The Samaritan's Gift

By John West

An abused seven-year-old boy is caught up in the CPS system and shuffled from family
to family, until he is finally adopted by a loving veterinarian and his wife. Barely surviving
his childhood trauma, the boy is caught outside in the middle of a terrible thunderstorm,
and young Walter Meyer is suddenly struck by a bolt of lightning and pays a tragic price
– he suffers cardiac arrest.

While he is unconscious, he has an out-of-body experience and encounters spiritual
beings (he calls them angels) and experiences the loving presence that some call the
Holy Spirit. Walter is given the gift of life and a special message. Miraculously, he is
brought back to life and survives solely due to his parent's performing CPR and
paramedic's efforts. When he awakens back in his own body, his experience did not feel
like a dream or a hallucination, but was "more real than real life." He doesn't tell many
people what exactly happened to him when he died, but when he does, they don't
believe it…so he only shares his story with those he trusts.

His near death experience leaves him profoundly changed and he is blessed with
incredible new abilities. He's become a better version of himself, however, he has
trouble fitting back into everyday life. As he grows into manhood, his quest to fulfill
God's message takes him from the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, to the
lush serenity of Duke University, to his wildest adventure near Mount Kilimanjaro in
Africa, finally to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia.

Driven by his new-found relationship with God, Meyer is on a singular-focused mission
that enables him to overcome evil with good. He becomes a man of great wealth, finds
his true love, and saves enumerable lives…with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to save
the life of a future president.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Feb 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9781667892306

John West

We've all had those nights where drunken sex with a witch in a blood pentagram under a full moon on the roof of your favourite Johannesburg nightclub summons a hard-drinking demon who changes the fate of the human race forever. Right? No? Just me, then?

Book preview

ALSO BY JOHN WEST

The Mahdi’s Pathogen – Part 1

The Mahdi’s Pathogen – Part 2

The Aedes Plague

The Doomsday Prophet

The Survivors

Trail of Terror

The Procopious Event

The Redemption of Tobias Hawkins

Canceled and Gone

COPYRIGHT

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright © 2023 by John West

All rights reserved.

In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the author is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the author. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

Table of Contents

ALSO BY JOHN WEST

COPYRIGHT

DEDICATION

QUOTATIONS

PROLOGUE

PART I

THE SECRET

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

PART 2

OFF TO COLLEGE

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

PART 3

TEN YEARS LATER

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Chapter 56

Chapter 57

Chapter 58

Chapter 59

Chapter 60

Chapter 61

Chapter 62

Chapter 63

Chapter 64

Chapter 65

Chapter 66

Chapter 67

Chapter 68

Chapter 69

Chapter 70

Chapter 71

EPILOGUE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DEDICATION

To Beverly, Norma, Lena, Ramona, Carolyn and Wayne

QUOTATIONS

1 Corinthians 15:10, NIV:

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

Anonymous

Just because the past didn’t turn out like you wanted it to, doesn’t mean your future can’t be better than you ever imagined.

PROLOGUE

A TOTAL OF 29 INDIVIDUALS were being arraigned in West Virginia’s Randolph County Circuit Courtroom in Elkins, West Virginia on the final day of June, after being indicted by a grand jury. Charges against the first 28 accused perpetrators took all morning and most of the afternoon. Most of the alleged criminals were men, but a few were women. Their crimes ranged the full gamut of offenses – from use or presentation of a firearm during commission of a felony, burglary, sexual assault and child abuse, delivery and possession of controlled drugs, shoplifting, conspiracy, and incest.

It was late afternoon nearing dinnertime by the time Randolph County Circuit Court Judge John Williams came to his last arraignment, number 29. The courtroom had nearly emptied, the only ones in attendance were the defendant, Robert Baker and his court-assigned defense attorney, the county prosecutor along with his assistant, the sheriff and several deputies, the court bailiff and reporter.

The old white-haired judge breathed a deep sigh. His six-four-inch frame ached from sitting in his chair all day. It was getting late and he promised his wife he wouldn’t be late for their 50th anniversary dinner. He glanced impatiently at his watch, then took a minute to scan the indictment paperwork, sat up and blanched at the charges.

He stared with steely blue eyes at the defendant, Robert Baker. He was stunned by the man’s appearance as he stood in an orange jumpsuit in handcuffs, next to his attorney.

The guy instantly reminded him of the main character in the Helter Skelter movie, centered around the investigation and trial of the horrific Tate-LaBianca mass murders orchestrated by a famous psychotic California pseudo-hippie cult leader.

