Thursday, March 11th
Rosary, Father George’s home, 1:00 p.m.
Father George looked at his watch, and calculated mentally the time difference between Rosary and Vancouver. He picked up his phone and dialed the number he had looked up that morning on the internet. A friendly voice answered after a few rings.
“Vancouver, St. Joseph Catholic Orphanage,”
Father George introduced himself: “Hello, here is Father George from Our Lady Catholic Church in Rosary, New Brunswick!”
The voice on the other end of the line said immediately: “Hello, Father! Can I help you?”
“I would like to talk to the Director of the Parish Orphanage, Father Thomas!”
“He is coming in right now. Can you wait a minute?”
Father George heard indistinct voices, and, after a few minutes, he heard a click and a friendly voice: “Hello, Father Thomas is speaking!”
“Hello, Thomas, I am Father George, and I am calling from the Catholic Parish in Rosary, New Brunswick.”
“Hello, George. Can I help you?”
George began tentatively: “Maybe you know that Neil McKinley has just become Chief Inspector in our town. He told me he grew up in your Parish Orphanage. He arrived here a few days ago, and he came to me yesterday to offer his help as volleyball coach in the orphanage I manage here in Rosary. He told me he had the same experience in Vancouver...” Father Thomas didn’t let him finish the sentence and said: “Oh, how is he? Is his leg recovering?”
From the voice of the priest, George could tell that Thomas loved Neil McKinley, that he cared for him. He smiled and replied,
“I am sorry. I didn’t ask him anything about his recovery, but his limp is almost imperceptible.”
“Oh, I am happy to hear this. George, you can trust that man completely and without reserve. He is a wonderful policeman and a reliable and trustworthy volleyball coach for the children. We miss him already here, but I am glad to hear that he has found a community he can help and that can support him.”
“I know he is a courageous officer. You see, apart from what the press have said in the last months about him and from the media coverage of the award ceremony with the Governor, I know nothing about him, and …” his voice trailed off, because he was afraid of being judged as excessively distrustful.
Father Thomas answered in a cheerful voice: “I know, George, he is known as a very tough policeman. I can assure you that he is a very caring man and, when he is with children, he is completely transformed.” He paused for a few moments, as if he were debating whether to say something more, but then he simply added: “I can tell you, George, you will have a lot of help and support from Neil!”
George replied:
“Yesterday, I invited him to come to talk to the nuns in charge of the orphanage this evening. Instinctively, I trusted him immediately, but I wanted to talk to a person who knows him. I thank you for sharing this information with me.”
“Don’t worry, George, you don’t have to apologize. I can understand that, before entrusting a person with children and teenagers, you have to be absolutely sure ... You did the right thing! But believe me, Neil is a person who has suffered very much in his life, but he is one of the most generous and reliable people I have ever met! And be ready, if he comes to you to ask for support because, beyond his tough appearance, he is a caring man, who hasn’t had and still doesn’t have an easy life!”
“I will be here for him when he needs me. Don’t worry, Thomas, and thank you for your help and advice!”
When he ended the phone call, George realized that now he was longing to know Neil McKinley better. What did Father Thomas want to say when he hinted at the fact that Neil had suffered very much in his life? Because he was an orphan? Because of his job? A personal loss? He didn’t like to intrude in the lives of other people, but he had to admit that the tough man, who had made himself immediately available for the community, had something extraordinary, something more than just his courage and ability as a policeman.
***
Rosary, the parish orphanage, 5:45 p.m.
Neil arrived early at the little orphanage managed by the Parish nuns. He parked his car, and, while he was waiting for Father George, he looked around. The building was really small, so different from the big orphanage where he had grown up. In front of the entrance, there was a large garden, and behind the building you could see a basketball/volleyball court.
The house was a brick two-storey building. It was evident that it was not a modern construction, but it was very well kept. There was a vase of flowers on every windowsill.
While he was looking around, an old car arrived, and Father George got out, smiling.
