Charlene sips her coffee as she sorts through the mail. A month has gone by since she has taken over as the owner of her father’s garage. Ralph and Terry had moved into the shop on the other side of her garage and we’re doing well. They had hired two additional part-time workers to help out on the motorcycles they had backlogged. Kevin had left two weeks after she had introduced the new guy. He worked his butt off and caught on quickly. He still needed to get a tool chest, but for the time being, he was using the spare tool chest. Henry put him on full time and he worked every hour he was here. He didn’t slow down or goof off. She used her father’s old tool chest when she worked out in the garage. Jose had been fifteen minutes early every day since she gave him the truck. He was here before she was and had the shop open and ready to go for business. He and the new guy had gotten along nicely and the two of them were like kids in the shop. Just like her father and Henry had been.

Henry was on vacation this week. It was the Easter holiday and she had given him a bonus so that he and his family could go and see his mother in Georgia.

She looks up when she hears the bell on the door ring when a young-looking girl comes walking in. She couldn’t be more than ten or twelve years old. The clothes she had on were filthy and unkempt. Her eyes had a defeated look in them and she seemed to be nervous and on guard like she was afraid something was going to jump out and hurt her.

She looks at Charlene “do you have any work I could do around here? I’ll work hard and not complain about it.”

Charlene looks at the girl “where’s your mother at?”

“She’s at home sick.” The girl had looked down at the floor when she answers her.

“Does she know you are out looking for work?” Charlene was curious about this girl.

She notices some bruising on the girl’s forearm and her hands and legs.

“She doesn’t know I left the house to try and make money.” The girl wouldn’t look up at Charlene.

“What is your name?” Charlene could help but wonder if this girl was being abused.

“Tonya Whitehouse.” The girl felt scared.

“Well, Ms. Whitehouse. Before I can hire you, I need your parents’ permission. Would it be okay if I talk with them?” Charlene was grabbing her purse.

“My mom doesn’t like strangers. She, she doesn’t know I escape from the locked room she had me in.” Tears were starting to fall down her face.

“Why don’t you come over here and sit down and tell me everything?” Charlene pats the chair in front of her.

Tonya walks over and sits down in the chair. She tells Charlene everything about her mother. How she has a drinking problem and how sometimes she hits her and locks her up in her room. How she sometimes doesn’t eat and have clean clothes to wear, because her mother drinks all the money up. Charlene sits and listens to the poor girl and notices how hurt she looks.

“I’ll tell you what. Why don’t we go and get you some food and then get you clean–up and try to help your mother? You can come home with me tonight.” She gives the girl a loving smile.

“Thank you.” She reaches over and hugs Charlene.

“You’re welcome.” Charlene holds her. She’ll have to call her lawyer and have him check into this girl’s family.

“Let me go and inform Jose I am leaving for a while, okay?” Charlene gives the young girl a loving smile, before heading into the garage to tell Jose she was taking the rest of the afternoon off.

She comes back and grabs her purse from its drawer.

“Okay, let’s go get you cleaned up and some fresh clothes and food in your belly.” She takes Tonya’s hand and walks with her to her father’s old pick-up.

Charlene spends the rest of the day with the girl and visits her mother. When they go in to see the girl’s mother, she was dead. She had stumbled and hit her head on the end table in place. Charlene had called the police and paramedics about the mother. Charlene tells the police Officer that
Tonya was staying with her and will be from now on. The cops knew who she was, because of her father. Charlene helps Tonya gathers up everything she wanted to take with her and take Tonya to her house and scrubbed her from head to toe. She got some of her old clothes down out of storage and dresses Tonya in them. She fixes a big dinner for Tonya and they spend the night watching a movie, which Tonya hadn’t seen. She tucks Tonya into bed in her old bedroom and heads into her father’s old room and lays down to go to sleep.

Tonya comes walking in after an hour.

Charlene looks at her “can’t sleep?”

Tonya shakes her head no.

“Can I sleep with you?” She was giving Charlene puppy dog eyes.

“Sure.” Tonya pats the bed next to her.

Tonya runs over and gets in bed with her. She snuggles close to Charlene and falls asleep instantly.

Charlene just strokes her hair and holds her tight to her as her father did her. She was too young to be a mother, but this girl needed her. She closes her eyes and falls asleep with Tonya next to her.

Charlene was ready to throw her wrench at the social worker from child protective services when she had come out to the garage. They had gone to her office to finish talking. Tonya was in school and happy.

“What do you mean I’m unfit to raise a ten-year-old girl?” Charlene was growing fond of Tonya.

“We think it’s too much responsibility for someone of your age. You’re still a teenager yourself. You’re not even allowed to vote.” The social worker didn’t think Tonya would be better off with another family.

“I’m fifteen going on sixteen in a few months and I own two businesses and keep the books for them. I’m also responsible for the welfare of eight employees’, including my own and you think I can’t handle being a mother to Tonya? What planet did you grow up on? Tonya is happier than I have seen her since I met her and now you want to go and destroy that? I’m telling you now if you take Tonya away from me, not only will I sue you, but your supervisor and the city. I will not see that little girl hurt again.” Charlene was pissed.

