Page 17 of Smuggler's Cove
The three meandered through the garden-lined walkways and past the tennis courts. “I was learning this summer,” Madison said, looking at the court, “but my father told me I need to do better.” She grimaced.
“Well, that’s something we can work on.” He gave Mrs. Taylor a quizzical glance. “You have a lot of activities, Madison. We’ll introduce you to the tennis coach and the music teachers. They will be able to suggest the appropriate lessons for you. How does that sound?” He chuckled. “We don’t want to wear you out.”
Madison slipped her hand through her mother’s. “Sounds okay to me.” She wanted to skip but thought better of it. Her mother was right. This was going to be an adventure.
They continued to the building where Madison would live during the week. “This is the residence building,” he explained as he pressed the bell. A disembodied voice responded through a speaker. “Good morning. How can I assist you?”
“Good morning, Gladys. Mr. Bridwell, here.” A buzzer sounded, and the door unlocked. He turned to Gwen and Madison. “I have my own key, but I wanted you to experience our level of security for anyone who intends to enter the building.”
Bridwell noticed a look of relief and concern on Gwen’s face.
“We are quite resolute when it comes to safety, and I am pleased and proud to report that we have never had an incident.” He held the door open for them.
“That’s very reassuring,” Gwen replied. Leaving your six, soon-to-be-seven-year-old child in the custody of strangers is fraught with anxiety. At least it was for her. Jackson was only concerned about the prestige the school produced.Had he considered safety?she wondered. Each time she tried to approach the entire school subject with her husband, he shut her down. His modus operandi was to simply walk out of the room. Just like the time when she wanted to discuss parenthood: case closed.
Her next concern was how Madison would adjust to this new life. Her home was posh. Comfortable. Easy. There would be many challenges now. Then she wondered how wellshewould do with the new living situation. It was going to be a big adjustment for all of them. Except Jackson. He was barely there. She also wondered what it was going to be like when Lincoln left home. She squashed a shudder and smiled at the woman who stood behind a desk.
“Gladys, this is Mrs. Taylor and her daughter, Madison.”
“Hello, Madison.” Gladys acknowledged the little girl first. “I’m Gladys.”
“Nice to meet you, Gladys.” Madison held out her hand the way her mother taught her.
Gladys then turned to Gwen. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Taylor.” Gladys was the stereotypical housemother: mid-fifties, maybe sixties. It was hard to tell with her short, gray, curly locks, her reading glasses on a chain, rosy cheeks, and sensible shoes.
Gwen felt comfortable immediately. “Likewise.” They shook hands.
“I hear you are going to be joining us next month.” Gladys beamed. “They’ll be thirty-five of you staying here during the week. And there are lots of fun things to do besides schoolwork.” Gladys winked at Madison, who broke out in a big smile.
“I am going to give them a tour. See you in a few minutes.” Mr. Bridwell motioned for the Taylors to walk through the small, well-lit lobby. Two modern sofas joined a corner table that contained several art books. A staircase and elevator were to the right. Mr. Bridwell pushed the UP button. “The living quarters are on the second floor. Most of the children are encouraged to take the stairs. We try to promote conscious physical activity. But we’ll make an exception today. Just for fun.” Bridwell was the consummate ambassador.
“We have stairs in our house,” Madison said. “But we do not have an elevator. Well, there is one in the building, but not in our apartment.”
The elevator opened to a large community room. There were sofas and plush chairs arranged in several configurations to encourage conversation and socializing. A small television was nestled in the middle of a series of shelves, flanked by bookcases. Two large pocket doors opened to another space with a Ping-Pong table on one side and a pool table on the other. Madison could barely see over the top of it. “Several of our older students play regularly. They’re quite good.” He motioned for them to follow him down the hall.
“Each student has their own room.” He unlocked one of the doors. “I believe this is going to be yours, Madison.”
Madison slowly entered the space that was going to be her home away from home. It was bright, with a window that overlooked the quad. A twin bed was on one side of the room, a desk with a lamp, and a dresser on the other. A beanbag chair sat in the corner. “You can decorate it any way you’d like. You can even put posters on the wall.”
Madison got excited. “Oh, Mommy. We can hang the collage we made!”
“That is an excellent idea, sweetheart.” Gwen was pleased that her little distraction meant more to Madison than she expected.
Gwen surveyed the room. “May we bring our own linens? Toss pillows?”
“Absolutely. Whatever makes Madison feel comfortable.”
“There is an adjoining bathroom to the room next door. That’s where your Buddy will be living. You’ll each have your own sink but will have to share the other facilities. You can also lock the doors when you want privacy. Just try to remember to unlock your Buddy’s side before you leave.” He gave a little chuckle. He didn’t mention that the Buddy would have a key to both doors in case of an emergency. He wanted Madison to feel safe but not suffocated or invaded.
“Looks like we have a little shopping to do on the way home,” Gwen said to Madison. “Think about what color bedspread and towels you want.”
Madison thought carefully. “Could we wait until we get to the store?”
Relief filtered through Gwen’s psyche. Her daughter was going to be fine. Madison was astute and easygoing. She didn’t make a fuss. Ever. Except for the clowns. And who could blame her?
As they proceeded down the hall, back to the elevator, Mr. Bridwell pointed out the phone at each end of the hallway. “Children can call their parents anytime, and incoming phone calls will be fielded by whoever is on duty.”
When they returned to the lobby area, Gladys asked Madison how she liked the place so far. Madison gave her an affirmative answer followed by, “And we’re going to pick out a new bedspread.”
