Mark nodded, the teacher pleased as his student made the connection he'd been hoping for. "Patrick's the same way you are. He's got a natural feel for what is right and wrong, and he's a quick study. He picked up not just the physical nature of the martial arts I've been teaching him, but a lot of the verbal and situational cues as well. He's learned a lot about city politics very quickly, and if it wasn't for his gym work and the fact he goes gaga over you, he could be accused of being a bookworm he reads so much."
It was true. In the time he'd been living with us at Mount Zion, if Patrick wasn't at work, or training with Sophie or Mark, or spending quality time with me, I most often could find his nose buried in a book or reading a tablet computer. Often his reading was based off of a comment we had made or something he had heard during the day, and invariably he'd research it. Depending on how important or vital he judged something to be, the reading could be as casual as Wikipedia, or as deep as a textbook. Sometimes I wondered how far Patrick would have gone in traditional schools if he'd had the means to do so.
"He is, but you're still somewhat dodging my point. Could he really become a major factor in politics?"
Mark tickled his daughter's belly for a moment, until the beautiful little girl giggled and waved her arms and feet in joy. He studied her for a while, and I thought he wasn't going to answer me. Then he turned to me and smiled. "I think he could go a lot higher than Mayor too if he really wanted to. What do you think about living in the governor's mansion, or maybe even in Washington?"
The idea struck me dumb, and I watched Andrea wave her rattle happily until she made a face, twisting her mouth down at the corners. Mark and I glanced at each other, and I stood up to get the cleaning supplies. "Uh-oh, I know that face. Time for a fresh diaper."
* * *
The next day, I went down to the community center, making sure the manager and the construction foreman knew I was coming down. I didn't want to surprise anyone and cause a scene, I was there to see how progress was coming with less than two months to go until opening.
As it was, the manager, Helen Watters, met me. I'd hired Helen because I wanted her to be first the manager of the first center, then the overall program manager of the community centers. A former high school teacher, she'd been caught up in a scandal where one of the other teachers had been caught with a student. The school accused Helen of not reporting the affair and fired her. When Mark and I did a thorough background check though, she was innocent of the accusations, and I wasn't going to waste the talents of such a dedicated professional. In addition to being a two-time teacher of the year, she'd volunteered teaching the drama and glee clubs as well as heading her school's Future Entrepreneurs of America chapter. Unconventional, dedicated, and with a misunderstood flawed past. Perfect for an MJT employee.
"Helen, you don't need to meet me at the door like I'm some sort of VIP," I said with a smile when I came in and she was waiting for me. "I'm here to look around, not get the dime tour."
"You’re lucky enough to get both," Helen replied. "First off, the foreman would have a fit if you weren't escorted, we've still got a lot of things to work on, and a lot of open wires, pipes, stuff like that. So, instead of sitting behind my desk and typing up e-mails or responding to complaints from your favorite representative of a large collective bargaining group, I can take an hour or two and let you look around."
"Okay. So how's the work coming along?" I asked. Since the heavy renovation was finished, I didn't need to wear a hard hat, which I was grateful for, although only slightly more than that I was happy for the opportunity to wear jeans and a casual shirt to work that day. "Think you'll be ready on time?"
"The city inspectors are being a bit of a pain, but yes, we'll be ready. You hired a good general contractor, and he knows how to work the system. We might be missing a few basketballs, but the important stuff is going to be in. We're getting the computers in for the classroom next week."
We walked through the hallway towards the back, where I could look through the currently missing plexiglass windows towards the sports facility. While it wasn't big enough for a full sized court, we could do half court, and there were other game and sports we could do in there as well for children's activities. Our plan was to get at least two of the other centers with full sized courts, more if possible. The big challenge was the size. There aren’t too many buildings the dimensions of full sized gyms plus other rooms sitting empty in the middle of a city. "Nice. When is the board and other equipment being brought in?"
"Some of the last bits to go in, actually," Helen replied. "A volleyball net just needs ten minutes to set up. As per your requirement, there will be a wrestling mat brought in too. Are you sure on that one? It's going to take the insurance premiums through the roof."