"Are you kidding me? Who wants to spend their Saturday around sick kids?" I sigh leaning against
the counter.
"We are not going to have this argument again" My mom continues to do the dishes.
"You are being unreasonable right now mom!" I start whining
"Ashley Maria Davies" She sighs in frustration. "I'm being unreasonable? What would you rather be, in jail than doing community service huh?" Her voice keeps rising and I look down. "Your lucky your dad knows the judge or you could be in jail for that stunt you pulled! Is that what you want?"
"I…"
"Don't say another word Ashley, not another word. Now go get your shoes on"
We get to where we are going in less than 30 minutes.
"Mom please. I don't to do this" I finally break the silence.
"I'll be back to pick you up at 7" she doesn't even turn to look at me.
I sigh and get out of the car not looking back. I take my time as I head towards the entrance. I finally reach the door, in bold white letters it reads "Helping one child at a time" I take another breath as I walk in.
The room is really bright yellow, and I see a lady sitting at a desk.
"uhm.. hello" I say timidly.
"How can I help you?" Her smile is very greeting.
"I'm going to be volunteering here for a month."
'Ah great" her smile grows. "Your name sweetie?"
"Ashley, Ashley Davies."
She just smiles and looks at her computer. She starts clicking away and it gives me a moment to look around. The room is surrounded with pictures of children all different ages.
"Okay and okay" The and finally looks up and smiles at me. "Just go head and stand back and I will take a picture of you for your ID." I stand back and before I know it the picture has already been taken. I didn't even have a chance to prepare myself.
"Just give me a second hun" She smiles and walk into the back. The lady can't even be more than 30 years old, she has dark brown hair, and green eyes. I actually have never seen any one smile as much as her. I mean come on how can you smile around sick kids.
"Okay here you go Ashley" She startles me a little. She hands me my ID. "You must carry this around at all times. Now come along"
She starts heading into double doors and I just follow. Once I enter we go into a main building.
"This is the Game room if you can tell" She smiles.
The room is filled with different games, form play station, to the newest xbox. At least 4 different arcade games, and a few different set up with 4 couches.
"Follow along dear" she leads again into another part of the building.
"Here we have a library"
The room must have at least 1000 or more books with a bunch of beanie bags. I get caught staring before she is pulling me away once again.
"And this is our arts and crafts room" she smiles. The room is decorated with all of the panting the kids must do.
"And here is the outside activity center. We have basketball courts to your left, a play ground for the younger kids" She points in front of us. Before I have a chance to admire the outside she pulls me back in.
"So what do you think?" She asks as we make our way into an office.
"Its amazing" I say quietly
She just smiles. "Here at Helping a child one at time" We make sure every child can do what they want to do without feeling over whelmed. Having cancer is very tiring and it takes a toll not only on them but their family." She takes a sit and ushers me to do the same. "here they can actually do activities just like other kids, without feeling embarrassed
"A lot of the volunteers here actually want to volunteer, they are not sent her by the court. But I do know the judge that tried you, him and I go way back and he thought this would be good for you. SO I'm going out on a limb her for you."
I only nod.
"Okay" she smiles. "So as a volunteer here you basically just do all the activities with the kids." She smiles again. "You talk to them, help them, anything like that. Then once a week we always take them somewhere, either the movies, museums, things like that" she smiles again.
"Now Ashley most of the kids here, don't go to school, most have sever Cancer. We make their days special here. We try and make their finally months as memorial as we can. If a kid has a special request we try to make it happen. This is all they have" She looks at me.
"I- um –" I really don't know what to say. "I understand" I finally find my voice.
"So we are open 6 days a week, Monday through Saturday. Open from 8 in the morning till 6 in the evening. Now I know you have school and that your last class is scheduled at 1:15" How does she know that? "Your principal gave me your class schedule" She looks up and smiles at me. "So I expect you to be here at 2, and not a minute later. "Any questions?"
"So I start tomorrow after school?
"No sweetie, you are going to start right now" She smiles again. "Right now every one is at snack time that is why it is so quite, we have about 15 more minutes till they come back.
"I just need you to sign this Ashley, stating that you are donating time here." I take the pen and sign my name.
"Okay!" she claps her hands together. "You are going to enjoy your time here Ashley"
Before I know it she is taking me back to the game room. "They should be back now" We stop before we reach the coir doors.
