Cathy

Since the meeting yesterday with the young woman claiming to be Sandy’s long lost daughter, Cathy had felt uneasy and had been wondering about several things. 

Most noticeably, the young woman hadn’t given many clues as to how she spent her days, nor did she say much about her family except that they were kind and loving.  She skirted around questions of her early life, childhood and schooling, although she did have several photographs that she had sent with an email and brought with her to the meeting.

Cathy had been a Nun for many years, and the decision to forsake her way of life, the vows she had made, didn’t come easily.  However, she had been part of an open order that had the Sisters going out into the community to work with the needy, the poor, orphans and the homeless.  One of the places to which Cathy had been sent was a centre in the East End of London that worked with women and pregnant, unmarried, women in particular.  They tried to find homes for these women and helped them after they had given birth whether or not they had kept the baby.

After many years Cathy decided that the life in the convent was not for her any longer.  As she said “After struggling for many months I came to the conclusion that I didn’t need a habit or vows in order to be true to myself.  But being a nun taught me that the most important thing in life, regardless of what religion you are is to be kind to people and to have a kind heart.”  So this is what she took with her into the world. 

And it was to this centre in the East End that she went with her people skills and her kind heart.  And it was there that she met Sandy and so became involved in this major happening in Sandy’s life.

Over the years of dealing with so many people, and particularly women, Cathy had become adept at reading people.  Her feeling about the young woman, Barbara, was that she was hiding something.  She didn’t think the woman was being particularly truthful and honest about herself.  She wondered what the secret could be and also how she could help Sandy.  Sandy was so keen to accept this young woman at face value that Cathy was concerned for her.  Was she headed for disappointment or was she, Cathy, reading too much into the unanswered questions.  Her years in the convent had taught her that when confronted by a difficult question or decision to be made, the right thing for her to do was pray for guidance.  This she did at the first opportunity.

Well she didn’t get a lightening flash with an answer but she did come away knowing that she must do all she could to protect Sandy.  Through her work at the Women’s Centre she had met a Police Inspector whose friendship and counsel she valued.  She had seen this man working with some of the abused women who came to the Centre and she knew that he was a kindly man.  She knew he would listen to her concerns without shaking her off and so she determined to seek his advice to see whether anything could be found out about this woman.  After all, the police had many sources of information available to them that was not available to the general public.

Cathy didn’t know Greg, Sandy’s ex husband, and so she had no idea that Greg had also decided to employ the services of his friend, the private detective.

Early the next morning she set about putting her plan into practice.  But first she had to talk to Sandy to see if there had been any further communication from the young woman.  Maybe all the questions had been answered and there was no need for her to  worry any more or to involve her friend.

“Love is not patronizing and charity isn’t about pity,
it is about love.
Charity and love are the same;  with charity you give love,
so don’t just give money but reach out your hand instead.”
― Mother Teresa

Episode 10 in The Sandy Saga