Henry heard Charlene and could tell she was close to hitting the woman. He heads to the office and knocks on the door.

“ENTER!” Charlene was madder than a hornet’s nest.

“Take a walk Charlene, now.” He gives her a command like his best friend did.

Charlene glances back at the social worker and then storms off, slamming the door behind her.

Henry waits a few minutes to give Charlene time to clear away.

“That proves it. She’s not fit to be a mother, her temper.” The social worker was about to write something down in her notebook.

“With all due respect to you ma’am, the reason her temper is up is that you are trying to take someone from her she cares about. You don’t understand the relationship she has with that girl. Tonya means a lot to her, just like this business does. She works her butt off taking care of this garage, her employee, and her customers. I wasn’t here when Tonya came to the shop asking for work, but everything Charlene told me, I would have felt the same way about her. In the past two weeks, since I have been back, I have seen her do everything she can for that little girl. When she had lice, Charlene took care of her. When Tonya was afraid to get her shots for school, Charlene stood by her. When Tonya kept Charlene up with nightmares, she came here the next morning and did payroll and ran this business. Tonya means a lot to her. If you try to take custody of Tonya, you’ll fight with your hands, because she has one of the best lawyers around working for her. You do not want to get in a fight with her. You will lose.” Henry knew the family and knew Charlene will do everything she can to win.

“Look at it from my point of view, Mr. Brickhouse. She’s just fifteen years old. She has a GED education and is busy running two businesses. How is she going to be able to be a mother as well?” The social worker was trying to use reason with this man.

“The same way all parents do who have children. The best they can. She has a whole support network set up for Tonya just in case something happens. I’ve known Charlene since she was born. I’ve seen her handle things no child should ever go through. She is one tough cookie and will give Tonya everything she needs, including love. She’ll never be short on that.” Henry looks at the social worker.

The social worker looks at Henry “I can’t give her permission to adopt Tonya, because she is underage. However, I can get approval for her to be Tonya’s legal guardian. There is a condition to this. I’ll need your word that you will do everything you can to protect Tonya from any harm and to make sure Charlene takes care of her.”

“Trust me; I’ll look after Tonya, just as I look after Charlene. Charlene is my godchild and I make sure she is taken care of.” Henry smiles at the Social worker.

“Fine, I’ll need her signature on these forms for her to be legally Tonya’s guardian.” The Social worker pulls the forms out that Charlene needed to sign.

“Leave them on her desk and mark where you want her to sign. Right now she’s out walking her anger off. How long she’ll be, I don’t know, but as soon as she gets back here, she’ll have these signed and mailed off.” Henry knew Charlene was always better when she was level-headed.

The social worker marks the places on the form for Charlene to sign.

“Tell her I need these by Wednesday, please.” The social worker looks toward Henry.

“I will.” Henry watches as the social worker leaves the office.

He waits for Charlene to come walking back into the office. He could see she was calmer and tired from her walk.

“You look a lot calmer.” Henry watches as Charlene comes walking in from the garage.

“Sorry for losing my cool, Henry.” Charlene comes walking back in and over to her desk.

“I know it’s hard on you Charlene. I explain to the social worker what Tonya means to you. You have to remember that she’s concerned about Tonya’s welfare.” Henry fixes himself some coffee and one for Charlene.

He walks over and places her mug on her desk.

Charlene picks her coffee mug up “I know, but Tonya means a lot to me, Henry. If you had seen her when she first came in here looking for a job, you would have gone ballistic.”

“I know, Charlene. You care for her like she was your baby or little sister.” Henry takes another sip of his coffee.

Charlene looks at the paperwork left on her desk and where she needed to fill them out at. Charlene takes her pen out and starts signing them after she reads them. The paperwork was making her Tonya’s guardian for now. She’ll have to call her lawyer to see what could be done about adopting Tonya as her ward.

Charlene looks at the clock on her wall to see what time it was. Tonya wasn’t due to be dropped off from school for a few more hours. Charlene works on the time sheets for the week and writes checks for the bills, which needed to be paid. She balances the books and notices that they were making a deceitful profit, even after the bills were paid and payroll was taken care of. Her bank account was alright as well. Charlene picks up the phone and places an order for a pizza for her and the guys. While she is waiting for the pizza to be delivered, Charlene goes and checks on the motorcycle shop and gets their bills and such. She checks the shop and the work orders that they have. She gathers all the finished work orders and takes them back to her office to enter into the computer systems.

Tonya sits quietly on the bus as it arrives at the bus stop where she would normally get off for home, but now she got off to go to the shop that Charlene owned. She liked Charlene a lot. Ever since her mother died on her, she has been living with Tonya. She has been like a big sister and mother to her. She gets off the bus and heads toward the garage, where she notices the pick-up truck was still parked.