“Helen is always ready to help out, she is such a blessing to us,” Myra Smith raved to her Aunt Betty. They were sitting at the kitchen table enjoying a cup of coffee after breakfast. It was the first time Aunt Betty had been able to visit in over a decade. Myra Smith went on to relate how Helen always expressed willingness to do every any task even if she was very busy.

“And Mary,” Aunt Betty inquired. “I’m sure she also helps you out. I remember she was quick the active worker when I was here before.”

Myra’s face clouded. “She was,” Myra said taking another sip of coffee. “She has taken that energy to school now. She rarely has time to help the family out. She is a good student though. Her father takes great pride in that. He recently got promoted at work, did I tell you about that? It is quite a good position.”

Aunt Betty noted the change in tone and the quick change to other topics. She wondered what it would be like to interact with her grand-nieces.

Late that afternoon, Erica, Myra’s sister invited them to come over for dinner. They had been baking and the kitchen was a disaster. Myra looked around it. “Tomorrow is a busy day,” she commented. “If we got to Erica’s we won’t get home until around ten and I really do not want to clean up the kitchen that late. We would need to leave pretty soon here if we are going.”

“We should go,” Dan, Myra’s husband said, “text the girls and see if one of them can clean up for you.”

Mary felt her phone vibrate. She sat at a table in the school library, surrounded by papers and school books. She read the text and glanced around at her books. She shook her head, there was not enough time. “I have two midterms tomorrow,” she texted back, “I doubt I’ll have time.”

Back at home, Helen sat in her room browsing social media and laughing at the silly videos. She glanced over at her phone. “Sure,” she texted back, “I can do that.”
“What did I tell you,” Myra said to Aunt Betty reading both replies. “Helen is always willing to help.”

They headed out for dinner. Helen lounged around a while longer until a friend texted asking if she wanted to hang out. She changed, grabbed her car keys, and dashed out without another look at the kitchen.

It was past dark when Mary pulled into the driveway. She unlocked the door and entered the deserted kitchen. The mess still reigned. Mary glanced around, set her backpack on a chair, and rolled up her sleeves. She gathered the dirty dishes and marched them to the kitchen sink. It took only a few minutes to empty and load the dishwasher and not more than twenty to wash the rest of the dishes. She wiped down the counters, flipped out the light, and went upstairs whistling, “Take time to be holy, speak oft with Thy God…”

“Helen’s out,” Dan remarked as they pulled into the driveway an hour later.

“Is she often out late,” Aunt Betty asked.

“More than I’d like,” Dan remarked.

“Oh, give her a break,” Myra said, “After all she is so willing to help that I don’t care if she is out late. I guarantee the kitchen will be clean when we go inside.”
Indeed it was. But who really was willing to help?