There were a lot of people in attendance at the mediation meeting. Our state social worker was there, with her boss, who brought her boss. The volunteer from Child Advocates was there, with her boss. The remaining participants were the mediator, Lola and her lawyer, the state’s lawyer, Nancy, and me. Apparently, a lot of people thought that there was a lot at stake. I certainly did.
The mediator was doing all of the things that he could do to calm everyone and facilitate a free discussion. Lola was clearly uptight. The fact that it was Lola and her attorney against a small army of people made Lola’s state of mind understandable.
The state attorney outlined all of the material that she was prepared to present at the trial that detailed all of the outrageous behavior that had characterized Lola’s life. She also had reports from two psychiatrists who had concluded that Lola could not care for a child and that her probability of a lifetime of substance abuse was very high.
I had been a negotiator for over thirty years, so Nancy and I were ready. Nancy had prepared a small photo album showing all of the boys. I had prepared a written narrative detailing how each boy was doing. It was very well done. We gave the materials to her. Lola had not seen or heard anything about the oldest four boys since the goodbye meeting. We were willing to provide similar materials through an intermediary every six months.
Considering that Lola had no right to any information about the older four, we felt like our offer was very generous. Of course, we expected her to sign a relinquishment in return.
It was time to adjourn the meeting and she seemed agreeable. At the last minute, she said that she wanted to talk to her drug counselor to tell him what she was going to do. We tried his office, home, and cell phones with no answer. Lola would not sign anything without talking to him. She was getting obstinate. I knew her well enough to know that her capacity to cope had been short circuited, so it was time to quit.
We were very disappointed, so close yet so far away from knowing that Isaiah was ours. We were sure that it was done in heavenly places, but here on earth it was still in question. We scheduled a meeting for the same time and place the following week and then we would go to Round Six.
Related Blogs:
The Fight for Isaiah, Round Two
The Fight for Isaiah, Round Three
The Fight for Isaiah, Round Four