A Quiet Lady's Place 02: Anna

Even with the building seeming somewhat run-down, the children appeared happy and adequately cared for at first glance. However, they did learn this group was not well funded, apparently not receiving any direct State aid, which was a bit unusual. However, the Foster Care Center did receive a daily rate reimbursement from the State for each child housed there. Marion decided they would not pry into the group's internal affairs at this time. Still, she would follow up on this item later because the two ladies were traveling alone and planned to depart Columbia late afternoon, arriving home before dark.

Anna Lee queried one of the house leaders, asking, "Can I order lunch for the children and staff? My company, EXTV, is the primary sponsor for the WCCC S-Splash event." She explained that they needed to depart Columbia by 3:30 PM. Still, they would share a KFC catered lunch with the children before ending their visit.

A full KFC menu, including dessert, was ordered, expeditiously delivered, and very much enjoyed by the Foster Care center residents, staff, and Anna Lee and Marion. While enjoying their lunch, the twin girls moved a little closer to Anna Lee and Marion. After carefully watching both of them eat KFC, Krista and Kara started talking more and giggling with Anna Lee, losing almost all of their previous shyness.

***

Anna Lee seemed a bit out of sorts on the drive home and quite restless at work on Thursday and Friday, most likely caused by her subconsciously thinking about the twin girls.

Eva finally asked, "Anna Lee, are you feeling okay? You have been unusually quiet for the past two days?"

Following a lengthy silence, Anna Lee eventually replied, "I met these cute little twin girls during the Columbia visit with Marion. Their names are Krista and Kara, and they are a little over four years old. When we first met them, the twins were very shy, but they began laughing, talking, and playing with me during lunch. Marion and I left pretty abruptly after lunch since we wanted to be home before nightfall. Both Krista and Kara seemed to shut down emotionally after seeing us packing up to go.

"I have been apprehensive about them for some reason and have not slept well since returning home from Columbia. My subconscious mind dwells on Krista and Kara being two sad little girls. I should try helping them somehow, yet I do not know what I can do for them. I hope my uneasy feeling of their sadness will soon ratchet down somewhat since I will see them again at S-Splash in nine days."

After pausing briefly, Anna Lee continued, "I had this intense urge to jump in my car and drive to Columbia at ten PM last night. For some unknown reason, my mind and soul felt Krista and Kara were in danger and urgently needed me with them."

Eva was quite concerned because she had never seen Anna Lee so uncertain and off-balance. She immediately phoned Marion asking, "Have you noticed Anna Lee's mood change since your Columbia Foster Care visit?"

Marion responded, "Anna Lee was extremely quiet on the drive home from Columbia, so I just let her rest for most of the trip."

Eva then said, "Anna Lee is a wonderful young lady and pretty much a workaholic. She does not date, frequent nightclubs, or drink much alcohol for being almost 23-years old. Maybe she is experiencing the blahs since obtaining her MBA and becoming the EXTV Director of Marketing. Anna Lee could very well be lonely and subconsciously wondering what life has in store for her future.

"If it's okay with you, I will quickly check with Clancy and Mom-W about EXTV bringing Krista and Kara to Charleston on Monday. They could stay with Anna Lee in our guest wing for the week, followed by the two weeks of S-Splash.

"I will also query the Tybee Island Studycation-6 group to see if they have space for two more four-year-olds in the MINI group? If this works out, I will give Anna Lee six weeks of paid leave with very light homework items while she unwinds with the twin girls. Anna Lee has experienced three intense years earning her BS / MBA with honors while working full time. She could use a nice break enjoying the girls!" offered Eva.

Marion joyously said, "Oh Yes, Eva, I totally agree! I will arrange a service to bring the twins down here on Monday early afternoon if all jells with Clancy and Mrs. Williams."

Eva phoned Clancy and Mom-W, discussing her idea of having the twin girls and Anna Lee live in the guest wing next week through S-Splash. All the family was all on board with Eva's plan, especially Riley, Mina, Bella, and JT. They jumped for joy about meeting two new friends, Krista and Kara. Marion could cross the twins off her to-do list now that all agreed with the plan. She only needed to find several guest homes for the other eight children from Columbia to live for the two-week S-Splash event.

