Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

Boilerplate

I’m Harold Dykstra.  I’m retired, but I go to food bank distributions all over Tracy and talk to people that need someone who will listen to their story.  My time is well spent.  A police lieutenant suggested that I write down the conversations that I had with an angel.  I did not know she was an angel at the time.  The angel, for a little over a year, indwelled a life-sized posable action figure my children bought me, so that I would not be perceived as travelling alone.  And in a way, she was training me for what I do while talking to the needy.  She probed my heart to find out what I believed and how I express love for others.  She changed my life.

In her leaving, she said someone would come.  I had thought that was Jesus, in His second coming, but a new Babs, a little older, the model for the posable action figure arrived.  While I had no desire to start over with romance, Morrie helped her move in, thinking she was the other Babs who had returned.

This Week’s Question

One day last week, Babs thought she was goofing off too much.

This week Babs has been gone since early morning.  Willie picked her up early so that she could be there when Jayke had his first day in kindergarten.  Then, she was supposed to come home with Janella.  But for some strange reason, she has not come back.

I had planned a simple meal that was Janella friendly for lunch.  But I was wondering if they were going to show up.  As I reached for my phone, I heard a key turn in the front door lock.

I stepped away from the door.  Babs, Willie and Janella walked in giggling.

I asked, “What caused the change in plans today?  And would any of the three of you think of calling me?”

Willie said, “It’s all my fault, Dad.  I did not read the paperwork carefully.”

Babs laughed, “Harold, she did not do as the Jews did in the time of Nehemiah.  ‘They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.’ (Nehemiah 8:8).  She would not have hacked it as a member of the Berean church. ‘Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.’ (Acts 17:11).”

I sighed,  “Yes, Babs, we often communicate by quoting Scripture, but I need context.  You have been gone roughly four hours.  I can still make some mac and cheese for Janella, but where have you been?”

Babs smiled, “We went back to school.  And I may not be babysitting Janella after all.  She met the children in pre-school, and they begged her to stay.”

I nodded, “Okay, but school usually last all day.”

Babs scrunched her nose, “That’s where Willie’s lack of attention messed things up.”

Willie nodded, “We were the last to arrive.  The other people who do not live at Lily the Pink had to be at work much earlier.  So, Miss Madelaine asked if I wanted to have lunch with them.  I told her I had to visit a church member at a nursing home that was a good distance away.  And Miss Madelaine asked if Grabbabs would be taking Jayke home at lunch.  I had that deer in the headlights look on my face, so Miss Madelaine said that today was a half day, and Monday started the full day school.  This was just a little gathering so that everybody knew everybody.  Well, I had to do some quick calculating.  I did not have enough time to come here and drop Janella and Grabbabs off and then get to the nursing home and back.  So, I said my goodbyes and left.””

Babs laughed, “And, Harold, because we were just going to the classroom and back, I had left my purse and cellphone in the car.  When Willie got to the nursing home, she called me, and the phone on the passenger side of the car started ringing.”

I snickered, “Okay, no need to explain any more about the lack of a phone call, but Willie could have called.”

Babs frowned, “Don’t be hard on her.  It was her first day on the job.  She had not read the instructions about school properly.  And by the time she got to the nursing home, she was a nervous wreck.”

I groaned, “Okay, so now we can sit down and relax while I fix something to eat.”

Babs and Willie said in unison, “We have food.”

I leaned against the wall, “Wait.  You say that you have food but there is no food.  You say that Jayke only had a half day of school, but I have yet to see Jayke.”

As if on cue, Jayke stumbled through the door, loaded with bags from the Cluck’n Pluck.

Jayke said, “I said that I would bring in the food since I am now in school, but I forgot we got the biggie-big mac and cheese for Janella.”

I quickly went to his rescue before he dropped anything.  We took the food to the dining room table.  I had already moved my paperwork to the corner in anticipation of “something.”

Willie said the blessing and for a while everyone was busy dishing out food.  I went to the fridge and got ice and soft drinks.  I knew what everyone would ask for.  Babs got the glasses.

After we had what we wanted to eat, I asked, “Willie, how was your first day at work?”

Willie shrugged, “It was just two hours of work.  I feel guilty about that.  I only stayed thirty minutes.  She had a hot bingo game to go to.  She was very glad to see me, but she had lapses in her memory.  I doubt if she had ever attended the church since Gil was the pastor.  We have a streaming service, but she said she goes to the local service in the nursing home.  The nurses said that was about half the time, and sometimes the assigned pastor didn’t show up.  I am probably going to face a lot of that, but that is why I am there, to assess the needs of these old members.  We must care for our own in some way.”

I turned to Babs, “And what did you do in the meantime?”