“Good evening, Inspector,” he immediately corrected himself. “Good evening, Neil!”
He had decided not to tell the officer about his phone conversation with Father Thomas, because he didn’t want to appear distrustful.
“Good evening, Father!” He looked at the building and said: “It is a small orphanage. How many children have you got here?”
The priest smiled and said: “We have fifteen children, ten boys and five girls, aged from six to twelve. This construction has just recently been converted into an orphanage. It was donated to the parish a few years ago by a rich woman. She expressly said in her will that she wanted it to become a foster home, since she had lost both her parents when she was a child.” Neil smiled, but he said nothing.
While they were walking along the path that led to the front door, two smiling nuns came out to meet them.
Father George introduced them to Neil: “Neil, these are sister Nancy and sister Theresa, our children’s guardian angels!”
Neil shook their hands politely, and he was immediately charmed by the genuine cheerfulness and simplicity of the two young sisters; he judged them to be in their early thirties or late twenties. They emanated joy, and their eyes were constantly smiling.
“Inspector,” sister Theresa said immediately. She was evidently more exuberant, while sister Nancy was more reserved and didn’t say a word. “We have seen the award ceremony with the children on TV, and now they are looking forward to meeting you! Oh, they are so excited! And we haven’t told them yet that you will be their volleyball coach, just in case you changed your mind!”
“Please call me Neil, sister! I will be happy if I can be of help!”
“Oh, you will certainly be! When we saw you on TV, I told Nancy: ‘That man has good trustworthy eyes!’ Didn’t I tell you, Nancy?”
Sister Nancy smiled and nodded shyly.
They entered the large hall where there was just a big counter and, on the opposite wall, a long coat rack where several jackets and coats were orderly hanging. A door led to a large room where the children played or studied together, although it was deserted now. There were several round tables with chairs, and, against the walls, there were shelves and bookcases with books, boarding games, and a few plush toys. On the floor, there was a big colorful carpet where the children could sit and play safely. In a corner there were two sofas where Sister Theresa invited her guests to sit, while Nancy went to call the children.
Sister Theresa said: “We have fifteen children here, as Father George has probably told you. On the ground floor we have this room, a canteen for us and the children, and the kitchen. Since there are just the two of us, we ask the children to help us in the kitchen and the housekeeping. We have some volunteers who sometimes come to help, but we like to ask the children to keep their rooms tidy and clean, because we want them to perceive this home as a real family house.” Neil was looking around him, and he was listening intently to the sister.
“You may have noticed a volleyball court outdoors, but we have a little gym and a volleyball court downstairs. It was donated by the Parish community, because Father Luca wanted to start a volleyball team!” For a moment Sister Theresa’s eyes clouded, and she sighed at the remembrance of the young priest.
At that moment, they were interrupted by children’s voices that were coming nearer. Sister Nancy opened the door that led to the canteen, and a joyful crowd entered the room. When they saw Neil, they stopped, and they became immediately silent. Sister Nancy said kindly: “Children, this is the new Inspector here in Rosary, the courageous policeman we saw on TV! His name is Neil, and he has come to meet you...”
Neil felt himself blushing. He smiled and simply said, “Hello, children! Don’t be afraid. I am sorry, I think you were preparing to have dinner. I just wanted to meet you because, you know, I grew up in an orphanage, like you, in my hometown, Vancouver!” The children were watching him with reverence, and they looked at each other in astonishment, when he said that he was an orphan, but none of them had the courage to say anything. Father George said with a smile, “Children, Neil came to me yesterday because he would like to become your volleyball coach. I think it is a fantastic idea. What do you think?”
The boys smiled immediately, and a tall child, who looked one of the oldest of the group, came forward and said solemnly: “Hello, Inspector, my name is Peter, are you really going to be our coach?” He looked incredulously at the amused faces of the priest and the sisters. “Inspector!” Another boy said: “My name is Jim! We are not very good at volleyball, because we had just started with Luca!”
A very small child intervened and said: “My name is Sasha. I want to become a volleyball player and play in the Canadian national team!”