ANNA LEE'S SURPRISE:

With Monday being the first day of the week, the EXTV workday was quite hectic as usual, with most senior staff working until eight or nine PM. Eva was sure Anna Lee would be around until the early evening. Marion instructed the transport van to arrive at EXTV by one thirty PM. Anna Lee could take off early with the twins after learning the specifics of her 6-week leave from Eva.

Jaime was waiting quietly in the reception area, having been previously briefed by Eva on the twins' arrival. She buzzed Anna Lee and said, "Hi, boss. Two very special packages just arrived by courier that you must personally sign for."

Anna Lee approached reception, grumbling, "Jaime, what idiot sent me high-security packages over the weekend?"

Seeing Krista and Kara standing there, each holding a small travel bag, stopped Anna Lee dead in her tracks. She delightfully shrieked, "What are you girls doing here?" as she dashed over to bear hug them?"

Still giggling and smiling brightly, Krista and Kara handed Anna Lee a note as they tightly held onto their little travel bags!

"Anna Lee, please enjoy your six-week gift from Jesus!" first Lady Marion James wrote. "You and the twins are staying in Eva's guest wing this week, the entire two weeks of S-Splash and for another two weeks at the Tybee Island Studycation6-MINI should you desire."

Gleefully grabbing both girls, Anna Lee ran to Eva's office with tears streaming wetly down her cheeks. She said, "Ms. 'J', I am so happy and surprised with the girls being here in Charleston. How did you know to do this?"

Eva responded shyly, "Anna Lee, you are like a younger sister to me, and I love you to death. You have been in a funk since returning from Columbia. We all decided you were worried about Krista and Kara, so this is a group effort, including Marion, who was off-the-rails excited to help us with your surprise.

"Jaime also wanted you to know that she will help you in any way possible with work and entertaining the twins during their visit. She told me that she was prepared for the Front Office Supervisor role because you befriended and guided her development for the past two years. Jaime totally respects you and loves children, so she is serious about being there for you if and when needed.

"I am authorizing six weeks off with pay because you have absolutely been a blessing to me. Your work has always been accurate, timely, and cheerfully done. Professor Stanton said you were one of the University's top online MBA students while working full-time in a quality job. EXTV, WCCC, and ACC Boston College staffs were unanimous in feeling you deserved a nice break enjoying your accomplishments over the past five years.

"I feel you were blessed meeting Krista and Kara since you now have some very willing helpers in using all your free time for the next six weeks. Clancy, Mom-W, our three children, Bella, and I want you to stay in the guest wing, so we can all help you care for Krista and Kara. I hope that you are pleased with our impetuous actions of love. We thought you needed a little push in the right direction in easing your worries about Krista and Kara."

Anna Lee hugged Eva tightly, saying, "You are the most wonderful and caring boss in the world. For this reason, I will always serve as your EA, regardless of my other responsibilities. I will close up my office in the next hour and then take my girls to our new home for the next three weeks. I am so thrilled, Eva, and could you please tell everyone for me because right now I am on a total emotion overload!"

Anna Lee took the twins to Jaime's office and said, "Krista and Kara, this is Jaime Lou West. We work together, and Jaime wants to help me be sure you two have a wonderful vacation. We three will take her out for lunch one day next week to say thanks."

Krista and Kara ran over to hug Jaime saying, "We are happy to be here seeing mom-Lee, and please come see us soon while we stay here?"

Anna Lee had previously stayed overnight in the guest wing when helping Eva with special tasks at her home. She knew where everything was located. She and the girls were having a great time together, setting up their dresser drawers and closets while talking a mile a minute. Anna Lee noted that neither Krista nor Kara had an abundance of underwear or outer clothing. Their first trip together would be a mall visit tomorrow morning.

Today was a really exciting time for Anna Lee, Krista, and Kara. They would have soup and sandwiches for tonight's dinner. She decided to bathe the girls first, letting them sleep in shorts and tops tonight since they really did not have any decent sleepwear packed. She added a few more items to be purchased on their mall trip tomorrow.

Anna Lee messaged everyone her love for arranging the girl's visit, including a special note of thanks to First Lady Marion James. She explained that Krista and Kara were really worn-out from today's excitement and travel, so she was putting them to bed an hour after they ate a light dinner. Anna Lee was so emotionally exhausted that she most likely would turn in with the girls.

