Sheila and the Deadly Resume.
Valhalla Halfway House
Sheila looked down at the paper which rallied her on her desk. The flimsy resume mocked the administrator as she took a quick glance out of her window. It was a sunny day. In bold font read the name “Lavernius Tucker, Alias: Tucker Love". Phyllis has insisted they do a new program dedicated to mental health and children.
Sheila didn’t know what her twin was thinking. They had enough problems with their current residents. It was only due to Dr. Grey’s sway in the community and Caboose’s parent’s need to keep their son’s condition hush hush that their little halfway house community continued to exist. Her gaze followed down the cobblestone walkway to the newly completed cabin. It was an eco design with blue shutters and a round shape. The hut was placed further away from the other homes.
The woman let out a sigh as she combed her tanned hand through her long blond hair. Her tailored blue blouse outlined her toned figure perfectly. When she said she wanted a halfway house for high functioning people with mental illness she didn’t think she would get it. Shelia was happy with the way things were. Phyllis wanted to expand their programming to include children and while it would give them more grant opportunities it was unknown territory. Sheila believed it was too much liability to place on the organization.
The resume continued to sit there. Tucker Love, what a name. Single father of a four year old little boy with verbalization issues. Sex addict in recovery, well wasn’t that wonderful? Probably explains the kid. There was a typed letter from Mr. Love’s social worker explaining how Junior would benefit from daily speech therapy and how Mr. Love held a full time job but was being kicked out of his apartment due to management changing hands and raising rent prices. This social worker was smart because she included a picture of the little boy.
Tucker had spent time in jail for marijuana, other than that his record was clean. His social worker cited his non-violent nature multiple times in her letter.
Sheila wondered how Tucker could have even known about the opening. Sheila had only allowed Phyllis to provide one opening and they were weeks away from announcing it. Sheila pursed her lips at the photo. He was a cute little kid and she was desperate to get Phyllis off her back.
The administrator heard knocking at her door. Her appointment was here. “Come in.” A skinny black man with low hanging dreadlocks came through the door. He seemed worried for a moment before a confident smile overcame him. He was followed closely by a little child who held his hand. The child looked like he had either Indian or Asian features in combination with his African American one’s.
“Mr. Tucker it is a pleasure to meet you and your son.” Sheila stated as she held out her hand.
“Please call me Mr. Love and believe me the pleasure is all mine.” Tucker purred as grabbed her hand and looked her up and down. The blond lady’s previously pleasant face turned dark. “Stay off the treads, buddy.” She growled.
“Woah! You’re too hot to handle for me! I’m a lover not a fighter.” The man placated as he sat down.
“Gar?” His son asked as he pointed to the administrator.
“I don’t think she would mind. Mrs. Sheila, would you mind if he plays with his toys while we speak.”
“I wouldn’t mind that at all.” The man nodded to his son who took his cars from his alien backpack and began to play quietly on the floor.
“So about this place…”
“This is a community for high functioning people with mental illness who are hesitant to return fully to society. All members of this community must have a job or go to school, must go to regular therapy, meet with their case workers, and must do one team building exercise a week.“
“I can do that.”
“Where are you currently employed?”
“I work for an online website that’s dedicated to giving out love advice. I do the evening shows and answer love questions. I do this mostly at home but every once in awhile I am given a “on the street" assignment. I can get you my pay stubs tomorrow.” Sheila chose not to comment on the fact that the man’s last name was Love and he was a professional love advice guru.
“Our child program is new and we require that all children be attending some form of school and therapy if it is designated. We also require that you have a babysitter for anytime you go out. We will not condone a child being left alone.”
“I got that covered. My intern Palomo can take care of babysitting while I’m at work and I have another babysitter named Jenson that can help me.”
“I will need to do background checks. And schooling?”
“Junior goes to a charter school and that takes up a good amount of my pay but it’s like they say, only the best, right?”
“I read in his file that he has verbalization issues.”
“Oh yeah, that. I don’t know why that is. I can understand him just fine but I’ve been taking care of him since he was a baby. He is really smart and cool, but he always has spoken like that. I don’t know when he will start talking normally.”
“Gah.”
“Yeah, we do have to work on that.” Tucker told his son. The little boy shrugged before going back to his cars.
“You’ve been taking care of him since he was a baby?” Sheila questioned.
“Yeah, why do you think I sought treatment for my sex addiction? Condom broke and nine months later I have his Mom knocking on my door going on about how she couldn’t handle the responsibility and wasn’t going to “shame her family” by announcing her son. She literally had him on the bathroom floor and hid her pregnancy from her family. I got him the night he was born and I am grateful I did. I have full custody. Junior is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
“Gah Har.”
“Yeah, love you too buddy.”
Sheila smiled as the man’s eyes shown with affection for his son. “We have to discuss your criminal record.” Tucker winced.
“Yeah, I grew weed, got caught, and kept growing it and got caught again. I wasn’t in for anything violent and I got let out early for good behavior. This was all before Junior was born.”
“I see. And why do you feel this program would help you?”
“Honestly, we have a week left to move out. I don’t want Junior in a shelter and I don’t have the money to stay at a hotel until I find a new apartment. I am a recovering sex addict and I figured that maybe I may make a few friends here. It can’t be any crazier than surviving out in the world. We need a place to stay and I need to place where I am surrounded by people who know the struggle.”
“And you ARE aware that we house different diagnoses here?”
“Completely.”
“Do you think this is a good environment for your son?”
“It’s better than a shelter or the street.”
Sheila stared at the man in front of her. Tucker stared back. Junior continued playing with his cars without a care in the world.
“One more question Mr. Love. How did you find out about our opening?” The man looked sheepish for a moment until he answered.
“I was telling someone backstage my issues with housing when she said that her brother had said something about an opening. I asked Junior’s social worker about it and she did a follow up.” Sheila narrowed her eyes. She could tell that Tucker was cleaning up his story for her sake and she had a stinking suspicion about who had told who. That being said she had no reason to deny him.
“Then welcome to Valhalla Halfway house. I’m sure you will fit in fine.”