After a lunchtime recess to consider his decision, Justice Brewster returned to the bench and made his judgement. "After hearing your objection to the application, Miss Styles, I have had some misconceptions about Mr Phelps' handling of Gwendolyn's case. I checked the records of the child and it appears that Child Welfare have a case to answer, as well."
Marlene Styles' face turned crimson.
"It is not quite evident what you intended to do with the child once you had your jurisdiction reinstated, Miss Styles, and it does not appear there is any better circumstance available for Gwendolyn at this stage. Until I heard your objection, I fully intended to grant you full jurisdiction, Miss Styles. Now, I have concerns about either department properly discharging their obligations to the child. It is my considered opinion that placing her back under Child Welfare will constitute a neglect of my duties. Therefore, the court grants the applicants, Mr and Mrs Pell Burns, as legal guardians for Gwendolyn and co-jurisdiction of both Mr Phelps and Miss Styles in the role of counsellors only for the Burns'. An addendum is placed against the application in light of the failings of both the Child Welfare and the Juvenile Corrections Departments, that no matters of significance can be made concerning Gwendolyn unless it has been ratified by this court. Case dismissed."
Wise old Justice Brewster had seen right through Marlene Styles and had judged in favour of Gwendolyn, using Phelps to keep her in check.
*~*~*~*
The news of the giant's request rocked Gwendolyn. She had no idea how to deal with this sudden revelation or how to act. She could deal with anger and abuse. That was a normal part of life. But this was totally foreign. The phrase apply for your guardianship kept echoing around inside her head.
What did that mean anyway? Do they want me to stay here with them?
I wonder what the catch is...
There must be a catch!
*~*~*~*
The news of Gwendolyn's guardianship and the chastising of both Child Welfare and Juvenile Corrections spread through the labyrinth of government departments and offices like a wildfire. The bets were on. How long would it take for Gwendolyn to mess it up and make a monkey out of these people?
Like she had done to Marlene Styles and Bryan Phelps.
*~*~*~*
Hannah knocked on Gwendolyn's door. "Gwendolyn, we would like to talk with you, please; can you join us at the table?"
Gwendolyn sauntered out to the table. Her face was drawn and unsure and she stood holding onto the back of a chair, one foot resting on top of the other. The child within her was vulnerable and her defences were looking for a place to hide. These people had exposed her, like no one else had ever done before. She hung her head, waiting for the punch in the stomach she was so sure would come.
The giant spoke. "Gwendolyn, the courts have granted us our application for your guardianship. You are now under our care and we are VERY pleased about it," Bluey emphasised.
Gwendolyn couldn't believe what she was hearing. Tears welled up in her eyes. She had no idea how to react.
There had to be a catch.
Gwendolyn felt an angry, raspy voice rising in her throat and what came out of her mouth was in total conflict with her heart.
"I don't need you or anyone to look after me!"
I need you to hold me and treat me like I’m precious and worth something.
"I don't know what your game is, but I want to go back to the institution. Now!"
I want to be loved and wanted, to belong in a family like TJ is, to feel your big, safe, daddy arms around me.
"We don't want to take you back to the institution, Gwendolyn," Hannah pleaded. "Won't you give us a go?"
Gwendolyn turned to Hannah and remembered the softness of her touch when she was dressing her wound and the calming of her words just before she’d tucked her into bed.
Aren't I worth being loved and treated like a precious daughter?
I want your soothing words and your gentle mother's touch again.
"No! I want to go back! Now!" Gwendolyn shouted and ran for her room, tears streaming down her face.
Hannah glanced at Bluey and he drew in a large breath and exhaled.
*~*~*~*
Chapter 32
Casey stared at the wall of the kitchen and spoke in a whisper, "Gwendolyn really took Grandma and Grandpa on a journey, didn't she?"
"Oh, there's more, sweetheart. It isn't finished," TJ assured her.
Casey took on a questioning demeanour. "When does Mum come onto the scene?"
"Soon, Casey, very soon." TJ peered up at the kitchen clock. It was fast approaching meal time and Ben was due home. "Can you give me a hand to get the meal going, honey? Ben will be home any minute."
"Sure, TJ. Can you tell me more as we work?"