The diminutive Baker stood at just five-foot-four inches. He was thin, of slight build, a shade hunchbacked, wore his black hair very long, almost to his shoulders, and had a heavy beard. Though handcuffed, his poise was casual, not stiff, as though he was completely at ease in the courtroom.

He could not believe that this little guy had done all the things the grand jury and Sheriff’s Office said he had. The defendant and his lawyer were given copies of the indictment when they entered the courtroom and were given plenty of time to discuss the charges, before being called upon to plead.

Robert Baker looked anything like a heavyweight criminal. He had dark penetrating eyes. The judge immediately noted how widely his upper eyelids were opened – his right eye more so than his left. His eyebrows were also elevated. His nostrils were peculiarly flared.

What made his face so devilish was that while his eyes were opened so large – the rest of his face – except for his nostrils – was relaxed. The judge knew from forty years’ experience in a courtroom how difficult it was to make such an expression without practicing – yet Baker did it effortlessly. It didn’t make sense.

Yet, the judge knew that to underrate him would be the biggest mistake he could make in his career.

This was the face of a crazed killer. A psychopath. The judge sensed it. Baker’s possessed expression gave the judge the chills. Judge Williams knew the three primary emotions which involved widely opened eyelids were: rage, fear, and violence, and this guy had hit the trifecta.

The judge cleared his throat and stated, Robert Baker, you are being charged with one count of murder, two counts of felonious abuse to a child resulting in serious bodily injury; one count of malicious assault, a felony; three counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, second offense, a felony; one count of conspiracy to sell dangerous drugs, a felony; and one count of possession by a prohibited person of a firearm, a felony. How do you plead to these charges…guilty, or not guilty?

Baker responded, Definitely not guilty, judge. It was my girlfriend who tortured the little boy. When I confronted her about it, she attacked me with a kitchen knife, and I had to defend myself – we ended up in a struggle and it was an accident. I didn’t mean to kill her, but she was an extremely aggressive person and lacked maternal experience and parenting skills.

Baker’s defense attorney stood up immediately and added, Your honor, if anything, her death is attributable to his undiagnosed mental problems, his own experiences of being abused as a child. In view of these extenuating circumstance and his financial situation, we ask the court to consider lowering his bail amount to zero.

Judge Williams pondered for a moment, then responded, I’ll take that under consideration, but I’d like to hear first-hand testimony from the arresting officers and the county prosecutor, that is – what exact evidence do they have which supports the charges against your client.

Randolph County Sheriff stood, walked up to the bench and responded, Your honor, myself and two deputies went to the three-bedroom mobile home in response to a young boy’s plea for help. Officers found the little seven-year-old youngster walking alongside the road. The boy was first discovered along a country road by a passerby following his escape from being held against his will.

Where is the boy now?

The child is now safe in the custody of state welfare officials. His teeth were damaged from chewing the nylon ropes; and marks on his wrists, arms and legs clearly indicated he’d been tied up, the sheriff said. I’d like to add that our detectives couldn’t find anything to indicate where he was born. No shots – no medical records, period. Nothing for those first seven years. For all intents and purposes, he didn’t exist until we found him, and my understanding is that he’s been turned over to Child Protective Services.

Hmm. What exactly did the boy tell you happened to him? he asked, as he meticulously jotted down notes.

When questioned, the boy identified himself as Walter Adams and gave the officers the location where he lived. He said he’d been tied up for several weeks in his bedroom. He said out of desperation, he gnawed through the ropes with his teeth to escape from the residence while his mother’s boyfriend was away. The boys eyes were bruised to the point of being nearly swollen shut. He also told us that he thought his mother’s live-in boyfriend, Robert Baker, had killed his mother. This information in itself gave me and my deputies probable cause to go conduct an immediate emergency search of the home.

And what did you and your officers find when you arrived at the mobile home? the judge asked.

Nobody was at home, so we broke into the home. A search of the residence revealed a body inside of a large chest-type freezer. At first we thought it was the carcass of a butchered deer, but later the coroner determined it was a woman.

The boy’s mother? he queried.

Yes, your honor, her name was Sandra Adams, he stated. Before he killed her, we have evidence that Baker pimped her out to a heroin dealer in exchange for drugs and money.

Did you see where the boy had been held captive in the mobile home to substantiate his story?

