Allie woke the next morning dreading it was Sunday and she had no place to go. She wanted to sleep the day away but felt hungry. The house was quiet so before going downstairs she went to her mother’s room and found her still asleep in bed. Allie went to the kitchen and began to prepare her usual cereal. If her father had been there, he would have made his famous Sunday pancakes, but he had not returned from town.
As she set down her bowl, Allie looked in the living room and saw the magazine her mother read the night before. She went and picked it up; she would read it whilst eating breakfast.
George came in with his rifle; he dressed in camouflage fatigues and black boots, as if he had just come home from war. He smiled and waved at her, trying to judge her mood. Allie waved but did not smile, and went back to reading her magazine. He put his gun back into its cabinet and locked the door with a key from around his neck, before going upstairs to his wife. Then came the sound of the shower running. Allie did not care that she had not spoken to him: as far as she was concerned, she was at war with her parents and would not consort with the enemy.
Allie smiled as she formed her plan. She knew it would be a winner because her mother loved babies, and she had already seen Marianna. Allie would have Bethany come to the house again with the baby and say she was indispensable to her. This would be a way of showing responsibility and proving she was ready to join the adult world. She went to her mother’s purse on the kitchen table, took out her cell phone to call her friend.
“Sara?”
“Hey, girl, what’s up?”
“Are you at home?”
“No, a family trip. What are you doing?”
“I am at home, a prisoner in my own house if you can believe it.”
“Good God, girl! What happened with you?”
“My dad came home; they are doing some mass hunt deal in the woods for some animal-man-creature thing somebody thinks they saw. I have to stay in the house until the mystery is solved.”
“Really?”
“Yeah!” Allie glanced to the staircase to check for her parents, then lowered her voice. “You are not going to believe this. I tried to go out the back door last night and my mother was waiting on the couch for me like I was a criminal escaping from the cell block. Do you know she kept her door open all night waiting for me to make a move?”
Sara laughed over the phone. “Girl, you crazy! Well, did you escape the plantation?”
Allie laughed. “I will tell you about it later. I need a huge favor.”
“I thought so.”
“It’s not that bad. Can you get Bethany to stop by with the baby? I was thinking that if she talked with my mother again she would change her mind. If they keep me here I will not be able to work and tomorrow is Monday. Sara, girl, I got to get out of here, they are driving me nuts with these crazy rules of theirs.”
“You decided to put the squeeze on your mother, I see. Good plan. Well, don’t use Bethany; she can be a little icy and you need sympathy; instead I would try Melanie or Lisa.”
“I can’t use Lisa, Bethany told my mother that she was her cousin and she was leaving. What do you know about Melanie? Will she help me?”
“She’s all right; I have never had a problem with her. I will try to call her and see if she can help. Anything else you need me to do while I am on my family vacation, girl?” she laughed.
Allie snickered. “Nope, just get me back to where I belong and I will be eternally grateful.”
“I will call you later. Goodbye.”
“Goodbye.”
Allie turned off the phone and went back to thinking. Her mother would definitely be her target and the baby was the key.
It was noon when Allie’s parents returned downstairs, George chasing Kay and hitting her playfully on her backside with a towel. Allie, sat on the couch, saw them coming and assumed her role. She would only speak when spoken to and would only give short responses; she would torture them with silence the way they were torturing her by imprisonment.
“Hello, Kitten,” said Kay breathlessly.
“Hey, Alley Cat.” George was also out of breath.
Allie waved at them and pretended to watch television. The silent treatment was on. She had played this game many times – and always won. Her parents could never grasp the fact that she did not need to talk to people, but they did, and this gave her the winning hand every time. If silence was golden, she was a millionaire.
Her mother went to the kitchen to make lunch and her father sat on the couch next to her. He looked at the television but paid no attention to it and assumed neither did she. “Are you not talking today?”
Something happened on the television screen and she laughed.
“It’s all done with love. We have to be parents and keep you safe. When the danger passes, you can go back to work. I know you love it and I want you to go back to it as soon as possible. We are doing what is right because we love you and have to protect you.”