Neil couldn’t help smiling, and he said: “First of all, call me Neil! And you don’t have to worry if you are not good at playing. I am not a professional volleyball player, and I learnt to play volleyball exactly as you are doing now! In fact, I started playing with my friends in my orphanage in Vancouver, which was much bigger than this place!” Neil added: “Remember that the most important thing is to have fun and to play together as a team, isn’t it?”
The children smiled and nodded, and the sisters introduced them briefly to him. The girls were a little intimidated by this tall man, but they smiled, and Father George noticed that Neil was great at dealing with children. He was calm without being sappy.
After the introduction, the sisters asked the older children to show Neil around the house. They led Neil upstairs to see the children’s bedrooms and downstairs to see the gym and the volleyball indoor court. Neil noticed that the equipment was modern, and that there was everything he would need.
When they came back to the ground floor, the children showed Neil the canteen. Neil saw a little girl sitting at one of the tables, bent on her book and intent on reading. He noticed she had not come to introduce herself. Peter went to her and told her kindly: “Amy, you haven’t met the new Police Inspector, Neil.” The girl looked up from her book and didn’t say a word. Sister Nancy went to sit next to her and told her: “Say hello to Neil. He is going to be your friends’ volleyball coach!” Neil noticed that both Peter and sister Nancy were very careful not to touch Amy.
The little girl turned to have a timid look at the tall policeman. She was a pretty girl with wavy dark hair gathered in a short braid, and ... Neil hoped the sisters and Father George did not notice his reaction when he looked into the sad eyes of the girl. Even if the child had a slightly olive complexion, those emerald green eyes were unmistakable. ‘Oh, my God,’ Neil thought, ‘it can’t be!’ He tried to recover his composure and said in a soft voice: “Hello, Amy, my name is Neil!”
She looked at him for a few moments, as if she was trying to recall where she had seen him. Finally, she said in an almost inaudible whisper: “Hello!” and she turned back to her book. Neil noticed that Sister Nancy exchanged a glance with Father George when Amy talked to him, but they said nothing.
Sister Theresa told the children: “Now you can go back to the kitchen and get ready for dinner. Neil will be here next Saturday morning, ok?” The children said goodbye and went out of the room.
Neil didn’t want to stay longer because he knew the sisters were busy with dinner. The sisters and Father George thanked him warmly, and Neil was turning to leave, when he felt compelled to ask,
“Sister Theresa, I noticed that shy little girl in the canteen. Is something wrong with her? She has such a sad look in her eyes!” He tried not to show too much interest and to sound casual.
Sister Theresa sighed and answered: “She has been here for about two months. She is more or less ten years old, even if she looks younger. She is so small and thin. She was in the orphanage in Fredericton, but they brought her here because they thought that maybe a smaller house with fewer children ... But she hasn’t opened up yet, she is very good at school, she is very polite but she never smiles, she doesn’t want to be touched ... The police found her alone and frightened some months ago. They don’t know what had happened to her, she didn’t have any documents on her, nobody was looking for her, and she had evidently had some bad experience. She had even been beaten, she still has bruises, but she has never told anybody what she saw or heard!”
Neil was listening intently, and sister Nancy added: “Sometimes I find her curled up in her bed, trembling. God knows what frightened her so much!”
Sister Theresa looked at Neil and added: “And when she said hello to you, it was a kind of miracle, because she never talks to anyone ... It was strange, wasn’t it, George? Father Luca tried many times to talk to her, but it was always useless.”
Father George reflected a few moments and said: “Yes, I noticed she looked at you, Neil, while she normally avoids eye contact...”
Neil didn’t comment, but took his leave and went back to his car. He didn’t want to show too much interest in the little girl, at least for the time being.
Father George, before leaving, turned to the sisters and said musingly: “That policeman is an extraordinary person, and he will be a great help, I think!”
The sisters nodded and went back to their children.
ns216.73.217.39da2
and then Add to home screen.