xp_logs | Sam and Sooraya | Volunteering in DX

Sam volunteers at a school supply drive in District X, where he runs into Sooraya.

Soft chatter rose in the background as various people spread out of the four corners of the large room: one for the PreK and K backpacks, one for the grades 1-4, one for grades 5-8 and the final one for high school backpacks.

Sooraya surveyed the room as she moved around, checking if everyone knew what they were doing, if there were enough supplies and if each corner had enough people.Spotting a young man looking a little lost, she headed his way: "Hey, anything I can help you with? You look a little confused."

"Oh 'm fine just tryin to figure out which group has less helpers-" Sam said without looking up. He spared another glance around the room before looking up at the woman who had spoken to him, eyes widened a bit in recognition. "I'm Sam- but I think we've met before? You look familiar."

Narrowing her eyes a little, Sooraya tilted her head. He did indeed look a little familiar. "I'm Sooraya." She quickly introduced herself. "I'm around the community center often... maybe that's why I look familiar?"

"Maybe? It's my first time volunteering here so unless we just have a habit of walking past one another I'm not sure that's it. Regardless, I'm here to help if you need it." Sam tried to offer a friendly smile and not look as tired as he felt. He didn't usually volunteer on Saturday mornings, especially after working a Friday night shift, but a drive for school kids was exactly the kind of thing that made him chug a black coffee and pray it did the trick.

"We can use all the help we can get. Let's see..." Sooraya glanced around, checking. The backpacks for the smaller kids usually had enough volunteers and the high school ones had a dedicated group, but... "How about we give the middle school group a hand? Filling up the pencil pouches will make this go quite a bit faster." She started towards the corner, glancing at Sam: "So what's your last name? That might help figure out where I know you from."

"Sounds great, I've got two younger siblings that age now so I'm pretty familiar with that age group." Sam said, fighting back a yawn. "Oh, sorry, should've introduced myself that way to begin with." He held out his hand to shake. "Sam Guthrie."

"Sam Guthrie?" Sooraya accepted his hand and shook it firmly. "Now it makes sense. We ran into each other on Muir, I think... It's a while back though."

"Oh yes! Sooraya I remember now, vaguely but I remember! It's great to see you, how are you?" Sam said, trying to subtly move towards the middle school group without seeming rude. "Were you the one who set this all up?"

"I've been good." She followed Sam as they made their way over to the middle school corner. "And yeah, I have been running the Back to School drive for a while now. It's hard enough for the kids here to go to school with the idea that they come from 'mutie town', but we can at least make sure they have the supplies they need. Luckily we always seem to find enough donors to help. And so many people try to help, even if it's two boxes of pens."

"I get it. We have a lot of drop outs back home, it's hard to keep kids in school when they feel like they don't have a chance. I don't have any money to spare but I can at least be a person who cares and puts things in the bags. Always happy to help make sure kids're looked after." Sam smiled and hoped it reached his eyes, no sense is burdening Sooraya with the issues of home, and he knew he wouldn't be able to lie if she asked.

"Now let's see... " Sooraya took the work being done. "Why don't we sort out the math stuff over there for a bit? With the protractors and compasses?" Grabbing a bin with protractors she handed it off to Sam, taking one with simple compasses for herself. "So where is back home?"

"Sounds great, and uh... home is Kentucky, where my Ma and my eight younger siblings live. It's weird not seein'em every day." Sam said, started to sort out the equipment.

"Eight siblings? That's a pretty big family." Sooraya opened her own bin, frowning when she saw all the cords jumbled together. "O boy, this is gonna be fun." She muttered, pulling the first bundle out of the bin and starting to detangle them. "So you're the oldest of the bunch?"

"Yes'm, I'm the oldest. 'N then Paige, who's just finished college and we're real proud of her, and then Jay who dropped out, but's doing well for himself with his guitar. I'd bet anything that he's the next Loretta Lynn. Mel's workin and she says she likes her job well enough so I'm happy." Sam smiled proudly as he continued to make quick work of his bin. "And the rest are still in school. Jeb's in marching band this year and Mama promised to send me videos of the halftime show."

"Sorry, this is gonna take me a while." Sooraya had carefully liberated the first compasses from the tangle and continued to untangle the various cords. Luckily they were at least different colors. "You sound very proud of them. And very close to them. I hope you get to them often?"

"No worries, once I'm finished my bin I can help with yours? If that's alright?" Sam asked as he checked a few bags to make sure he hadn't added more than one protractor. "Not too often, any money I don't need to keep myself fed and housed up here goes right back home. Manifesting really threw a wrench in things an' while I didn't have to leave, and most folks were real sad about me goin', I never got to be a kid.... y'know? Daddy got black lung when I was 'bout eight or nine and the older I got the less he could do. So I was takin' care of the babies and the guys in the union turned a blind eye when I showed up for night shifts at the mine so we could eat and pay the doctors."

