TheBanyanTree: No coincidence

[Gloria]

An ordinary working man of 39 (Scott), hops on his riding lawn mower
and begins the meditative task of mowing his lawn.  While doing so he
is approached by a 14 year old kid that's looking for conversation.
It starts innocently enough with questions about the mower and the
exchange of names, but soon changes direction.  Not having a family to
tend to or anything else pressing, Scott gives Denny all of the time
he needs to unload his troubles and to share his view of the world.  A
friendship is born.

Denny's mother is battling breast cancer, his father is an abusive
alcoholic.  It's not known whether the abuse is strictly verbal abuse,
but that doesn't matter to Scott.  He's been sucked in.  He's a
compassionate soul with an aura of calm.  Surely Denny felt it and
that's what had drawn him in to start a conversation that would change
the lives of both of them.

Over the next two years, Scott became a father figure to Denny.
They'd rebuilt a golf cart for Denny to scoot around the neighborhood
in.  Being neighbors of sorts, one at the bottom of the hill and one a
few streets over and at the top of the hill, it was convenient for
Denny to get to and fro when the need arose.  One never knew when the
father would send the family into a state of sheer terror.  There was
no phone in the house, as that is a luxury they can't afford.  Food
also appeared to be a luxury.  Scott was consistently amazed at the
quantity of food the kid could put away, as well as the speed at which
he ate it.  He also heard many times of how appreciative and thankful
Denny was for all that Scott did for him.  Denny wasn't shy about
asking for food to take home to his two little sisters, ages 7 and 11.
 He didn't concern himself too much with his brother of 16 and left
him to fend for himself.  The father broke the law one too many times
and has made prison his new home.

During the winter months they tackled bringing a trashy snowmobile
into running condition, and later began the task of refurbishing a
fiberglass speed boat and its motor.  Over the course of a year, Scott
patiently taught Denny all that he knows about these things and
recently trusted him to put the final paint finish upon it.  I surmise
that this summer Scott will teach Denny how to handle a boat in the
water.

Over Christmas break, Denny's mother was taken to the hospital with a
screaming headache.  They diagnosed a sinus infection.  Three weeks
later she would go back to the hospital in horrific pain and be told
that she has a brain tumor.   She was transferred to a bigger hospital
and scheduled for surgery that week.  The surgery was considered
successful.  Another scan of the body brought another diagnosis.  Bone
cancer was discovered in her spine.   The prognosis is not good and
arrangements are being made for her children's care when their mother
leaves her body.  Denny has selected Scott's home for himself.  His
mother agrees that this will best for him.  Scott has agreed as well.
Scott lost his own father to cancer when he was 28.  Surely that
experience will help to guide him through these difficult times.  The
girls' future is unknown.  Right now they are with grandparents, but
later on will either go to an aunt's home or to foster care.  The
older brother will likely fend for himself.

It takes a special kind of person to open their home to a teenager in
need and then to take on the formal task of fathering; especially when
they've never had a child of their own.  Perhaps memories of the
marriage and bitter divorce that Scott went through so many years ago
have been released and his soul is again able to shine.  I feel
blessed to be able to call him my friend, my neighbor, my co-worker.

Dreamer...seeing a kinder, gentler world appearing in her own neighborhood