One Perspective.

I entered the kitchen only far enough to see her peering behind Wes at the stove. She was a little black girl who waved back with a shy smile after my excited attempt to connect. It's not that the other people in the room weren't important, for they very much were..and are. Wes is one of the college aged guys living at the house on Cockerell Drive. Kyle, a friend I met through Clear Lake Church of Christ (a whole 'nother story in itself), is temporarily living there until he can get a place with his friend Marshall on the south side of town. You see, I wouldn't have ever been there had it not been for these two. So, like I said, they are in fact important. I suppose it's more that I don't quite understand my place with them yet that it was so easy for me to be drawn to her. I went around and in through the other doorway to sit next to her at the kitchen table.
I suppose I didn't want to impose so I began to take out some homework I had brought with me.
"What's your name?" I started with.
"Alina."
"I'm Candice."
I'm sure I asked her some questions desiring to break the ice, but I'm positive we both still felt awkward. I decided to let it alone. Kyle, busy making the tortillas, asked me a few questions to make me feel welcomed which I appreciated. Wes shook my hand and we all engaged in some light conversation. Ben came in, whose hand I also shook, and I took a backseat to glance at my homework but mostly to watch the roommates interact. I'm not sure when it happened exactly but I know she left the room to check out what the other two roommates, Josh and Aaron, were up to. (I had met these two when they let me in the house earlier.)
I remember feeling relieved that, right as I was clearing my homework so the boys could eat at the table, Ainsley arrived. I got up to greet her and we decided to start working on our question box she brought. This is a box that girls from where we work can put anonymous questions in for us to attempt to answer. We just so happened to work on the couch Alina was now sitting at as I asked her if she wanted to help. Silently excited we'd want her help, she agreed.
Let's just say the box didn't look like what I pictured, but I'm so glad. With her opinions and handiwork involved, it looked better than I could've imagined.
While we worked on the box we listened to the roommates, which was pretty funny. Apparently I need to watch Fiddler on the Roof, which I hope we follow through with. We used all their tape. And Moo Moo, Alina's brother, arrived.
The 11 year old's initial excitement to be there quickly faded when he realized there were new people and that meal time was keeping the boys busy. After several minutes of watching him watch us make the box, I asked if he knew any card games. By now the boys had scattered again from the kitchen. Kyle, who had just finished cleaning up, caught the end of our conversation. Moo Moo, Kyle, Ainsley, and I all decided to play Egyptian Rat Screw. Alina, next to me and Ainsley, watched intently.
After one game the timid sixth grade boy had transformed into quite the competitor. Games two and three were moved to the kitchen table for better reaching and slapping purposes. Alina joined in these rounds.
Naturally, since the mood was right from us all getting pumped up from the game- the next move was to time Moo Moo shove a banana into his mouth. 1 minute, 9 seconds.
During the game, three more older kids arrived; one being a brother of the two present siblings. He was our audience for game three.
With more commotion in the house now, we all split to check it out. Ainsley and I finished up the question box, but of course not far behind came Alina wanting to help finish.
Wondering what to do next, Alina asked about the balloons she had seen in my car. I explained we were going to release them in the sky to honor a little baby boy born stillborn the week before. When I asked if she wanted to help, she didn't hesitate.
We took the balloons to the park to release them and Moo Moo followed. I let Alina keep the red heart balloon and we watched the rest rise higher and higher into the atmosphere. A still moment calmed my heart as I wondered the complexities of the "why"s in this world. Of course, on the way back, Moo Moo and I raced since Alina didn't wish to participate in order to protect her balloon.
Catching our breaths, I teased Moo Moo by announcing to Kyle, now in the garage working on bikes, that I won...an obvious lie. Moo Moo, now full of energy, gladly volunteered when Kyle asked for some help on the bikes- that he may or may not have really needed.
The saddest part of my day was in that garage when I realized my time at the blessed home was now up. We gathered our things and said our goodbyes.
Ainsley and I, beaming, said with pure joy in our voices, "I'm so glad we came." We never stopped smiling the whole way back to our cars, and probably a good while after.

Thank you God for Moo Moo and Alina.
Thank you God for the Cockerell boys and what you've inspired them to do.
Thank you God for Jesus Christ.
What an honor to live in your kingdom.