A New Hope - Robyn Carr Page 0,99
a paper he has to write when he gets back to MIT. He’s a genius.”
“I think Charlie might be a genius, as well,” Winnie said.
“Nah,” Lin Su said. “He’s very smart, though. Much of that comes from the fact that he was housebound so much as a little kid. We found all kinds of educational programs for him. It took his mind off not being able to run and play with the other kids.”
“We?” Winnie asked.
“Huh? Oh, me and anyone interested, friends or babysitters. Sometimes other nurses or doctors where I was working. A couple of times I had home healthcare patients who encouraged him. He got that laptop from one of my patients when he upgraded his own and gave Charlie the castoff. It’s been a lifesaver.”
“We’ve been looking at new models together,” Winnie informed her.
“You mustn’t do that, Winnie. That computer works very well. It’s got a couple more years in it, for sure.”
“It’s purely selfish, I assure you,” she said, turning from the rail to go back to her chair. “I have my assistant, Virginia, still managing my affairs in San Francisco. I’ve accustomed myself to giving her instructions and projects and then she reports to me. The only thing I’ve ever bothered with is opening her attachments and looking at what she’s done. But Charlie has me going all over the internet, looking at things. I’ve had to borrow Grace’s laptop a few times—it’s more sophisticated than mine. I want to sit with Charlie, our computers in front of us.”
Lin Su helped her into her chair. “You’re not going to see quite as much of him when school starts in a few weeks.”
“I have a few ideas about that, as well. Are you satisfied with his educational program?”
“In what way?”
“Do you like his school?”
“It’s a perfectly good public school,” she said. “Charlie started there last year.”
“Was he satisfied?”
“With his studies, I believe so. He didn’t complain about the work and he had a lot of homework. He got straight As, of course. He always has.”
“Was the rest of his experience good?”
“What do you mean?” Lin Su asked.
“You know perfectly well what I mean. He’s not as robust as other boys his age, though I have to say, a month or so on the beach seems to have given him more color, more stamina. I think we may be in for a growth spurt. So, back to the subject. Does Charlie have good friends at school?”
“He has a few. And if you’re asking if he has conflict from time to time, the answer is yes. I think all small boys in thick glasses have those struggles, which is why I won’t allow things like Facebook. I’ve heard too many horror stories.”
“I think it makes sense for him to consider a change. You should discuss it with him. His opinion counts the most, I think. But—you come to work here every morning and leave every evening. It’s convenient. More important—if Thunder Point can produce an MIT scholarship student they deserve more credit than I’ve given them.”
“But Winnie—I work here. I don’t live here.”
“I’ve spoken with Troy. Charlie would be allowed to attend based on that fact. Now, before you want to discuss that this employment is at best temporary let me suggest that my time might not be as short as people think. That’s my expert opinion.”
Lin Su smiled at her. “And would you mind explaining your wonderful theory?”
“Not at all. I’m trying to catch up with my daughter after years of bossing her around and making her do everything that was important to me rather than what was important to her. I’m making great progress—I think she’s starting to actually like me, hard as I make it sometimes. That’s one reason. Another reason—she’s carrying my grandchild. I’m not giving up a chance to know that baby without a fight. I might die, but it’ll be heel marks all the way. And three, I might miss my old body and find the handicaps that come with ALS to be perfectly terrible, but I can cope as long as I have my mind. And by God, I have it. I think the lot of you should be warned—I might hang around for the next two grandchildren. And Charlie’s graduation from Harvard.”
Lin Su smiled at her. “I agree, stubbornness has played a crucial role in life expectancy.”
There was the sound of footsteps on the stairs and the women stopped talking. Charlie came onto the deck first, Frank right behind him.