There was still no reply, so he went to the kitchen to a warmer climate.
Kay made grilled cheese sandwiches and ravioli topped with gobs of cheese, one of Allie’s favorite treats. They ate mostly in silence. Now and then one of them would ask her something and she would respond with as few words as possible, and only if absolutely necessary. After dinner she asked if she could play in the backyard and was given permission. She had not spent much time with Lissy so now would be the perfect time for them to catch up. She took her cat and a bowl of treats into the backyard and rolled on the ground, playing with her cat.
“She seems happy,” said Kay. She and George watched from the kitchen window.
“Yeah, but very stubborn, like her mother.” George slapped her on her backside.
“I’m feeling guilty already. It’s her first job.”
“Come on, Kay, be strong and stick with me. Don’t let her break you down. The stories I hear in town have everyone stirred up. What if she’s out at night and one of those yahoos hits her with a stray bullet? I am not taking the chance on her safety for a baby-sitting job. No! She is too precious for that, and if I have to endure her wrath... I will!”
Playing with Lissy was a blast; Allie came back in the house happy. She sat Lissy down in her bed by the back door and crouched beside her, making meowing noises.
Kay cleaned the kitchen, happy to see her daughter in such good spirits. “You seem to be in a better mood.”
“Lissy knows how to get to me, don’t you, girl?” She rubbed her cat and resumed making meow noises.
“Are you still mad at us?”
Allie sat on the kitchen floor playing with Lissy; her troubles had vanished with her resentment. “I’m not mad. You have a job to do. I wish you could see that I have a job to do but you don’t, or won’t. I guess it will work itself out somehow.”
Kay kissed her daughter on the forehead and went into the living room and sat beside her husband, who was watching a game show on television. “She seems better.”
“Maybe, but I know her; it could all be an act. Let’s hope for the best though.”
From the living room couch, Kay shouted, “Kitten, let’s play Monopoly! Can you please get the board game from the closet?”
Well, she supposed she might as well enjoy prison life. “Sure,” Allie said, and retrieved the box.
Before long they had set up a game and begun. They had been playing for two hours when the doorbell rang, followed by a loud knock. George rose to answer it and was greeted at the door by a young woman and a little blond girl. The woman was a tall, leggy, long-haired blond with a braided strand of red and green. Her eyes were blue and she was very striking in her looks. She wore a white, strapless mini dress. The little girl also had long blond hair with green eyes and was wearing a school uniform compromised of a white shirt, red and green plaid skirt, with white tights. They could have been sisters because their features were so similar.
“Hello, may I help you?” George said to the young woman.
“Yes, I work for Beth
any and she sent me to check on Allie. May we come in?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Please come in.” He showed them into the living room. “This is my wife Kay, and I am George Carter. You know Allie.”
Kay and Allie stood to greet their guests. “Hello, I’m Melanie Dushon, and this is Lila Peters.”
Lila smiled and said, “Hello.”
The Carters said hello to Lila and then she went and hugged Allie. Allie was happy to see them; she had forgotten her arrangement with Sara and did not bother to check if she had called her back. She sat on the floor with Lila at her side, waiting to see what would happen tonight. She had hoped for baby Marianna but Lila would do; she was just as endearing as a baby.
“Where are our manners? Please have a seat, Miss Dushon.” Kay said.
Melanie sat on the couch and looked at the board game. “Monopoly? I used to play that as a teenager with my brothers and sisters.”
“How many brothers and sisters do you have?” said Kay.
“I have four brothers and three sisters; I am the youngest. Unfortunately we are scattered across the globe, most are abroad. I still keep in contact with all but one and we try to get together for family reunions in the summer.”
“I’m glad to see you care about family values,” said George.
“Yes, Mr. Carter, family is the most important thing there is and we try to get our kids off to a good start in life. That is why I am here. Bethany tells me that you are concerned with Allie’s studies and she let her leave without giving her the new orientation package. So I stopped by to make sure she had it for Monday.” Melanie reached into a large bag that she brought with her and took out a box. She handed it to Mrs. Carter.
