Chapter 17
An Exciting Visit
Friday came quickly and with it an horrendous morning. One of our treatment homes had come down with mumps and three of the children were home in bed, complaining bitterly and keeping both the social workers and the houseparents busy trying to entertain them. The house dad had never had mumps and was more than terrified he’d come down with them. Our director had just learned she had a heart valve that wasn’t working properly and would have to go in for surgery. Our phones were ringing off the hook with new referrals we did not yet have room for.
Consequently, all of us were in a bit of a tizzy and before I knew it, it was 2:30 and time to go pick up Nutmeg for her visit to her new home.
As I arrived at her elementary school, I saw Nutmeg coming out the big front doors with her class. She saw my little red car and ran excitedly.
“Are we going right, right now?” she asked.
“Yes, Nutmeg, we’re going now. My goodness, you look pretty -- and very, very excited. How about taking a deep breath and calming down while we drive?”
“Uh -- I mean, my new Mom and Dad? “She looked confused. “What should I call them?”
“Well, why don’t you ask them? I will introduce you to them by their names, and you could call them by Sue and Jack, or… you could ask their permission to call them Mom and Dad if you wish.”
“Uh -- well, OK, but I want to call them Mommy and Daddy.” Nutmeg’s voice became very small, almost like a young toddler. “Do you think my real Mommy knows where I will be?”
“No, Nutmeg, we haven’t told her that, and we never will without your permission.”
She let go an enormous sigh. “Good, that’s good.”
As we drove up Strawberry Hill towards her new home, I said quietly, “We are almost there. Ready?”
“No -- can you pull over? I need to have few minutes.”
“OK,” I smiled. I pulled the Sentra over to the curb about a block away from her new home.
“Isn’t this a pretty neighborhood?” I asked.
“Uh huh. Oh Miss Helen, I’m so scared. What if they don’t like me?” Nutmeg grabbed my arm and pulled herself very close to me. She was obviously anxious and upset.
“You’ll be just fine, Nutmeg. They have seen your pictures and they think you are just gorgeous and wonderful!” I exclaimed. “And they even painted your new bedroom like the one at our house,” I explained. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you, but perhaps that shows you how much they want you.”
“They really did that for me? And they will let me bring Peaches?”
“Now, Nutmeg, we already told you that was possible. They love birds as you will see. Come on now, you are procrastinating, and it won’t be any easier an hour from now. Let’s just take deep breaths and go for it. OK?”
“Okay.” She said in her smallest young voice as she moved back into her seat and sat up primly, hands clasped in her lap.
As we drove up the circular driveway, Nutmeg let out a huge breath and cried out “Oh, is THAT my house? Is it? Is it? It’s bee-oo-ti-full! And LISTEN, I hear birds singing! Oh, is this mine, really?”
“Yes really. This will be yours one day soon, Nutmeg.”
As I parked the car, Jack and Sue along with daughter Kim appeared at the front gate, ready to welcome us.
I heard sniffling and rapid breathing and looked over to see Nutmeg had tears in her eyes and was trying not to cry. I wiped her tears and gently said, “Let’s go. Your family is waiting to meet you, Nutmeg.”
I opened her door and she slowly got out. Suddenly she burst into a huge smile and took my hand. As we walked toward the Braidon family, Kim came first, put out her hand and took Nutmeg’s: “Hi, I am Kim, your new sister,” she said. “Welcome to our home,”
Next came Jack and Sue. I introduced them to Nutmeg. Both gave her a little hug and welcomed her. Suddenly a whiz of yellow fur went by streaming by quickly followed by a white fur ball racing after it. Sue laughed.
“Leave it to Buffy and Shadow to break the ice,” she said. “Nutmeg, those are our pets, along with many birds. We understand you have a lovebird to bring later, too. Come, we’ll all go in.” Sue took Nutmeg’s hand and then Kim’s hand on the other side leading us through the courtyard with the many birds singing toward the kitchen door.
“C’n I call ya Mommy?” Nutmeg blurted out, peering anxiously at Sue.
