Lydia Gray - Little boys and Laura

Mitt Harper was the most cooperative and the most eager to please, but it was obvious the black child was afraid of the water. He learned to float only after Laura supported him with her hand against his back for over fifteen minutes.

Laura fixed hot dogs for lunch and when she sat down with the children to eat she realized she was exhausted! The muscles in her body spasmed and ached.

Politely, the other children limited themselves to two hot dogs each, but Cindy Murphy had no reluctance to ask for a third. No wonder the child was so plump!

Laura could see that Matt was still hungry and she insisted that he have a third hot dog with Cindy.

"It's polite to keep her company, Matt," she chuckled, "unless you just can't eat any more at all."

"Yes, ma'am," Matt said politely as he joined Cindy on the trip to the kitchen.

Laura smiled to herself when the boy came back with another hot dog and his plate was heaped high with potato chips.

After lunch Laura took the children through the house, making helpful suggestions about living in other people's homes. It was interesting to watch the children and their reactions. Cindy Murphy might as well have been in another world for all of the attention she paid to what Laura said. Cindy actually brought up the end of the procession, making no attempt to even appear interested.

Donnie Mason seemed to withdraw into his sullen attitude again. Peter Carlson, on the other hand, exhibited an interest in much of what Laura told them and even asked some pointed questions several times.

Matt Harper remained close to Laura during the whole tour, listening to every word she said and asking what seemed like endless questions. His questions, Laura realized, were not designed to impress her. The boy really wanted to know.

She was patient with the black child and answered his every question as well as she could. There was even an intensity in his desire to learn how to please his next foster parents.

As she drove the children back to the facility, Laura couldn't remember being so physically tired. They had truly worn her out.

She was about to leave for the day and go home to rest when Carl Mersh stopped her in the corridor.

"Well, how did you get along with Matt Harper today?" the director asked.

"He seems like a very nice boy, Carl," Laura replied with a smile. "He gets along with the other children well and seems eager to please."

"How do you think he'd adjust in a white home, Laura?" Carl asked.

"I honestly don't know."

"Some years ago we placed black children in white homes," Carl explained. "And in other parts of the country they do it today. Of course, we're a private agency, so we don't have Federal or State pressure on us."

"Even in the case of children who are wards of the state?" Laura asked.

"Not even in those cases," Carl replied with a smile. "We work with the state under contract and as long as we continue to work within their standards they leave us alone. Matt is a special case. He's got it in his head that he wants to be with whites. Matt's background is humble. He grew up in a ghetto in Oakland and his father and mother died last year in a fire. They found him hiding in an old condemned building and suffering from malnutrition."

"That's terrible!" Laura remarked.

"And Matt is determined never to go back, I suppose," Mersh sighed. "McGrudder thinks that it's a toss up whether Matt could adjust to a wasp home. That's why I wanted your opinion, Laura."

"That's not fair, Carl," Laura said. "I've only observed the boy within a group for a few hours. And I had my hands full today, believe me!"

"You say he seemed eager to please?"

"I thought so," Laura replied. "He was attentive and tried to learn."

"How about doing me a favor?" Mersh said.

"Name it."

"How about spending some time alone with Matt and see what you think? We're low right now anyway and you shouldn't be overloaded. Normally, I wouldn't be this concerned, but I want to do what's right for the child."

"I understand," Laura replied. "But aren't you asking me to operate in the area of a psychologist? I'm not qualified for that, Carl."

"We'll leave the psychology to McGrudder," Carl laughed. "What I want is a down-home, honest opinion, Laura, and no psychologist can give me that hi less than a thirty-page report. I'll take whatever you tell me as just an unqualified opinion – okay?"

"Okay," Laura laughed.

Laura was already sound asleep that night when Jack called from Seattle. She fumbled with the bedside lamp and picked up the phone.

"I'm sorry," Jack's, voice came through the phone, "I didn't realize you'd be asleep already."

"That's all right," Laura responded in a sleepy voice. "They wore me out today."

"Well, I just called to tell you that I won't be home until Wednesday or Thursday," Jack said. "The negotiations are even more complicated than I thought."

"Oh, I'm sure that they are," Laura said with sarcasm.

"Federated is threatening to change firms," Jack said, ignoring her biting remark.

Laura was both angry and short of patience.

"Have fun, Jack," she said. "I'll see you when you get back."

"Now what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Jack said.

Laura was about to reply, but thought better of it. She simply hung up.

"The nerve of that bastard!" Laura said aloud as she searched vainly for a cigarette. "Calling me to tell me that he's going to stay a few extra days with his girl friend!"

Laura couldn't honestly say that she hadn't expected the call. She was sure that they would be having so much fun balling themselves to death that they wouldn't want to come right back to Sacramento and that Jack would dream up some excuse to have to stay up there for an extra day or two. But the call still galled her!

She fumed for a few minutes, then gave up her search for a cigarette and turned off the bedside lamp and went to sleep.

The next morning she got up early, had breakfast and went to the facility early in order to have time to pull Matt Harper's file and study it before bringing him home with her.

The eleven-year-old boy was both pleased and nervous at being singled out to spend the day alone with the attractive Mrs. Norton. He was so stiff and cautious when they first arrived at the house he made Laura smile.

"Look, Matt," she laughed, "get over the feeling that you're somehow on trial here today. I'm not assigned to your case at all. Yesterday, you seemed so eager to learn how to swim, I just thought that we might get further with a day alone."

"Yes, ma'am."

"And please don't call me ma'am," Laura chuckled. "My name is Laura – okay?"

"Okay, uh… Laura," the boy responded nervously.

"Maybe you're not comfortable with me because I'm white," Laura said, hoping to open the child up.

"Oh, it's not that at all!" Matt said quickly.

"I thought you liked whites, Matt."

"I do!" the boy insisted.

"Okay, then. Relax," Laura laughed. "If there's anybody at the facility you can relax with, Matt, it's me. Nobody pays much attention to what I have to say, so let it all hang out."

Gradually, as the morning wore on the eleven-year-old black boy began to relax with Laura. They talked as he helped Laura clean house, something she had been too tired to do the evening before, and Matt began to tell her thing about himself.

"After what you've been through, Matt," she remarked, "I don't blame you for not wanting to go back."

"Do you understand that?" Matt asked quickly. "I mean – really?"

"Of course."

"Gosh, I sure like you, Missus… Laura," the boy said intensely.

"I like you too, Matt," Laura responded, "but only when you're relaxed and honest like this with me. Just be yourself. You're a nice, handsome boy."