Yes, your honor, we took photos and kept the ropes as evidence, the burly sheriff replied. The bedroom where he was held captive and beaten immediately brought tears to my eyes. It’s the most horrifying thing I’ve ever seen done to a human being, he told the judge. He quickly added, Ain’t none of us in the entire sheriff’s office never seen anything like it in the years that we’ve been doing this as law enforcement officers, he added. And we’ve seen a lot – but not like we saw that day.

The sheriff suddenly broke down, prompting Judge Williams to call for a 10-minute break, to allow the lawman time to regain his composure. When he returned to the courtroom, he continued his testimony.

He said, Robert Baker starved the seven-year-old, to the point where he only weighed 30 pounds when we found him. He was nothing but skin and bone. It’s the most horrifying case of child abuse our investigators have ever seen. Baker would lock the boy in a closet or tie him to a bed for weeks at a time.

Baker jumped up from his seat and insisted he had nothing to do with the alleged tying and starvation of the boy. His momma did it, I tried to stop her! I had nuthin’ to do with it, he yelled.

Sit down and shut up, or I’ll have you muzzled, shackled, and removed from my courtroom, the judge warned him.

The prosecuting attorney showed the judge disturbing pictures of the skeletal condition of the young boy. Judge Williams strained to hear a poor-quality recording made by a state caseworker interviewing the child. He was visibly disturbed at what he heard, including a conversation the boy recalled with his mother’s boyfriend. "Sometimes Robert Baker would laugh at me and say I looked like an Eth-i-op-i-an, then beat me and slap me with his hands. He usually tied me to a bed for many days at a time. He’d tie my right hand to my left leg, and my left hand was tied to my right leg – so I couldn’t escape."

What did he give you to eat while you were tied up? the caseworker asked the boy.

He gave me a tube of toothpaste, some banana peels and dogfood, the boy answered simply. That’s what I ate to keep alive.

Upon hearing the boys voice on the recording, Robert Baker giggled to himself, and smiled often.

Shut up Mr. Baker! the judge barked and pounded his gavel loudly. This is the last time I’m going to admonish you.

After the recording ended, the sheriff stated, Your honor, in my entire career policing in twenty-seven years, I ain’t never seen a youngster with these kinds of injuries that has lived. Seven-year-old Walter Adams must have had a tremendous will to live to be able to still hang on, despite what he’s been through. It was a terrifying existence for him. Every day was simply something to endure, a test of survival. He is a hero for surviving his torture, escaping, and coming forward with the information that enabled us to charge Robert Baker.

When and where was Baker arrested?

Your honor, Baker was arrested within hours while parked in his vehicle at a nearby construction site, more than ten miles from the mobile home. He was caught smoking meth and had over 2,000 fentanyl tablets in his possession. He is being held without bond.

The judge glanced at the clock, then down at his papers; he steepled his fingers, then launched a steely glare at the defendant, and his counselor whose job it was to keep his client from being locked up in prison for life, and away from death row.

Cash bond is being set at $1,000,000 and there will be no cashless bail in this court, so don’t even ask, he warned the defense attorney. "A pre-trial conference is set for August 3rd, a preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 8th, jury selection is on the court calendar for August 10th, and trial is being set for August 20th. You are being remanded back into custody at this time. You, Robert Baker, have been indicted for several crimes – not convicted by a grand jury – because twelve of sixteen people felt there was probable cause to believe crimes were committed and that you were directly connected to them. I also believe that to be true after hearing testimony from law enforcement."

The judge continued, "But, in order to be convicted of the crimes for which you have been indicted, a twelve-person jury must be unanimously convinced that you are guilty of the crime, or crimes, beyond a reasonable doubt. Unlike the proceeding that caused you to be indicted, you will have an opportunity to cross examine the witnesses, as well as exclude certain testimony and evidence that was considered by the grand jury in their decision to indict you."

The judge concluded his statement, and asked, Mr. Baker, do you understand the charges against you; and do you have any questions, or do you have any information you would like to add at this time?

Baker kept a smirk on his face, laughed out loud, and mocked the judge, What are y’all gonna do to me? he asked venomously, tie me down and cut me up? You can’t hurt someone like me…I’m Satan, the Devil, Belial, Lucifer, and the Antichrist! I’m gonna represent myself in court and win!

Get this guy out of my courtroom! I’m also ordering the District Attorney’s Office to file a sworn written application for a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation of Mr. Baker – immediately! Judge John Williams demanded, with a disgusting shake of his head.

Court is adjourned!

