Taysom
Didshejustcallme out in an interview being filmed for ESPN?
This is not the Charlotte Mercer I remember.
The Charlotte Mercer I know would have competently answered the questions. That’s it. Except, she probably would have checked to make sure her hair was still safely tucked intothe bun at the base of her neck—a few times—because she tries to hide her hair.
At least she used to. Now? This woman standing here is not like the person I remember. Maybe she loves her hair now. Anything’s up for grabs because my best friend’s little sister just called me out.
Raj responds first. “Now, I don’t think that’s…” He steps forward, stretching out a hand.
Natalie shushes him. “We’re still rolling, Raj.”
“Oh.” Raj steps back, his face in a grimace.
I study Charlotte’s face. There’s so much I remember. The flush across her cheeks and neck. The adorably round circle at the end of her chin. The way her eyes blaze. Right now, it’s with resentment and…pain.
“So, tell me more,” I say quietly, motioning to her with the microphone I’m holding. “How come you’re all losing your jobs?”
Charlotte blinks. Maybe she expected me to get mad at her for her words, and part of me is. She doesn’t understand what went into my decision to help fund the Institute. I don’t think it’s fair for her to make assumptions about me and my foundation, but I do want to hear more from her before I respond.
Her voice is softer now. “I…I’m sorry about that.” She shakes her head, raising her chin. “We’re not flashy, so we don’t get donations. Our flashiest thing is probably this fiddle leaf plant.” She laughs as she motions to the large, potted greenery in the corner of the room. “It’s been here longer than any of us, I think. And not everyone’s losing their jobs. The director and assistant director will stay on because their salaries are funded directly through the university.”
“And are they able to continue on in the work you’re doing?”
“They’re going to try to secure other funding for next year. More grants and donations, which is a full-time job in and ofitself. Look, the truth is, the kids are going to be the ones to suffer from this.”
I frown. “I see. Is there anything that can be done?”
Her eyes soften. “This late in the game? No. We need a lot of money to keep moving forward.”
“Look, I wish I could donate to you guys instead of the Sports Medicine Institute.” A laugh escapes me. “I’m sorry that’s not possible.”
She chews on her bottom lip. “Right, I know. I don’t know why I asked that.”
I glance at Raj, who’s standing there with his arms folded across his chest. He shakes his head like,don’t even think about it.
I don’t want to be part of this systemic problem that Charlotte’s referring to, though. Sports, especially men’s sports, get plenty of attention. And money.
“You mentioned earlier that this was personal to you,” I ask her. “Can you explain why?”
She flicks her tongue to the corner of her mouth. “You probably don’t remember this, but I have a hip condition, Taysom.”
“Oh, I remember. I carried you in from your parents’ backyard once because of it.”
“I know.” Charlotte’s face flushes red. “You don’t exactly have to bringthatup.” She glances at the camera and frowns.
“Would you be more comfortable if we finished our conversation with the camera off?” I offer, just as Natalie shakes her head.
“It’s fine either way,” Charlotte says. But she eyes it again, and she’s so stiff, her arms pressed so tightly to her sides that I want to give her a hug. And then a neck massage.
“Well,” I glance at Raj and Natalie and they’re both shaking their heads vehemently. “Um, okay. We’ll continue on then.”I clear my throat. “Uh. What can you tell me about your hip condition? I know you were born with it, but that’s about all I know.”
“It’s a fairly common thing that became problematic when it went undiagnosed for so long.” Her tone is dismissive. “It’s called Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip. DDH. If you catch it early, the treatment is a harness. If you miss it, it’s surgery.”
“And you had surgery.” I vaguely remember Kyle talking about how his sister had hip problems. And of course I remember when she went down during a little friendly football game in the Mercer’s backyard.
“Yeah. But enough about me. Here at the Early Childhood Center, we believe in early intervention for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. If these conditions are caught early, like before they turn one, occupational therapy is minimal or consultative with the parents. But later on, the treatment for these conditions anywhere from the feet up to the neck, is a lot more intense. With DDH, a lot of times a child presents as clumsy, but it actually stems from a malformation in the hip joint. And if diagnosis and treatment aren’t started until the age of about three, surgery is often necessary. Anyway, I’ve been working on an initiative, a free community gait analysis program for all children in the area.”