"Yes, okay. Can you reach at the back of the cupboard and get me the big pot please, Casey?"
"This one?" Casey lifted the pot toward TJ.
"That's the one, sweetie."
"So did Grandma and Grandpa end up taking Gwendolyn back to the institution?"
"No, Casey. Hannah convinced Gwendolyn to give it a go..."
*~*~*~*
"TJ… Gwendolyn… time for school," Hannah called out in the direction of their rooms.
Today was Gwendolyn's first day at her new school, but TJ was a bit apprehensive showing Gwendolyn around her school. She was an 'A' student and her friends wouldn't understand Gwendolyn. Gwendolyn stared out the window of the car as Hannah drove the girls up to the school yard.
"Please take care of Gwendolyn, TJ," Hannah requested.
"I will, Mum," TJ responded. "Come on, Gwendolyn, I'll show you around."
Gwendolyn opened the back door and followed TJ, but she didn't even glance back at Hannah. However, TJ waved as her mum pulled away from the curb to drive back home.
It was bizarrely quiet in the family home as Hannah busied herself with her chores, wondering how Gwendolyn was fitting in at her new school. The telephone startled her as she passed by on her way to clean the bathroom.
"Hello."
"Is that Mrs Burns?"
"Yes, speaking."
"Mrs Burns, it's Marie Johnstone, Deputy Principal from Rangeview Senior High School. We have a bit of a situation here that we would like you to be involved with. Can you come up to the school?"
Hannah's heart was pounding as she drove up in front of the school building, unfolded herself out of the car and made her way into the administration building. She stopped at the front desk and asked for Marie Johnstone.
"Mrs Burns, thank you for coming in," Marie Johnstone's no-nonsense voice drifted by her.
As Hannah followed Marie into her office, she did a double step. TJ was sitting in a chair, with her head in her hands.
"TJ, what's going on?"
TJ lifted her head and smiled a guilty smile at her mum. "Some of the girls were picking on Gwendolyn, calling her Dumbolyn. I asked them to stop but they kept it up. Gwendolyn punched one of them and then a scuffle broke out."
"Where's Gwendolyn now?" Hannah peered at TJ first and then at Marie.
"She ran off out of the school yard."
Hannah sighed and a worried expression settled over her face. "What’s been done to find her?" Hannah turned to Marie Johnstone.
"We don't have the resources to chase children, Mrs Burns. The police have been notified."
"Oh, great," Hannah whispered. "I’d better try and find her."
"There's something else, Mum."
"Shoot, TJ," Hannah said, exasperated.
"I saw her getting really friendly with Matt Barns at recess."
"Who’s Matt Barns, TJ?!"
"He's not someone I’d be recommending Gwendolyn develop a friendship with," Marie offered tersely.
Hannah nervously stood to go, her mind fixed on finding Gwendolyn. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"
"Yeah, Mum."
Hannah kissed TJ's cheek. "I’m proud of you for standing up for Gwendolyn."
"Mrs Bur
ns, school policy for all students involved in fights is a one day suspension. It won't go on TJ's record though; her behaviour is normally impeccable but we can't be seen to bend the rules for any student."
"Thank you, Mrs Johnstone. Let's go, TJ." Hannah was becoming more disconcerted with the policies of the school.
"We'll drive around the streets looking for Gwendolyn. Let's hope we find her before the police do. We don't need any more black marks against our record with Gwendolyn."
"I might know where she may be," TJ suddenly thought as Hannah pulled the car out onto the road.
"Where, honey?"
"There's a bridge over a small swamp just down the road from the school. Matt Barns and his friends use it as a hideaway to smoke after school."
"I hope you're right and she is there, sweetheart. Father, please help us find her," Hannah prayed.
At TJ's guidance, Hannah pulled the car off the road onto a small dirt track. After a short distance the track came to a sudden stop, blocked by a solid wall of bush. Running beside it was a small path cut through the scrub that led to the swamp and the bridge. Hannah and TJ walked briskly down the path before breaking out into an opening and from there, the bridge lay in plain sight. Gwendolyn's legs were dangling over the edge, swinging lazily while she absentmindedly stared at the water below, but she had her back to Hannah and TJ and didn't see or hear them coming.