PART I

THE SECRET

Chapter 1

DR. GEORGE R. MEYER and his wife Julia were the perfect Catholic family. He was a veterinarian with a thriving practice and clinic near prestigious James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, located in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley nestled between the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains. His wife was a high school math teacher, with a master’s degree. They had a wonderful and vibrant five-year-old healthy daughter named Emma, who had just started kindergarten.

The church placed special importance on family values such as unity, fidelity, and respect, both within the domestic family unit and in the church family. Catholic doctrine was that the church community was strengthened by procreation of families.

As a model religious family, Julia made certain they had regular family dinners, time for prayer and worship, weekly game nights and family days, and regularly scheduled times for communication and relationship-building. As practicing Catholics, they both believed as Jesus demonstrated by dying on the cross, parents and children were called to make sacrifices for each other.

George ardently believed family was the first place where children found out about love, companionship, and forgiveness. He also thought parents had the obligation to set children a good example of how to live a Christian life. Therefore, he made sure they participated in mass every Sunday, began each day with morning prayer, read bible verses during regular nature walks, made sure they all participated in bible study sessions, and participated in volunteer opportunities.

George even integrated Christian principles into his veterinary practice by hosting special free events such as spaying, neutering, and microchipping clinics. The family collected food, blankets and toys for a local shelter, and needy families. He even implemented referral programs and partnered with local pet-friendly shops and other churches, to generate positive business-to-business and Christian relationships.

However, try as hard as they could, there was one big problem in their lives that George and his wife could not overcome: They were infertile, and both wanted another child. After years of trying to conceive and many thousands of dollars, Emma had been a one-time miracle child conceived through in vitro fertilization, or IVF. The couple were told by medical specialists that since they were over the age of forty, and there were complications, the prognosis for them getting pregnant after undergoing fertility treatments was now near zero.

Like most couples, they yearned for more children. Those hopes were dashed by the cruel reality of infertility. After years of trying and treatments, they decided to turn to adoption.

Counseling from the parish priest in their church resulted in them contacting a Catholic Charities affiliated adoption agency, The Christian Children’s Home Society, in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

"The CCHS is the best there is, insisted Father Mulligan, their parish priest. The home was established in 1896 and specializes in finding foster homes for the neediest West Virginia and Virginia children. They take on the most difficult placements of children in the two states’ foster care systems, including older, abused children and children with special needs."

What do you mean by ‘special needs’? Dr. Meyer asked the priest.

He answered, Kids who through no fault of their own, face higher odds of failing out of school and falling into the vicious cycle of poverty as adults. Children who have been abused, who are used to being thrown against a wall, who are malnourished, or even sexually exploited. How do you teach a boy that when his dad reaches for him, it’s not to hit him? How do you comfort a little girl who doesn’t know what a hug is? These are the ones I’m referring to.

George and Julia Meyer discussed the priest’s proposal over the next several days and decided to forge ahead to adopt a needy foster child, preferably a little boy. It seemed like a perfect fit for the Meyer family needs. When placing children with couples, the CCHS had a successful history of continuously placing more children than 80 percent of all other agencies in the two states.

Father Mulligan was ecstatic when they told him the news. There is no book, no pamphlet, no course in life that can prepare you for the reality that is going from marriage to infertility, to saying yes to adopting a child who may have suffered severe emotional and physical trauma. It is a journey you walk one extraordinarily unpredictable step at a time. It is truly a blessing!

The priest made an appointment for the Meyers to meet an adoption counselor at CCHS the following week.

++++

HELLO! I’M SISTER MARY-MARGARET, it’s so nice to meet you! I’ll be your assigned adoption counselor, the elderly woman with wire-rimmed glasses said cheerfully, as she shook Walter and Julia Meyer’s hands.

She wore a traditional dark woman’s dress suit, along with a simple headdress consisting of a stiff hat that framed her face, and a white cap that extended the covering to her chin.

She motioned with her hand and ushered them into her spacious office.

When they entered her office there was a dark walnut bookcase lining the entire left-hand wall full of scholarly books, and a lovely mahogany desk, with two plush armed chairs in front of it. A brown leather sofa sat against the right-side wall. Several piles of manila folders were arranged on the top of a long credenza under the windows behind her. A computer keyboard sat on the left side of her desk, hooked to a laser printer on a small end table beside her, and a large 30-inch monitor.

She sat down in her large leather executive chair, clasped her hands together and said, "I want to welcome you to The Christian Children’s Home Society. You both come highly recommended by Father Mulligan as prospective foster parents. So, you’re in search of a young boy for eventual adoption – do I have that correct?"

Yes, they both responded.

