Mathea sat with several children ranging in age from three to five. They listened to her as she quickly went through some of the rules before they got up and moved.
"Just remember not to knock into any of your friends when I start the music." Mathea warned before she started the small portable stereo. The children quickly stood up and as the music started the scarves they carried soon moved throughout the room in a variety of ways. Mathea laughed as one of them started to take advantage of the freedom and before she new it the children had started the 'paint' her with their scarves. The music stopped and the children gathered around her to put the scarves back into the small basket.
"Thank you so much for all of your hard work today. I'm so happy with how you're listening to everything, and your singing! Well I couldn't be any prouder." Mathea smiled as she sang the goodbye song and then bid each child a goodbye independently. Waving to the children as they left with their caregivers and parents Mathea turned back to tidy her things before packing them up to take them home. Rolling the rug up, Mathea covered the rug up on the far end of the chamber before returning to her belongings to collect them. As she approached the entrance way Mathea realized that she was no longer alone.
"Vincent!?" Mathea greeted with surprise. "What brings you this way?" Mathea rarely crossed paths with Vincent on her weekly visits to the tunnels.
"Father wanted to speak with you... He said that he would send one of the children to get you, but I offered to come." Vincent explained.
"Is there something wrong?" Mathea asked as she collected her basket with the instruments and scarves that she had brought with her that day for the three classes that she taught on Friday afternoons.
"I don't think so, but Father wanted to speak with you before you went home."
"Oh, of course." Mathea brushed her hair away from her face and picked up her things to take with her. Mathea looked to her friend and laughed. "So serious today!" Mathea laughed as Vincent looked to her.
"I am always serious." Vincent returned.
"Oh you are right." Mathea laughed again. "I always have to work so hard at making you laugh."
"You have a way with the children; your nature certainly draws them to you." Vincent changed the subject as Mathea would tease him for the entire walk to Father's chamber.
"The children here are gifts from God. If I was to compare them with the children that I teach above, you would be amazed." Mathea agreed. "Are you alright today? You don't want to be teased?" Mathea wasn't interested in letting go of the more brooding nature that Vincent was in today.
"I am doing well. Just a little preoccupied with the some of the lower chambers. They are gathering water, we're unsure on the origin of the water and two older children have been displaced from there sanctuary and are not very happy about it." Vincent admitted and Mathea nodded her head.
"Oh, your personal domain when you are a teenager is very important. I can see where you would have some pressure to fix the problem." Mathea agreed.
"I'm glad that you understand." Vincent smiled then and truly felt that Mathea said those things without jest. They approached Fathers chamber and Mathea entered seeing Father sitting at a desk surround by books and maps.
"Father it is good to see you!" Mathea greeted and came closer to the older
man, put her belongings down and greeted him with a hug and two side cheek kisses. Father smiled and beckoned Mathea to sit down with him.
"Matti I am so glad that you were able to come and see me today."
"Well Vincent sort of made it sound like I didn't have an option.." Mathea admitted and looked over to see Vincent start to protest.
"Vincent, did you ask if Matti could come today."
"I just said that you wanted to speak with her… I didn't…" He saw Mathea's eyes dance with merriment and he stopped.
"I have all afternoon Father. I'm not expected back till four thirty."
"Well, then we'll get right to the reason I wanted to speak with you." Father went to focus just on Mathea and noted her appearance before he started. A woman in her mid twenties, with short blond hair held back in some clips to keep away from her face and very fair complexion sat across from him. She wore a pair of jeans and a sweater, along with a vest to ward against the chill in the tunnels. She had a strong bone structure and looked every bit her Scandinavian heritage. The only difference he noted was that she looked tired, more so than in the past.
"You want to know how my bestemamma is doing don't you?" Mathea asked.
"I was wondering."
"She's as good as she can be… She stopped her treatments last month, and is refusing to go any more. They doctors don't think she has much time left." Mathea informed in a matter of a fact way. "The hospice people have started to come. I hope that I'll be able to continue to come for the children, but I might have to miss a few weeks." Mathea allowed.
"If we can help in any way, any of us will be willing to do whatever we can."
"I know that, and I am thankful for it too. Bestemamma wouldn't want too much help though." Mathea warned. Her Grandmother had always been the helper and didn't do well with having others help her. Her grandparents had come to the States before Mathea was born. When they were settled they called to have Mathea sent over from Norway when she was ten. Her father had left her mother years before, and her mother didn't want to leave Norway her grandmother had petitioned to have Mathea sent over for schooling and some opportunities that wouldn't be provided for her in the slums of the Oslo. Her mother had gotten into a crowd that was doing bad things and it wasn't difficult for Mathea to be packed up and sent halfway across the world. She lived with her grandparents until her Bestepappa had passed away. Mathea had received scholarships to attend a local community college and had taken early childhood education and music. Mathea didn't know about Bestemamma's helping life until she returned from school to find some interesting guests in the small apartment. Mathea had been introduced to the world below the city and had fallen in love with the people and had continued to help when Bestemamma had to stop because of her health issues.
Mathea had brought music to the children below and introduced new ways of working with the littlest members of the community much to enjoyment of the parents and caregivers. Mathea also continued to work in several shelters providing child care and other services for the children of the families that came through the system throughout the Bronx bringing in some money to help offset Bestemamma's pension and savings. They hadn't a lot, but Mathea loved her family and chose to do without a lot of things in order to stay close.
"Mary wanted to send these with you…" Father pulled a few things out from behind his desk and passed them over to Mathea.
"Thank you." Mathea took the packages. "So tell me how things are going here?" Mathea asked. She loved to hear about the people who lived here.
Father smiled and leaned back in his chair and before long Vincent had joined in the conversation, and Mathea's laughter soon filled the room. Reminding both men that the laughter that they had grown to know and love did still have a place in Mathea's life and Vincent felt some comfort knowing that he was able to elevate Mathea's day by the simple act of sharing.