Allie gathered around the table with Lila, she kept her hand on the child’s shoulder to keep her under control but hoped it would not be necessary. George looked on as Kay sat the box on the table and opened it.
“Mr. and Mrs. Carter, I want you to know that we run a top-notch business and we take care of our employees. We will provide Allie with her own cell phone and take care of all its costs. It will give her responsibility by helping her to keep track of her expenses. If she goes over on her charges it will come out of her salary and that will definitely teach her money is real and has value. We will also provide you with a pass code so you and your wife can always see her incoming and outgoing calls. You have the ability to restrict phone numbers at your discretion. The appointment book will help her keep track of her duties with us as well as her school duties. We believe in paperwork and getting her into the habit of doing paperwork early will help her in life.
“There will also be a series of medical and reference papers you both must sign. These are Allie’s insurance policy to cover any injuries on our property. For example, winter is coming and if she slips and falls on our grounds we will rush her to the hospital and pay all costs. We ask that you give us contact numbers for the both of you at home and at work. If you have email addresses we would like them as well. You are also free to give us contact numbers for friends and family members who are authorized to pick her up, drop her off, or visit her on the job. We are a day care center and having so many kids around forces us to take security seriously. We don’t allow unauthorized personnel on our property at any time. Now . . . Do either of you have any questions about her job?”
George stayed silent, staring at Melanie, so Kay took the lead. “Yes, I do. What all is she required to do at your day care center?”
“Oh, that’s an easy one.” Melanie pointed to Lila. “This is Lila; Allie will be in charge of her learning and her physical activities program. We don’t allow children her age to play with video games or lounge around. They get an hour a day out in the yard playing like children are supposed to play, in the fresh air. Allie will keep a schedule to make sure she has exercises where she runs, jumps, and just has good old fashioned fun. This is also good for Allie; she has to be in shape to keep up with the young girls like Lila. The rest of your daughter’s time will be spent with Marianna in the nursery. She will feed and change her, read her stories, and tend to her needs. Allie displays a talent for caregiving that surprises me; I was under the impression she was an only child.”
“She is,” said Kay, swelling with pride. “She has always picked things up quickly. Her father and I are very proud of her.”
“So are we, Mrs. Carter. Allie is a blessing to us and we will do anything we can to help her. You never want to lose a talent like her.”
“Thank you for saying so.”
“You’re welcome. She is a lovely person and a credit to the both of you. Well, I am afraid we have to get going. I wanted to stop by and drop off these papers and let you take time to fill them out. If it is no bother, can you give them to Allie tomorrow so she can bring them with her to work? I would really appreciate it. Again, thank you for your hospitality and allowing your beautiful daughter to work with us; she really is a godsend. Well, we must be on our way.”
They climbed to their feet. Mrs. Carter escorted them to the door.
“Thank you for stopping by. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
Kay closed the door and returned to the living room. Allie watched her expectantly, but her mother said nothing. Depressed, she moved to go to her room.
“Sit down,” her mother instructed; the girl obliged. “We still have issues with your safety.”
“I guessed that, since you didn’t ask her any questions,” Allie said sharply.
“You go tomorrow and we will see after that. With luck, the trouble in town will end and everything will go back to normal. We have to protect you, Kitten, even from yourself. Go on upstairs; you at least get tomorrow.”
Allie couldn’t resist pushing her luck. “Can I have the phone?”
“I knew that’s all you wanted, Cat,” said George with a hefty chuckle, “in the morning.” He picked up the phone and turned it on so he could get a better look at it. It was a top of the line phone with a touchscreen.
“Well I guess I will go to bed, tomorrow is Christmas! Woo hoo!” Allie ran up the stairs to her bedroom; she could no longer contain her excitement about her job and her new phone. She jumped on the bed, started kicking and thrashing about, while screaming, “Yes, yes, yes!”
Chapter 20