or try to be in control. She was just so excited and grateful to be moving into this wonderful house. As Jeff put his arms around her, he could feel her heart beating with his and he also knew their relationship had just taken a new turn and felt so ready for where he hoped they were going.