"I'm nervous" I finally speak.
"Don't be Ashley, they will love you" She smiles placing her hand on my shoulder for comfort. "Come along now"
We enter the room and I see all ages of kids. I see most of the older kids around my age playing xbox or reading magazines. The little children are playing with dinosaurs and other kinds of toys, Some other ones are just running around playing tag.
"Jeffery, Mike, Suzie, what did I tell you guys about running around inside" She laughs and makes her way over to them.
Which leaves me alone, and I have no idea what to do. I keep observing them, none of them look sick. Most of them are laughing and playing like nothing.
"I'm AJ" I get broken out of my thoughts as a little boy comes up to me. He is probably not even 7.
"Hi, AJ, I'm Ashley" He smiles.
"Yeah I know who you are, Ms Shelly told me we were getting a new volunteer" he beams. "She tells me everything!"
"Oh really?" I smile.
" 're lucky, everyone else is cleaning up in the cafeteria. We had small little doughnuts about this big" He puts his fingers together to show me. "Then we had some milk and it was sooo good" He rubs his stomach. I can't help but laugh at him.
"Yeah so right now you can come with me" he grabs my hand and leads me to a table. "I was just coloring right now till we go outside. You can help" he smiles and hands me a paper and a crayon. "Make sure you color in the lines okay Ashley?"
"okay" I smile. About 20 minutes later he shows me his paper.
"Pretty awesome right?" he smiles. "I painted the dog purple" He laughs well putting his mouth over his face.
"I colored my brown" I smile.
"Ashley, coloring is all about your imagination" he places his hand on his head. "You can try over" he rips out another coloring page.
"How old are you AJ? I ask him cause he acts like a little adult.
"I am 6 years old and 6 weeks" he smiles and starts to color.
He causes me to laugh. About half way through coloring, Ms Shelly tells the kids that they are going to go outside and play again.
"yay!" AJ gets up and starts putting everything away. "We can finish later" he rushes not even looking up. "come on Ashley lets go!"
"I'll meet you out there" I smile.
I take this time to explore a little more. Almost everyone went outside. I glance at my phone. Ugh only two more hours. I find my way to the library and stop dead in my tracks.
"Can I help you?" I must have been standing there for a long time and hadn't even realized it.
"Oh uh no"
The young teen only nods and looks back down at her book.
"You didn't want to partake in the activity outside?" I ask stepping a little further inside the room.
"No" she doesn't look up from the book.
"Oh" is all I can say dumbly.
"Aren't all volunteers suppose to participate though?" She finally looks up from the book.
"Umm" I can't help but lose all thoughts. I finally get a good look at her, her blond hair is shinning and her blue eyes take hold of me. "I don't know, this is my first day. I better go and make sure" I start walking out and her voice stops me.
"I'm just kidding Ashley" she looks back down at the book.
"uh how did you know my name?" I nervously laugh.
:"AJ" he knows everything around her.
"He's only 6 though"
"6 and 6 weeks" she puts the book down and faces me. "he gets made if you call him 6 and not add the week part" she laughs. "So first day here huh?
"yeah first day"
"how is it?"
"Um fun" I take a sit in the beanie bag, "I've been coloring non stop with AJ
now its her turn to laugh "he makes everyone color with him."
"Ashley!" I hear Aj's voice. You were suppose to come.." he stops mid sentence.
"Spencer!" he screams. "Ms Shelly said you weren't coming today!" he runs up and hugs her. "Why aren't you outside huh"
"I was just finishing reading and I don't really feel to good"
He only nods his head. "This is Ashley" he points at me and smiles. "this is the one I told you about" he whispers but I hear him.
"Oh this is the one huh" Spencer plays along with him.
"Yup the one everyone was talking about"
"Talking about?" I interrupt the two.
"Yup the one" AJ laughs. "She not that bad huh Spencer?"
"nope not from what I can see" Spencer laughs.
AJ just shrugs and runs back outside.
"What was being said about me?" I ask a little confused.
"Oh you know probably what you always hear, a wild child teen" she smiles.
"I'm not a wild child teen" I pout.
"Spencer your mom is here" Ms Shelly comes in and smiles.
Spencer gets up and grabs her back pack. "Nice meeting you Ashley"
"You too Spencer"
And with that I am left alone in the library.