By Cynthia Schuerr (A Key ~ Noon ~ Falling Leaves)
Karen checked the clock. It was noon. It seemed much later with the morning filled with meetings and her desk piled high with unexpected projects. She thought of Sara eating the turkey sandwich with a little mayo and a pickle on a Kaiser roll…..that’s just how she liked it. She could picture the smile on her face while reading the note Karen hid in the folds of her napkin. Today’s note read “You are my sunshine, Sara girl and I love you”.
Back to reality, Karen had hoped she would finish all she needed to do, so she wouldn’t have to work late. She didn’t like leaving Sara at home alone any longer than necessary.
Sara was twelve now and certainly a very responsible girl, but Karen’s guilt was deep seated. Leaving her to fend for herself was heartbreaking, not to mention stressful. Many people have misconceptions about a single mom and Karen could feel the judgment. Her daughter was, without a doubt, a “latchkey” kid.
“Karen, where is that report I asked for an hour ago?”
“Right here, Mr. Collins, I was just printing it off. Sorry for the delay.”
Eleven years ago, Sara’s father left them. He just didn’t want to be married anymore and wasn’t mature enough to take care of a family. So, Karen raised Sara on her own. She had a little help from her mom before she passed, but with her gone, Karen was lucky to have the help of other mom’s where Sara could go after school. Stay-at-home moms.
Karen’s relationship with Sara was a very close one and Karen had complete confidence in Sara’s ability to take care of herself for the hour and a half that she was at home alone. Karen kept her busy with chores. Little things, like sort the laundry and start a load or peel the potatoes or clean up her room. Something different everyday, all of course, to be done after her homework. It didn’t matter if she completed them by the time Karen arrived, so long as she stayed busy.
“Idle minds are troubled souls.” Her mother use to say and Karen passed that one on to Sara.
The ringing of the phone startled her and brought her back to the reality of the day.
“Karen Sanders….hello…hello, this is Karen.” Puzzled she thought about the two other hang ups she got earlier. She called the switchboard and asked the operator if she knew whether it was a man or a woman who called. The young girl said it was a man. She couldn’t imagine who it would have been. Karen didn’t have time for a social life…unless…..
The next time the phone rang, it was Sara.
“Hi Mom! Um!...Are you coming straight home after work…uh… or… do you have errands to run?” Sara’s voice seemed a little shaky.
“What’s wrong, Sara? Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m OK, now.”
“What do you mean now, Sara? What’s going on?”
“Mom, it’s fine, it can wait until you get home, I promise. Everything is fine!”
Karen’s mind, somewhat relieved, went on to finish the last part of a presentation she was working on.
“This is great, Karen…thanks! Why don’t you head home. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“You’re welcome! See you in the morning, then. Thank you, Mr. Collins.”
She called Sara to tell her she would be home a little earlier than usual. She kept telling herself that it was probably nothing, but in the back of her mind, she knew Sara. And, Sara didn’t get rattled easily.
“OK, Sara girl,….spill….I know you and you are worried about something. Did something happen in school that I should know about?”
“Well sort of……not in school, but after. When I was getting on the bus to come home, I saw a man standing across from the school and he waived at me. I totally ignored him, Mom, but then he got in this red van and followed the bus. He was at every stop. And he was still there when I got off the bus.”
“Did you say something to the bus driver, Sara?”
“No! I wasn’t sure if I should make a big deal of it. Anyway,…..listen mom…..I went to the mail box like I always do and when the bus left, he drove toward our driveway and he went really slow. And that’s when I got scared……. I ran to the house and got in and locked the door. Then he just drove off.”
“Oh Sara, how frightened you must have been. I’m so sorry, Sweetie. I’m calling the school and the police.”
Karen remembered the “hang ups” she had at work today and wondered if they were related to this incident. As she picked up the phone, she heard a man’s voice…”Hello…hello, Karen? It’s Jake?”
The phone fell to the floor, but retrieving it quickly, she said, “Jake? My Jake…er….I mean…”
“Yes, Karen, it’s me!”
“What do YOU want, now after all this time?”
“ I want to come home, Karen. I’m a different man, now. Can you give me a chance to show you and Sara. Can we be a family, again?”
“Jake, was it you…..at the end of the driveway in the red van?”
“Yeah, it was me and I didn’t mean to scare her. Please tell her I’m sorry.”
Karen looked over at Sara and knew that it would only be fair for her to meet her father, at least once. Karen and Jake planned a meeting for the following Sunday. No promises...just to talk.
Karen put her arm around Sara and they sat out back on the porch swing. As they watched the falling leaves, Karen told Sara about her dad. Sara’s eyes shined and tears fell.