Krista and Kara wanted showers, so Anna Lee set up two soft shower chairs for them to use. She bathed them with nice mild, lightly scented baby soap and then used baby shampoo and conditioner for the twins' hair. Anna Lee has loved doing hair since being a young girl. Her mom did hair in a home shop and taught Anna Lee, so she cutely cut and trimmed the twins' hair into a style they really loved.

"Mom-Lee, our hair is so pretty. Will you fix it every day for us?" asked Krista and Kara in a duet while giggling cutely.

For some reason, Krista and Kara first called her mom-Lee at EXTV, which she never corrected. They now continually called her by this name. Secretly, Anna Lee was overjoyed with the twins calling her mom-Lee.

After finishing the girls' hair trims and rinse, Anna Lee coated a nice layer of baby lotion all over their slim little bodies. Following their light dinner, mom-Lee read them a short story from one of the bookcase's several children's books. Then the three of them said their prayers, climbed into bed, and were sound asleep in minutes.

Anna Lee woke first, peeking out the window, overlooking a beautiful garden with a hillside view. She looked lovingly at her twins sleeping contentedly in bed and started crying softly in sheer happiness.

Once the girls were awake, Anna Lee cleaned them up a bit, and they walked out into the patio garden. Anna Lee sat on one of the lawn benches looking up into the heavens, while Krista and Kara lay with their heads resting on her lap. The three of them were enjoying the peace and solitude of the garden in the early morning sunshine of their new home.

Anna Lee would take the twins to the mall later this morning since the girls needed many clothing, fun, health, and toiletry items. She had a few clothes kept here to wear when she worked late and stayed over in the guest wing. Neither Eva nor Clancy were comfortable with Anna Lee driving to her small apartment late at night, so she sometimes stayed over in this guest wing.

Anna Lee had never stayed over for two weeks at a time, so she would need to purchase a few additional clothing and toiletry articles for herself as well. She could collect any other required items from her place while the twins enjoyed S-Splash.

Anna Lee shagged the twins inside after enjoying the garden's solitude for a while, saying, "Krista and Kara, mom-Lee will make breakfast for you. Afterward, we will visit next door so you two can meet Ms. Eva's family, then we are off to the mall shopping for new clothes and other stuff."

Krista and Kara jumped up and down with joy, singing, "Breakfast and New Clothes this morning. Yea! Yea!"

The new family of three enjoyed a light breakfast of toast, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, and juice. They quickly cleaned the kitchen and walked over to the main house, where Riley, Mina, Bella, and JT immediately descended upon them. Introductions were made all around, including Clancy, grandmom-W, and grandma Rosa. Eva and Clancy were quite pleased the twins had settled in nicely on their first night in Charleston, ecstatic to be staying here with Anna Lee.

After a brief time talking with the other kids, Krista said, "Mom-Lee, when are we going to the mall?"

Eva and Clancy's eyes widened as they mouthed, "Mom-Lee?"

Anna Lee explained, "While we were showering and doing hair last night, I realized the girls had called me mom-Lee at the office and two times once we were home. I told them my full name is Anna Lee Wilson, so do Krista and Kara want to call me mom-Lee all the time?

"Both girls enthusiastically piped up with, we love your name Lee, so we always want you to be our mom-Lee. I almost cried at their response when it dawned on me to answer yes, and I also love them calling me mom-Lee. Both Krista and Kara were all over me with hugs in the shower, completely wetting my underclothes, so then I had to also shower. We were all so happy, and truthfully, I was in mommy heaven."

Anna Lee called Riley, Mina, Bella, and JT over, saying, "Krista and Kara do not have many nice clothes, underwear, and toilet items with them. Todays' shopping will be busy buying what they need for this week to look nice at Church on Sunday and then for two weeks of S-Splash. I will take all six of you to the mall on Friday for shopping and a fun time playing around in the adventure section."

There were hugs and goodbye kisses all around when mom-Lee, Krista, and Kara left for the mall. They had a fantastic time shopping, eating lunch, talking, and playing games all afternoon. Now that the twins were totally relaxed with mom-Lee, they became complete motor mouths talking about everything under the sun.

The twins were loaded for bear with numerous sleep-PJs, shorts, dresses, sneakers, shoes, socks, and nice girly-themed toiletries. All three were pleasantly happy and fully exhausted when they returned home at 5:00 PM.

