“I’m moving too,” the woman from room two declared. “You can’t be throwing out women and children just because you had a bad day.”
“Actually I’m not,” John started to say when he noticed Sarah walking into room 2 with a menacing look.
Wow this is getting out of control real fast. John watched as Sarah lit up a cigarette in the room.
“You can’t smoke there.”
“Stop me. Big man!”
“Wow. I’ll be giving you all about 10 minutes and then you will need to be gone.”
“I can’t pack up all of this stuff so fast.”
“I can help you carry it out,” John offered.
Initially the group said no but a moment later John was asked to carry a particularly heavy box. As he went into the room he realized that Sarah was taking everything that was nailed down. She had the shelter’s towels, curtains, blankets, dishes, coffee pot and even the smoke detector.
“Ok John just keep your mouth shut and get them out of here.” John picked up the box and started toward the door when he realized that Sarah was blocking his way.
“Excuse me,” John moved toward her.
“Whatcha gonna do big man?”
“Well I was going to help you.”
You want to hit me don’t you? Well go for it, you wimp.” She cursed him; but continued to hold her position. John could not get out. He set the box down and decided his best plan was to leave. But how could he do that with this menacing figure standing right there. He decided to fake right and go left and was able to get out with only a bit of a bit of shoulders bumping.
Suddenly it was as if the entire shelter exploded in noise.
“He hit me. I’m calling your boss.”
John was already dialing his boss who had already received calls from the aunt. “I think that I’m going to need your help.”
“Go ahead and call the police and have them take a statement.”
The arrival of the police was shocking to Sarah. The aunt and she had disappeared into her room for a few moments. When they came out Sarah suddenly had hand prints on her arms. She showed them to the police that John had been abusive.
John meanwhile had gone to his office. He had had enough and was simply weeping. Things had happened too quickly. John’s hope sat in his reputation. “I know that I will not be fired. I know that I will not be arrested. Those women are lying. Those are the facts. But what hurts is that I have given this woman grace. I could have put her out a dozen times but instead I gave her another chance. Why is she doing this?” The questions danced in John’s head.
“Are you all right?” Maggie had escaped the check in office for a moment to check on her boss.
John could not speak.
“I had to tell the intern to back off. She was going to beat Sarah to a pulp. You know she has gang connections too.”
John started to laugh but only slightly. Emotion was overwhelming him and he knew he was done. “I would leave but I better talk to the police first or they will think that I am trying to escape. I’ll be ok but I am so done right now.”
“What can I do?”
“I’ll tell you what. I’ll call the mission and let them know we won’t be coming to chapel tonight. Go ahead and get dinner. The intern can cover check in for current guests and get the new families checked in.” John began to kick into leadership mode. “They won’t be able to move in until the rooms get cleaned but that’s ok. Hey, before you leave have a couple of the ladies standing by so they can serve dinner.”
“We don’t usually do that?”
“Listen, its time to flex. We can’t have the ladies in these rooms but they can hand out food.”
“That makes sense.”
“It looks like my boss has the point outside. Our job now is to hold this place together until she is gone.”