Karen checked the clock. It was noon. It seemed much later with the morning filled with meetings and her desk piled high with unexpected projects. She thought of Sara eating the turkey sandwich with a little mayo and a pickle on a Kaiser roll…..that’s just how she liked it. She could picture the smile on her face while reading the note Karen hid in the folds of her napkin. Today’s note read “You are my sunshine, Sara girl and I love you”.
Back to reality, Karen had hoped she would finish all she needed to do, so she wouldn’t have to work late. She didn’t like leaving Sara at home alone any longer than necessary.
Sara was twelve now and certainly a very responsible girl, but Karen’s guilt was deep seated. Leaving her to fend for herself was heartbreaking, not to mention stressful. Many people have misconceptions about a single mom and Karen could feel the judgment. Her daughter was, without a doubt, a “latchkey” kid.
“Karen, where is that report I asked for an hour ago?”
“Right here, Mr. Collins, I was just printing it off. Sorry for the delay.”
Eleven years ago, Sara’s father left them. He just didn’t want to be married anymore and wasn’t mature enough to take care of a family. So, Karen raised Sara on her own. She had a little help from her mom before she passed, but with her gone, Karen was lucky to have the help of other mom’s where Sara could go after school. Stay-at-home moms.
Karen’s relationship with Sara was a very close one and Karen had complete confidence in Sara’s ability to take care of herself for the hour and a half that she was at home alone. Karen kept her busy with chores. Little things, like sort the laundry and start a load or peel the potatoes or clean up her room. Something different everyday, all of course, to be done after her homework. It didn’t matter if she completed them by the time Karen arrived, so long as she stayed busy.
“Idle minds are troubled souls.” Her mother use to say and Karen passed that one on to Sara.
The ringing of the phone startled her and brought her back to the reality of the day.
“Karen Sanders….hello…hello, this is Karen.” Puzzled she thought about the two other hang ups she got earlier. She called the switchboard and asked the operator if she knew whether it was a man or a woman who called. The young girl said it was a man. She couldn’t imagine who it would have been. Karen didn’t have time for a social life…unless…..
The next time the phone rang, it was Sara.
“Hi Mom! Um!...Are you coming straight home after work…uh… or… do you have errands to run?” Sara’s voice seemed a little shaky.
“What’s wrong, Sara? Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m OK, now.”
“What do you mean now, Sara? What’s going on?”
“Mom, it’s fine, it can wait until you get home, I promise. Everything is fine!”
Karen’s mind, somewhat relieved, went on to finish the last part of a presentation she was working on.
“This is great, Karen…thanks! Why don’t you head home. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“You’re welcome! See you in the morning, then. Thank you, Mr. Collins.”
She called Sara to tell her she would be home a little earlier than usual. She kept telling herself that it was probably nothing, but in the back of her mind, she knew Sara. And, Sara didn’t get rattled easily.
“OK, Sara girl,….spill….I know you and you are worried about something. Did something happen in school that I should know about?”
“Well sort of……not in school, but after. When I was getting on the bus to come home, I saw a man standing across from the school and he waived at me. I totally ignored him, Mom, but then he got in this red van and followed the bus. He was at every stop. And he was still there when I got off the bus.”
“Did you say something to the bus driver, Sara?”
“No! I wasn’t sure if I should make a big deal of it. Anyway,…..listen mom…..I went to the mail box like I always do and when the bus left, he drove toward our driveway and he went really slow. And that’s when I got scared……. I ran to the house and got in and locked the door. Then he just drove off.”
“Oh Sara, how frightened you must have been. I’m so sorry, Sweetie. I’m calling the school and the police.”
Karen remembered the “hang ups” she had at work today and wondered if they were related to this incident. As she picked up the phone, she heard a man’s voice…”Hello…hello, Karen? It’s Jake?”
The phone fell to the floor, but retrieving it quickly, she said, “Jake? My Jake…er….I mean…”
“Yes, Karen, it’s me!”
“What do YOU want, now after all this time?”
“ I want to come home, Karen. I’m a different man, now. Can you give me a chance to show you and Sara. Can we be a family, again?”
“Jake, was it you…..at the end of the driveway in the red van?”
“Yeah, it was me and I didn’t mean to scare her. Please tell her I’m sorry.”
Karen looked over at Sara and knew that it would only be fair for her to meet her father, at least once. Karen and Jake planned a meeting for the following Sunday. No promises...just to talk.
Karen put her arm around Sara and they sat out back on the porch swing. As they watched the falling leaves, Karen told Sara about her dad. Sara’s eyes shined and tears fell.