That sounds wonderful! We have an abundance of children in need of wonderful homes. As a way of introducing yourselves, could you each take a few minutes and tell me about yourself? I understand you are both active in the parish and in your community – tell me a little about your interests, hobbies, your other children…anything at all that gives me a snapshot of your current family and life activities.

As they both took turns and talked for the next twenty minutes, Sister Mary-Margaret listened alertly and straightened the stuff on her desk, making sure everything was square and properly spaced. There wasn’t much: a legal-sized lined yellow pad that she took notes on, a translucent Bic pen with a black top, and a big plastic cube with pictures of the Vatican and His Holiness the Pope.

When they finished, she said, Let me explain our process to you: to be approved as a foster home and adoptive parents, each family goes through a rigorous ‘Home Study’.

Like a correspondence course? Julia asked.

Heavens no, the sister laughed. It’s really a process where one of our social workers inspects the house that the adoptee will live in. It also includes a series of interviews with all family members and an adoption packet of personal information you’ll have to fill out.

What kind of personal information? her husband asked.

The paperwork consists of medical forms that details a history of illness and life expectancy data; criminal background checks, a child abuse background check, and reference letters.

Holy cow, he remarked.

She added, It also includes financial information, such as copies of three years tax returns, and information about your income, expenses, savings balances, and monthly budget.

George exclaimed, That’s a lot of information. Are you certain that’s really necessary?

Yes, it is – and the sooner you get started on it – the quicker we can get a match for adoption. You see, after the ‘Home Study’ is completed, there’s usually a waiting period before we can get a match with a child.

How long is the waiting period? Julia questioned.

Normally only a week or two, although we have had some situations lasting as long as a few months, the nun smiled. A match occurs if your family is selected as the adoptive placement for a particular child in need. Once that occurs, you’ll be provided additional information about the child so that your decision to proceed with meeting them is a well-informed one.

I don’t want to sound like I’m cheating on a test, but what makes a good adoption match? George asked.

Sister Mary-Margaret laughed heartily, "No worries, Dr. Meyer. The goal of our careful matching process is to ensure the most appropriate fit between the needs of the child and the strengths of the family. Matching a child with a family is an arduous task of reviewing the assessments of prospective families along with those of available children to determine the best family to provide safety, permanency, and well-being for a specific child. That’s our major strength that CCHS is known for: It’s a collaborative process to determine if the family has the skills, abilities, knowledge, and desire to parent the child; not to mention – is the family’s lifestyle compatible with that of the child, and does the family have specific experience to meet the child’s needs?"

What other information do we need to know? Dr. Meyer wondered.

After a thoughtful moment, she twirled her pen and replied, "The Christian Children’s Home Society requires a minimum of six months of supervision after placement of a child with adoptive parents. Monthly visits will be made by Adoption Counselors during that time."

Why? Julia asked.

Excellent question! The purpose of the supervisory visits is to support the adoptive family with the integration of the child into the home, she answered. But, fear not! After the six-months supervision period ends, the petition of adoption will be submitted to the court.

Then is the adoption complete? George asked. "I mean, does CCHS complete the adoption paperwork?"

Not quite, she smiled. The adoption is finalized when the decree is granted during the court hearing. As the adoptive family, you will need your own attorney to handle that process – so you might want to start thinking about that. So, having said all that…do we proceed?

George Meyer looked at his wife lovingly, grinned, then turned to Sister Mary-Margaret and announced, Absolutely! We’d like to take the paperwork home with us and get started.

Excellent! the nun declared, clasping her hands. She swiveled around in her chair and snatched a large half-inch manila folder full of papers. She swung back around and placed the folder in front of the Meyers. Then she stood up, indicating the meeting was over, and very carefully paper-clipped her business card onto the folder. My phone number is on the card. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to call me.

Thank you so much, George Meyer said as they shook hands.

No, it is I who should thank you two, she replied humbly. I am only an instrument of God, doing His work. I can’t help but believe you’ve been called here for a reason.

God does work in mysterious ways, Julia commented.

That, He does! the nun agreed.

Chapter 2

ALMOST SEVEN MONTHS TO the day, after dozens of interviews and what seemed like endless forms, they finally received the phone call they’d been praying for. Sister Mary-Margaret informed them that the agency had identified a match for them and invited them to Martinsburg, West Virginia to meet the young boy.

Can you email a picture of him to us, along with some information about him in advance, so we can prepare ourselves? Julia said excitedly.

Certainly, she replied. If there is any reason after reading his biographic information you want to opt out, please let me know right away, and we’ll look further. Agreed?

