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Colin's Tale

The morning started like any other. Hungry kids that needed to get ready for school, and a couple of toddlers complaining about breakfast. The only thing was - Marnie knew there was barely anything to eat, and expected complaints. The kids had never been fed yogurt and granola before, why now? ... Marnie wryly thought of the depleted bank account, and reluctantly crawled out of bed.

After forcing the kids to eat stuff they weren't really interested in, Marnie grabbed a bowl of granola for herself, choked it down, and went to pull the unpayable bills out of the mailbox. Miserably, she hid them in her closet - ironically, right next to the emergency medicine stash - and then, hopelessly, crawled back in bed and pulled the covers over her head.

In Newcrest, Colin was at the Mental Health Center, at his weekly therapy appointment with Mindy Altman. She had started the session normally, asking about his week, and Colin had studiously tried to describe his week like he usually did.

Towards the end of the session, however, Mindy was clearly onto him. "Ok, Colin, I have to ask. How are you REALLY. Because something is definitely on your mind."

Looking down, Colin tried to figure out whether this was a secret he could tell. He trusted Mindy, of course, but he really wasn't sure whether Jaz would be upset with him for telling or not. The harder he thought, the more confused he got. Then, it occurred to him that Jaz really hadn't said NOT to tell. And she.. uh.. they.. hadn't said it was a secret at all. So.. maybe Jaz wouldn't be mad? Then again, Colin thought, maybe the question wasn't whether Jaz would be mad.. maybe the real question was whether Jaz was in real danger.

..."Colin?" Mindy asked again, suddenly realizing that this wasn't any normal problem. Colin had never had trouble talking to her about even the most private of thoughts. His pause and reluctance to tell was mute proof that this was something serious.

Sighing, Colin finally, reluctantly, answered, "I think my best friend Jaz is in trouble. Their dad disappeared, and I don't think their mom has enough money to pay bills. Last week, they got rid of the TV and the Radio and other things just to get the power back on.. and this past weekend, the fridge was basically empty. Jaz complained about only having water and cereal to eat.... I'm really worried about them."

Mindy gasped before she could stop herself. This WAS serious. Colin was a smart kid, and if he was honestly worried enough to "tattle" on his friend's family, then something was seriously wrong. "Thank you for telling me, Colin. Can you tell me Jaz's last name, please?" She finally asked, as gently as possible.

Colin looked stricken. "Do I have to tell you? What if they get mad at me for telling you? I'm afraid I'll lose my friend...."

"I promise, I won't tell anyone who doesn't need to know. You are right to be concerned for your friend." Mindy said.

Colin's face clouded over and he raised his voice a little as he accused, "You SAID you wouldn't tell anything I told you in these sessions!"

"Unfortunately, in this situation, I am required by law to report a child that is in real, physical, danger. And what you described counts as that, in my opinion. If you don't want to tell me their last name, I can understand, but it would be best for your friend if you did. This is not a safe situation for them to be in, and you're smart enough to realize that. You did the right thing by telling me your friend's secret." Mindy said, hoping to appeal to Colin's logical side.

Colin sat there silently, thinking, for several minutes. Finally, being that the session was way over the time it was supposed to end, Mindy reluctantly wiped her hands on her skirt and said, "Well, think about it, Colin. It really is important. She stood up, and the two of them walked into the hallway. She watched Colin walking away towards the stairs, then, turn and run back.

He leaned in and gestured for Mindy to lean down. "Her.. THEIR .. name is Jazmyn Malone. They live in Oasis Springs. It's not just them, either. They have brothers there, too. Please, help them if you can!" Then, before Mindy could even reply, he turned and ran to catch up to his mother.

Sighing, Mindy made a mental note, and tried to clear her worried thoughts before her next client.

After her last client, Mindy packed up and got in her car. She had an important errand to run before she could go home and relax. Pulling into the parking lot at the Municipal Center, she took a deep, nervous breath, and went to get in line.

Once her name was finally called, she approached the desk, and sat on the stool provided for her. The teller greeted her, and asked how she could help her.. and Mindy took a deep breath. This wasn't something she had needed to do before, and telling a client's secrets - even when there was a need to tell situation - really felt wrong.

So, to stall for time, she introduced herself, and avoided saying why she was there. The teller stopped typing, and smiling, and looked at her with some annoyance. "Can I HELP you?" she asked again.

"Okay. I'm sorry. .. Really. I've only been a therapist for a little more than a year, and I haven't had to do this before." Mindy took a deep breath, and leaned forward so other people wouldn't over-hear, "I have a client who reported a minor in imminent danger. The father has gone missing, the mother appears to not be able to pay bills, or keep food in the house for the children."

Gasping, the teller's entire demeanor changed. She immediately turned, and grabbed a form out of a nearby file cabinet. Writing furiously, she looked up and asked, "Do you happen to know the child or family's name?"

"I do. The Malones, in Oasis Springs. From what I've been told, there are more than one child that could potentially be in danger." Mindy replied, seriously.

The woman wrote down the information, pulled out an empty file folder, and placed the form inside. "Okay. I can't do anything tonight, but I assure you, I will investigate this personally. I should have some time later this week."

"You can't do anything now? Or.. earlier than that?" Mindy asked, confused by the wait.

"I do have other priority cases." The woman said, calmly. "I assure you, I'm taking this report with the seriousness it deserves."

"Thanks." Mindy said, and picked up her purse to leave, wondering if there was someone else she could contact that would do something sooner. Colin wasn't a whistle-blower, if he was concerned, this was dire. Feeling sick to her stomach, she walked away, and drove miserably home.

OS: Day Twenty-Seven < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Twenty-Nine