"Gwendolyn?" Hannah called gently.
Gwendolyn's head snapped around at Hannah's voice. "I ain't going back there!" she panicked, a look of sheer terror written across her face.
"Can we sit down with you and talk about it?" Hannah probed gently.
Gwendolyn nodded her head slightly, thankful that Hannah knew the score and she could finally tell her side of the dilemma.
Taking a seat beside Gwendolyn, Hannah tried to coax her to talk. "Can you tell me what happened?" Hannah gently prodded.
"They made a fool out of me, calling me Dumbolyn. The teacher made me stand up in front of the class and read some stuff and when I couldn't do it, they laughed at me. Later, at the change of classes, some girls came up to me and started chanting Dumbolyn. TJ rushed across and tried to stop them but they wouldn't, so I decked one of them."
Hannah sighed. "I am going to talk to Bluey tonight..."
"It wasn't my fault!" Gwendolyn interrupted, starting to appear frightened.
"Calm down, Gwendolyn. I was going to say… to see what he thinks and see if he has any ideas. Come on, let's go home."
Gwendolyn stood up with TJ and Hannah, and followed numbly toward the track and the car. "Thanks for the help, TJ," Gwendolyn suddenly remembered.
"No problem, Gwendolyn," TJ responded.
"How come you’re out of school?" Gwendolyn suddenly thought.
"I got suspended for fighting," TJ said glumly.
"Oh!" Gwendolyn looked worried.
She had no idea how the giant would react to this.
*~*~*~*
When Bluey was told what had happened at the meal table, Gwendolyn's head was bowed in shame. She flinched, when Bluey suddenly spoke and both Bluey and Hannah noticed.
"This is just not acceptable. Why did the teacher allow this mocking to happen?"
"It was Mrs Alice, Dad. She’s known for turning a blind eye to bullying and even promoting it."
"Sounds like I need to have a little talk with your principal," Bluey said determinedly.
"I don't wanna go back there," Gwendolyn rasped forlornly. "If you make me, I'll just run away."
"We don't want you to run from anything, Gwendolyn. We all have to face up to things we don't like," Bluey chided.
"Can we discuss it later, honey?" Hannah gently implored.
Bluey glanced up at Hannah. She had that pleading look on her face, the look he had grown to trust. "Sure, sweetheart," Bluey closed the conversation.
*~*~*~*
Chapter 33
"It was later discovered that Gwendolyn was practically illiterate, from so many moves. Pass me the bowl please, honey," TJ whispered.
Casey handed her the bowl.
"Thanks, sweetie."
Casey stood at the bench, gathering knives and forks ready to set the table. "So, how did she cope at the school if she was so far behind and did Grandpa go up to see the principal?"
"Oh yes, Grandpa had plenty to say! In fact, Mrs Alice was reprimanded and new bullying policies were implemented. The one thing about your Grandpa, with his size and his demeanour, when he gets a bee in his bonnet, people listen."
Casey imagined the redheaded giant and smiled. She was sure Ben, her own redheaded giant, would do the same for her. "So what happened with Gwendolyn? Did she go back to school?"
"No, honey. Grandma Hannah homeschooled her."
"Really?!" Casey was shocked.
"Gwendolyn and Hannah butted heads for a while until Gwendolyn started to understand what Hannah was trying to teach her. Once she realised she wasn't Dumbolyn and only Gwendolyn, but behind in her studies, she rocketed along. Mum used the Bible to teach her to read and before long, she was asking some really serious questions."
The sound of the front door opening and Ben's, "Hello, I'm home," interrupted the story.
Hannah-Jean scampered out from her bedroom at top speed and launched at her dad. TJ and Casey followed more sedately, but welcomed him just as enthusiastically.
After the evening meal, the four people tidied the table.
"Would you like me to clean up the dishes, TJ, seeing though you and Casey cooked?"
"This is one of the reasons why I married you," TJ kissed Ben. "But I think Casey and I will cope with them and you and Hannah-Jean can have the night off. That okay with you, Casey?" TJ asked.
Casey just smiled, understanding.
TJ had more story to tell.