Sam paused for a second and shook himself a bit. "Daddy died when I was eighteen and funerals cost money....I know Jay's mad about me leavin', he won't' say it, but I know him. Goin' back home... it leads to fightin' and I'd rather the little ones not remember me and Jay fightin'......uh sorry, You.... didn't ask for my life story...sorry again."

"That sounds good. I think this probably is a two man job. I'm not even halfway." Sooraya paused for a second, trying to sort quickly about what Sam had just shared. "And please, don't worry, Sam... I am so sorry to hear about your father. And that sounds so tough... but you also sound like an amazing big brother. Even if your siblings don't always realize it."

"Thank you. I don't think he'd be as mad if he'd had some warning I was goin'.... but most folks who leave our area... they don't come back. I get why he's mad, I'd be mad too. I just wish we could talk it out without all the yellin'." Sam finished his bin and then scooted over to Sooraya. "Alright, where should I start detangling that won't mess up what you've done so far?"

"Let's see..." Sooraya eyed the tangled mess and finally tipped over the box. "I think the best way is just to start from one end. I'll continue to work from another and we'll see how it goes." She separated two more from the tangle. "How old is he now?" She asked gently.

"Got it." Sam reached in and started looking for the other end. "He's twenty-one. According to our sister Paige, he might be getting engaged soon which is so exciting. He'll be the first of us to get hitched. None of us have met his girlfriend, but Paige and Mel say he's head over heels and that's good enough for me."

"That sounds wonderful! Hopefully you'll have the chance to meet them soon." Sooraya eyed the pile of now detangled compasses, frowning at the cords threatening to tangle once more. She rose quickly. "Sorry, just one sec."

Scanning the room, she quickly brought back a short wooden rod. With the help of two other bins, she was quickly threading the cords onto them. "So, this should stop them from tangling again. And what about you, Sam? What do you do in daily life?"

"I tend bar at Kirby's, try to keep up with my siblings from a distance. I don't... really do too much." Sam shrugged. "Hoping to volunteer more but probably more afternoon stuff since I work a lot of nights."

"I don't know all the options, but I know there are plenty of afternoon activities where they can use someone at the Community Center if you're interested." Sooraya tilted her head, thinking. "Probably even maybe a few where you can help kids with their education."

"I'd love that. I'm down to help with literally anything community wise. It's just probably best that I'm actually awake while helping." Sam laughed a bit. "Do you organize all this yourself? It's really impressive."

"No, no. Nowhere near that. There are many different people involved." Sooraya almost had to blush a little. "I have a few projects that are my main responsibility, mostly this one and the Baby Box program. I also do a lot of work behind the screens to try to get the kids the education that they need. Through school if possible or through homeschooling or community resources if that isn't possible."

"Baby Box program? That anything I could help with?" Sam asked, turning to look at her more directly. "I'm happy to help with any of it. Point me at something and I'll do it."

"The Baby Box is still a pilot, but how about I let you know when we need a hand with that." Sooraya narrowed her eyes a little. "Once we are done here though, let me introduce you to a few people? Especially those that work with the kids around here." Meeting Kyle and Alani would definitely be a good start.

"Sure. That would be nice, thank you." Sam offered a small smile and separated out a few more cords. "So what do you do when you're not running volunteer programs?"

"I've always loved cooking, especially when I've the chance to do so for multiple people." Sooraya grinned. "I also love horse riding. Sometimes when your head is full, there is nothing like the wind in your face when you're flying over the grass. And how about you?"

Sam laughed awkwardly and ruffled the back of his head. "So in a roundabout sort of half-assed way I can in theory play the banjo. I do not own one but I can force a tune out when handed one....I uh....I like to read? Mostly pulp science fiction stuff these days, but I've thought about starting the Star Trek novels but I'mn not sure if I need to watch the show first or not."

Sooraya turned that over in her mind, wrestling with a particular gnarly tangle. "Wouldn't it be hard to follow the storylines and characters if you haven't seen the show though? I mean, I've never read or watched much of the shows, but since it's about those characters..."

"I don't know. I figure I could get one from the library and then watch the show if I'm horribly confused." Sam shrugged. "I haven't thought it through."

"No rush, right?" Sooraaya shrugged a little, finally untangling the final few compasses in her pile. "How are you doing with those knots? I think I have most of mine pretty much resolved."

"Nearly finished...anything else you'll need me to do?" Sam asked as he offered her a small.

"They still need to go in the backpacks, but I kinda need to take a look around and see if everything else is going well." Sooraya explained apologetically. "Would you mind putting them into the backpacks?"

"Not at all. I'll get things packed up here. You focus on what you've gotta do." Sam smiled. "We could catch up after we're both done maybe?"

"Thanks Sam. And catching up sounds good." Sooraya rose, dusting off her clothes and glancing around. "I think it's kinda easiest if you come find me once you're done? I'm not sure where I am gonna be or how long it's gonna be."

"For sure, I'l come find you." Sam said with a small smile. With a quick wave to Sooraya, Sam started filling the backpacks.

"Perfect." She quickly called out before heading of to check how the backpacks in the other corners were progressing.