Anna Lee checked in with Eva and Clancy, learning the two grandmothers were cooking dinner for everyone. They should walk over at 7:00 PM. Anna Lee gave the girls showers and washed their hair before walking over to the west wing. She was sure that Krista and Kara would be very tired and ready for bed reasonably soon after dinner.

Dinner in the grandmom's wing was a really joyous occasion with all six children happily stuffing themselves on good old-fashioned home-cooked Chicken and Dumplings, Fried Cabbage and Okra, Boiled-Buttered Potatoes, and Cornbread. Grandmom-W had also baked one of her famous 'Coconut Cakes' for dessert, along with Eva buying freshly churned ice cream from a local shop. There was lots of jabbering and playing between the six children until they all began to tire out. Riley, Mina, Bella, and JT were camping out with the grandmoms in their wing as they did often when grandma Rosa was visiting.

Krista and Kara returned to the guest wing with mom Lee, wanting to do everything with her right now. The twin girls had never received so much love and attention, now being doted on by mom-Lee.

Once inside, she helped the twins brush their teeth and wash their faces. After finishing their cleanup, she read them a short fairy tale from one of the many children's books in the bookcase. Mom-Lee and the twins said their prayers, and the girls were soon deeply asleep in Anna Lee's bed.

The entire week and weekend preceding S-Splash were wonderful for everyone, especially Krista and Kara. Most of the shopping was completed on Tuesday, although Anna Lee purchased a few more items on Friday. The McWilliams's clan, Bella, mom-Lee, and the twins attended Sunday's WCCC Worship Service. Most members met Krista and Kara for the first time. Several members were surprised to learn they were from a foster care service near Columbia. Marion explained how she and Anna Lee had gone there to visually inspect the children's living conditions and health since they would be attending this year's S-Splash.

The twin girls seemed to bond somewhat with Anna Lee during their three-hour visit and lunch. Subsequently, Eva arranged with Marion for Anna Lee and the twins to stay in her and Clancy's guest wing for three weeks in Charleston, participating in S-Splash. Anna Lee would then travel with Krista and Kara to Studycation-6 on Tybee Island.

THE WEST CHARLESTON CHRISTIAN CHURCH'S (WCCC) SUMMER SPLASH PROGRAM YEAR-2:

The WCCC Summer Splash program was aptly named since there were numerous water-based activities. This was a two-week program attended by the children of WCCC members and poorer children in the greater Charleston community. Summer Splash was 100% free for the children, including a healthy breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack each day. Company's such as EXTV and several moderately wealthy individuals sponsored the entire two-week program. EXTV's Parent company's Non-Profit Foundation budgeted $50,000USD annually supporting this program, making them the primary commercial sponsor.

Most participants were between four and twelve years old and located within a fifty-mile radius of Charleston. They commuted daily to WCCC via sponsored pickup sites at ten locations around metro Charleston. Occasionally some participants were from a distance, such as the foster care service in West Columbia, SC. Some WCCC members volunteered to host them in their homes for the two-week event for these children.

Each day started with a wholesome breakfast served at WCCC from 7:00 to 8:30 AM, followed by Vacation Bible School from 9:00 to 11.30 AM. Lunch was served at 11:30 AM. The entire afternoon from 1:00 to 6:00 PM was spent with many water-related activities, such as swimming, swimming lessons, canoeing, friendly water gun contests, visiting local water and adventure parks, and other water-based fun activities.

All children were returned home by 7:00 PM, and this schedule was followed on Monday thru Saturday for two weeks. The children were encouraged to attend church services on Sundays. However, it was not mandatory while participating in the Summer Splash event.

Children from families receiving any kind of State or Federal assistance such as Medicaid or Food Stamps (SNAP) were automatically enrolled in the program each year. In addition, all appropriate age WCCC members' children were enrolled.

The WCCC Summer Splash was the most popular FREE summer activity program in the entire state of South Carolina. There were no government funds of any type solicited, accepted, or used to support Summer Splash.

SUMMER SPLASH FANTASTIC AND NOW STUDYCATION-6:

Everything had gone beautifully with the children for the two weeks. The S-Splash event finished a day early on Friday in a grand style. Several of the WCCC students were traveling to Tybee Island, Georgia, on Sunday morning for Studycation-6 and MINI.