“Sure you can, if that’s what you want to do,” replied Sue.
“And what would you like to call me? Jack asked jovially.
“C’n I call you Daddy?” Nutmeg asked shyly.
“You sure can, honey,” Jack replied as we arrived at the kitchen door. “Now, this is our kitchen where you and Kim will do your homework nights, and where we all eat our meals, that is, unless Sue’s parents are over. Then we eat in the dining room because there’s more room. Turning to his daughter, he asked: “Kim, why don’t you show Nutmeg the rest of the house?” He winked at Kim and she grinned back at him.
“C’mon, sis, this way. Kim took Nutmeg’s hand and led her off to explore.
Jack offered me a kitchen chair, and said: “Here, have a glass of wine with us before you go.” Over a lovely glass of chilled Chardonnay we chatted, sometimes interrupted by gales of laughter coming from upstairs where the girls had obviously explored and found Nutmeg’s new room.
“Well, I think I can take my leave now. She seems to be fine,” I said to Jack and Sue. I’ll return at 7 to pick her up.”
“That’ll be fine. Drive carefully … and see you then.” Sue replied.
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I arrived a couple minutes after seven to collect Nutmeg from her first visit to her new home. She was waiting, munching on a brownie as I came to the front door.
“Do I have to go now?" she asked wistfully. “We were just watching a good Disney movie…” her voice trailed off in disappointment as she saw the look on my face which obviously told her she would have to leave now.
I gave her a hug and a squeeze and said: “You knew you were going home at 7, Nutmeg. Sorry, but we have to keep to our schedule today.”
With a small pout she took my hand and turned to her new family. “I don’t want to go, but I have to,” she said solemnly. “I had a wonderful time and I wanna come back soon. Can I, please?” she asked in a pleading voice.
Jack laughed, replying quickly, “Of course you can, Nutmeg -- and very soon, we promise,” he said offering open arms for another hug.
“Nutmeg released my hand and ran to her new dad. “Oh I love you already,” she shouted with joy. Then encircling both Kim and her mother, Nutmeg went on quickly, “And both of you, I love you too!”
Knowing she was obviously happy, but also knowing she was very good at manipulating to gain extra time she wanted, I quietly took her hand again: “We need to go very soon, Nutmeg.”
Sue Braidon quickly gave her a hug, as did Kim, and Buffy the pup barked excitedly, as if to say: “You’ll be back soon.”
“We are wondering if Nutmeg can spend Sunday with us when my folks will be joining us for services and Sunday dinner. They really want to meet our new daughter.” Sue spoke with a great deal of caring and earnestness.
“I looked at Nutmeg to see her reaction.” She squeezed my hand, peered up at me with big eyes, saying “Please, please, please?” in a plaintive tone.
“I don’t see any reason why not.” I replied. We quickly made arrangements for Jack and Kim to pick her up at the Evaluation home Sunday morning about 10 and I grabbed her hand. “Come on, Nutmeg. It’s time to head back now.”
She seemed resigned to going then, and eagerly took my hand, skipping out the door after once more hugging her new family and Buffy the dog.
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On the way back to the Evaluation Home, Nutmeg rambled on rapidly about her impressions of her new family. According to Nutmeg, Her new mother was “
a lot like Becca .. I like her, and she’s a real good cook, too!” Her new dad was “real handsome, but he has a real deep voice when he wants to be stern. I don’t want to make him mad – not ever.” She exclaimed. When I asked about Kim, the daughter of the family, I heard a bit of hesitancy, perhaps jealousy, as Nutmeg recounted, “Well, she’s got just oodles of pretty clothes – more than I could ever imagine except in a store, and she’s OK -- but I think it’ll take awhile to get to know her.” Buffy the dog met with her speedy approval but she wasn’t as sure about the cat who had “snubbed her nose and walked away when I tried to pet her.”
I laughed as she rambled on and on. It all sounded so normal for a little girl who had come from far less than normal life circumstances. I only hoped life for her could continue to be so real, so normal, and in her view, so “super fantastic.”