"O..kay!" Ben grabbed his newspaper and headed for the lounge. Hannah-Jean followed him, climbed up onto his lap and settled back in her favourite night time chair.
TJ filled the sink, testing the water temperature with her fingers, then fluffed the water with her hand, stirring in the dishwashing liquid. She washed the first dish and rinsed it, placing it in the drier rack for Casey to wipe.
"Gwendolyn had a natural bent towards attracting the wrong type of people and then playing with their heads. It didn't matter where she was, trouble wasn't too far away..."
*~*~*~*
“I don’t wanna to go to church!“ Gwendolyn moaned. “They’ll just stare at me and I’ll feel like a freak.”
“Just give it a go, Gwendolyn,” Hannah coaxed. “There are a lot of people your own age and TJ will be there, too.”
Gwendolyn’s eyes rolled around and peered at TJ. “Is this going to be really boring?”
“Well, I have to be honest, Gwendolyn... old Mr Pettigrew, the minister, is a bit dry in his preaching and sometimes the things he says goes right over my head,” TJ replied.
“Great!” Gwendolyn huffed, plopping down into a chair like a deflated balloon.
“Be careful of Mrs Pettigrew,” TJ advised quietly. “She takes delight in spying on the kids and reporting back to their parents.”
Hannah suddenly burst out laughing at TJ’s description of Mrs Pettigrew.
Both girls stared at Hannah.
”I’m sorry, girls; I shouldn't have laughed, but TJ’s description is so apt. I could just see Mrs Pettigrew in my mind, reporting some minor misdemeanour and getting all worked up over it.”
“Hmm... maybe I might give it a go after all,” Gwendolyn replied, suddenly changing her mind.
Gwendolyn found a seat down the back of the church with all the other bored kids and disrupted the proceedings. She was the ring leader, of course. Looking around at the other faces, she knew that some of the adults would have been there with her too, if it wasn't so frowned on. The kids were making a bit of a ruckus and old Mr Pettigrew had had enough.
He stopped the service and frowned. "Miss,” he said, pointing directly at Gwendolyn. "If
you can't be quiet, you can leave and take your little following with you," he ordered sternly.
Gwendolyn didn't need a second command and disappeared outside with a dozen other kids.
Shortly after, Mrs Pettigrew left the service to use the conveniences and caught Gwendolyn smoking behind the stand-alone lavatory.
"Get away from the lav, you horrid child, and boy, am I going to have a word with your parents."
"They ain't my parents!" Gwendolyn spat back.
Old Mrs Pettigrew was on a mission, but first, she had a stop to make. By the time she exited the convenience, the whole back was in flames and she was screaming.
*~*~*~*
Casey nearly choked, laughing. "What a little rat! What happened?"
"Well, it was funny at the time, until Bluey saw the damage after the fire was put out. I've never seen a man trying not to laugh and give the appropriate ticked off message to Gwendolyn at the same time. He made Gwendolyn fix what she’d done, though. They spent two whole weekends down at the church together, repairing the woodwork and painting. She learnt new skills and by the time it was fixed, it looked far better than it had ever done. I think Gwendolyn's little stunt was the beginning of her softening toward Bluey. Bluey showed her how to do things meticulously and she mimicked his demonstration exactly. I can still remember the look on Gwendolyn's face, when he was telling me and Mum about his star helper. She beamed. I think the other people in the church were at some point grateful to Gwendolyn, because soon after, the Pettigrew’s left and a deeply God-fearing man took his place. Mr and Mrs Patton took up the call and Gwendolyn never left a service again. His powerful preaching and his softness towards the children and particularly, Gwendolyn, helped dismantle her walls. But there were some huge trials ahead for all of us in our journey with Gwendolyn."
Casey was still chuckling at Gwendolyn’s antics when she wandered into the lounge room. Hannah-Jean smiled up at Casey from her father's lap and moved over. Casey lowered herself into his lap next to Hannah-Jean, cuddled into Ben and hugged her sister.
Hannah-Jean smiled at Casey. "What was that for?"
"For being you and for sharing our wonderful parents with me."
HJ placed a kiss on Casey's cheek. "You know I don't just share with anyone. The people have to be real special."