Absolutely, George promised.

"Good, I’m sending you his information now, via email. Would this Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. be convenient for you to come to CCHS to meet the boy?"

We’ll be there! George replied excitedly.

Do you mind if we bring our five-year-old daughter Emma along? Julia asked. What’s the little boy’s name?

Not at all, in fact, it might be nice to see how the young boy and your daughter interact with each other…his name is Walter and he’s seven years old.

Okay, then Sister Mary-Margaret – we’ll see you Sunday, George promised, as he hit the print que on his keyboard to print out the email the nun had sent to them.

Would you look at him! Julia exclaimed enthusiastically, as she stared over her husband’s shoulder at seven-year-old Walter Adams’ picture. What an adorable little boy, I just can’t wait to meet him.

He looks very nice, their daughter Emma agreed.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, George stated. "Let’s read what the short summary says about him. He read the summary out loud to his wife and daughter:

Walter Adams is a shy, respectful, handsome young boy and a true joy to be around He is a sweetheart who tends to smile often. He has a great sense of humor and wants to do well. Walter’s schoolwork has improved greatly, and he loves to read and educate himself on new topics.

He is a handsome young fellow with an infectious laugh and smile. He can be very charming, affectionate, and talkative once he gets to know people. He does extremely well with adults who can provide one-on-one attention. Walter enjoys reading and word search puzzles in his spare time and taking care of our small CCHS community garden. He also really enjoys spending time outside digging for fossils and building forts! He wants to help animals who are hurt or sick and wants to study to be a vet or doctor.

He is very smart and can do well in school when he applies himself and completes his work. He is struggling with peers at school. He also struggles to maintain good personal hygiene. He needs someone who is able to be patient with him while helping support him in the development of these skills.

Walter will do well with a family who can help him meet his special needs at home and in school. He will also do well with someone who enjoys the outdoors and animals. He will need a family who will give him new experiences and help him build upon his strengths. Walter gets along well with kids of all ages and would be a wonderful addition to any type of family.

How can we not like a young man with all those qualities? his wife pointed out.

Yeah, it’s kind of like we custom-ordered him on Amazon, George laughed.

Well, I can’t wait to meet my new brother named Walter, Emma chimed in. I hope he likes girls.

++++

SUNDAY CAME AND THE Meyer family finally had an opportunity to meet Walter Adams in Sister Mary-Margaret’s office. The adorable little boy had brown hair cut short on the sides with a short spiked top, large brown eyes and a light skin tone. They were struck by how thin the young boy was. He smiled shyly and was softspoken and not afraid to speak, but when he did talk, he had a tendency to stutter.

When introduced to the three Meyers, he did the unexpected – he shook their hands softly, then hugged all three of them.

Walter, if you had three wishes to have anything in the world, what would you wish for? George asked the young boy.

Walter thought for a long moment, then replied haltingly, First, I w-wish I had a r-real f-family where I c-could stay…a r-real m-mom and d-dad; and then I w-wish I could h-have a t-treehouse; then maybe a motor bike w-would be n-nice.

Walter, if Sister Mary-Margaret allows us to take you home with us, I think your first two wishes are going to come true…but, I think it’s a little too soon for you to get a motor bike.

Gee, t-thanks Mr. M-Meyer! the little boy smiled.

Emma surprised everybody. Without prompting, she walked over to Walter, gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. She asked him, Walter will you be my big brother?

Yes! he answered meekly, with a slight hesitation.

Good – then you’re coming home with us! the little girl decided emphatically, folding her arms.

Everybody in the office laughed good-naturedly in response.

I think that makes it unanimous, then – am I correct? the nun kidded, as she glanced over at the two parents.

Yes! George and Julia shouted together. Can we take him home today?

Okay, then. Now that that’s resolved, there’s just a few release forms to be signed, she answered. She turned to Walter and said, Walter – would you please return to your room and pack your clothes and things in your backpack? I need to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Meyer for a few minutes, then we’ll come down and pick you up.

Yes, S-Sister M-Mary-Margaret, he replied politely. He stood up, smiled at the Meyer family, and ambled out of the office.

After she was certain he was out of earshot, the nun clasped her hands, leaned forward and said, In case you hadn’t noticed, Walter seems to be behind physically, emotionally, socially, and academically…but, on the plus side – he shows signs of being a spirited child: He displays exuberance, independence, determination, and is very focused. Like all strong-willed children, he’s a natural leader in his own quiet way, he’s highly empathetic, and intelligent.

"Can you share with us any more information about his