Babs snickered, “I went to school!  I have not been in school in a long time.  But there was a little bump in the road.”  I nodded for more information.  Babs scrunched her nose. ”Usually, it’s the child that you leave behind, but this time, Janella started crying.  Miss Madelaine is teaching first grade, and Stasya Kaiser is teaching the pre-school now.  So, Stasya comes out and tells Willie before she left that Janella could sit in on the pre-school class.  So, I sat in with her.  After all, I didn’t go to school until kindergarten.”

I snickered, “I can just see you in the classroom, getting romantic with all the boys.”

Babs had that far off stare, “No, just one, but all the girls were in love with Rodney Lavarski.  I upped the ante one day during recess when I told the other girls that I wanted to have his baby.  I was too shy in those days to even say hello to him.  Of course, it got to the teacher about what I said, and I had to admit that I had no idea how a girl has a boy’s baby.  But when my step mother found out what I said, I think that got her gears turning about what my career plan was going to be.  And by the time I knew where babies came from, Rodney had a reputation of the love them and leave them type.  By that point, I did not like him that much, but I guess that I followed in his footsteps.  That’s why I have good news.  Janella, you tell Pake.”

Janella grinned, “I’m going to go to pre-school.  I love my teacher.  I love Miss Madelaine.  And I already know some of the others.”

Babs said, “Others as in classmates.  She is the same age as Sparkle, Ellie Rain, and Stormie.  Of course, there are a few boys, but boys are icky at that age.  Then Kanok, Gigi and a host of others are older pre-schoolers.  And I am going to pay for it out of my new windfall.  Willie and I will both have less time with Janella, but she will be in a good school with the Bible being quoted every day.”

I asked, “What did you study in the Bible today?”

Babs smiled, “I wrote them down. ‘These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.’ (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). Then… ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.’ (Proverbs 1:7).  And… ‘I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.’ (Psalm 119:11).  ‘All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace.’ (Isaiah 54:11).”

I nodded, “That is a good start.  They all talk about God’s instructions that should go down to the next generation.”

Babs smiled, “Yes, Harold.  And Willie and I will be there to add to that instruction.  It is important to have the children in a good school, but teaching at home is the best place.”

I asked, “Jayke, do you know your classmates?”

Jayke nodded, “There are only four others in our class.  The oldest is Holiday Wednesday.  He’s from Little Latvia.  Then there is Reuben ver Waarloosd.  He’s from the valley of the windmills.”

Babs smiled, “He’s TomCat’s oldest.  They must be so excited.”

Jayke nodded, “Then, I am next, followed by Valin Quinn.  He’s from India.  He’s pretty cool.  And the youngest is the only girl, Lauren MacDougall.  She’s beautiful.”

Babs giggled, “Oh no!  Smitten already.”

I laughed, “That may pass as each year progresses, but what if someone were to ask Lauren?  She’s got four boys from which to choose.”

Babs scrunched her nose.  “Just no talk about making babies.  That gets you sent to the principal’s office.”

I laughed, “So what else did you do?”

Babs smiled, “Each child identified colors, shapes, counting to ten, spelling their name.  When they got to Jayke, Miss Madelaine asked why his name was spelled that way.”

Jayke said, “I told them that my great-grandparents came here from Holland.  They were Frisian.  And Jayke is pronounced Yoy-ke there.  But since everyone reads it as being Jake, I let everyone call me that.”

Babs said, “They did rhyming words and more stuff.  They are going to dig deeper into math and reading this year.  But they needed to know that everyone had the basic skills.  And some of the skill learning classes will be with the pre-schoolers, reinforcing team building.  They gave Willie the detailed information.”

Willie laughed, “And that is what I had been reading.  It never dawned on me that the note about the first day was just registration and an assessment of skills and knowledge.  And do you know Stasya’s background?”

I shrugged, “Not really.”

Willie said, “She was studying in Latvia to be a school teacher, but then she was abducted and sold to Baldwin Apple.  She was the first Latvian at Lily the Pink and became the leader of those ladies.  They stuck together, and all four have excelled.  But when they were emancipated, Stasya joined the Latvian Club and met a non-Latvian there, Jim Kaiser.  But Stasya was among the first to go to the university.  She got her credits transferred, and she is certified to teach K-5.  Since Miss Madelaine was hired as the person in charge, she is filling in wherever Miss Madelaine needs her.”

Credits

All these conversations remind me of my conversations with my wife.  We would talk about anything and everything.  And most of the time, it sounded like a discussion in a Sunday school class.

My wife was a great communicator except when distracted by one thing.  Each time she went to her family in Texas, she would forget to call.  Once, I decided to not be the “nag” and let her call when she “thought” about it.  I got the “I have arrived safely” telephone call on the third day.  I had a feeling that they would have called, if she never showed up or if there was something wrong.  My wife simply said that she had four brothers and four sisters and it takes a long time to catch up on things.  But at least Babs had an excuse.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.