It is a strange tale but at least it is different!
The girl next door – 1889 words
“Don’t worry, it’s no trouble at all.” said Mary and she meant it.
Even if Mary had minded babysitting for her neighbor Sam, she would not have known how to say something as her own troubles were nothing in comparison to Sam’s. She could not imagine how awful day to day living was for Sam at that time.
“OK thanks Mary – I’ll see you later then” said a bedraggled Sam. She relied on Mary.
“Yes” Mary called out to her “and good luck!”
Sam’s son, Joseph, liked being looked after by Mary – she always took him out and gave him lots of attention. As Mary watched Sam wandering down the road with her head hung low, before closing her front door, Joseph was studying her face. Looking down at him, she made the suggestion for the day.
“Ok Joseph, what would you like to do today then? How about the park? It’s a nice day for the swings and slides – would you like that?”
Joseph nodded, a big grin forming on his soft, round face. ‘If only Joseph was old enough to talk’ thought Mary – I wish he could tell me how his Mum is with him at home’
“Right, let’s have some lunch and we can head off down to the park and have some fun” she said.
Mary had everything ready for Joseph – food, highchair, pushchair, nappies. She couldn’t believe how she was coping with a little one really, particularly as she had never had children of her own, but she was really enjoying this. It gave her something else to concentrate on rather than the bitterness she had engulfed during the divorce. She hadn’t planned to stop work, but since the final paperwork came and the divorce payout entered her bank account, she decided to help Sam out for a little while, as she didn’t need the extra money now.
Mary pondered over those thoughts, whilst playing choo-choo trains with the spoonfuls of food into Joseph’s mouth. He was such a good boy, and always ate all of his lunch or dinner, or even breakfast, if he happened to stay round the night. Sleepovers were now happening more often than not and he always seemed to be hungry.
“Open the tunnel, the train’s coming!”
‘I wonder how much you eat at home’ Thought Mary ‘Do you get fed properly? I wonder how Mummy is going to be later?’
“Ok, all gone. You are a good boy!” exclaimed Mary as Joseph swallowed his last mouthful. She wrapped Joseph up with a tiny scarf, gloves and coat, slipped on his dinky trainers, and flung on her own coat. Settling him in the pushchair, they headed to the park with Mary pointing out all the things of interest along the way, such as a cat, dog, birds and another toddler as a Mother and Child passed by. Mary wondered if the other woman thought that she was Joseph’s Mother, although, at her age, she could also pass as his grandmother.
A lovely day was spent at the park, and Mary took him back home to prepare him warm milk and some dinner.
“I wonder when Mummy will be back?” she asked Joseph, not expecting an answer. “These hospital trips seem to take longer and longer each time – it must be terrible having to wait all the time”.
Around 7pm Sam turned up on the doorstep, looking worse for wear.
“Are you ok love?” asked Mary, genuinely concerned.
“Yes, I’m alright – is he ready?” Sam seemed in a rush to retrieve Joseph and return home.
“Just a moment, I’ll get his bits together for you. How did it go today?”
“Fine – I am just fine.” Sam certainly didn’t appear to want to speak that evening, and she seemed very agitated about something.
“There you go – all sorted. So, when do you need me to have him next?” Mary asked.
“Tomorrow….. And tomorrow night……. and for a few days, if that’s ok” This was a question but said more like a statement – and a slurred one at that.
“No problem love – bring him whenever you need” Mary noticed Sam’s blood shot eyes.
“I’ve got to stay in the hospital you see – I need to have some more chemo” Sam offered a reason for her request.
“I understand love” Mary gave Sam a warm hug and bid them goodnight planting a big kiss on Joseph’s forehead. Sam’s body was worryingly skinny under her baggy tracksuit.
It was quiet when Joseph left, so Mary filled the void by turning on the TV. She wasn’t watching but thinking – something she did a lot of these days. ‘I don’t want to ask her too much, but I wonder if all these treatments are going to work? She never wants to talk about what the doctor says, and yet she must think of Joseph too….. I will have a chat with her soon…’
The next few days were great with Joseph. The only other worry Mary had was that she was getting so attached to Joseph and used to having him around. What will happen if…… Her thoughts were interrupted by Joseph talking to her.
“Mama” he said, looking at her.
Mary stopped in her tracks and stared at him. She didn’t know whether to be happy or sad.
“Oh Joseph, what was that? You are a clever boy, but I am not your Mama – Mama, uh Mummy will be round to collect you tomorrow darling”. She wondered if she should she tell Sam about him voicing his first word when she sees her? ‘I mean it is his first word but it was ‘Mama’ and aimed at me…’
‘Perhaps not!’ She decided finally.
‘Ding dong’ “That’s Mummy, Joseph – you say Mama to her, remember”. On opening the door, she was greeted by an awful picture. Sam’s eyes look almost lifeless, with black circles underneath them.
“Come in love. Are you ok? You don’t look very well”
“I’m alright” said Sam, rubbing her forehead with the back of her hand.
“But you don…” Mary started, but Sam didn’t let her finish.
“I’m ok, I said. I just want to get home now” Sam snapped her words into the air without looking at Mary.
Grabbing her son’s coat and the baby bag from Mary’s hands, Sam rushed out the door. “Thanks” she shouted “Thanks for everything – see you tomorrow!”
“No problem love – goodnight”
Mary didn’t see her the next day. She went round to visit, but there was no response. ‘Now that is good’, she thought, ‘she must have taken Joseph out, bless him’.
Later that afternoon, she noticed a man banging on the door of Sam’s house, to no avail. Mary recognized him as he had been round Sam’s a few times before.
“Hiya” she called out. “I think she’s out today – not sure where, but can I tell her who called?”
The man acknowledged her and walked across the driveway to her doorstep. “Out you say? Do you know where?” He asked.
“No sorry, but it is good news really as she has been so ill recently”
“Ill? Hah, she’ll be ill soon!” Said the man in disgust as he turned quickly to leave. “Tell her I’ll be back”
Taken aback by this curt comment, Mary said a quick goodbye to the man without asking his name, and went back inside, closing her front door. She stood still and pondered over this strange occurrence. ‘What on earth was that all about? Did he dislike Sam for some reason? Who is he? I will speak to Sam about this, but perhaps it is best to omit the comments that were made since she is so fragile…..’
The following morning, the doorbell rang. It was Sam, looking a little better. “Oh, I am so glad you came round – I was getting a bit worried about you yesterday – where did you go?” She gave Sam and Joseph a big hug each.
“Oh sorry about that, I went to my brother’s for the day” Sam stated.
“Great! I didn’t know you had a brother?”
“Yeah well, I don’t see him very much…… I was wondering if you could you look after Joseph overnight?” Asked Sam hurriedly.
“Yes it would be my pleasure. Is everything OK Sam – how is the hospital going?”
“It’s, um, fine thanks, I’ll see you later” Sam didn’t want to talk about it as usual.
Mary’s brain was in overdrive ‘Sam doesn’t seem to want to speak very much these days. She used to come in for tea and a chat. I hope everything’s ok’ she thought and then she remembered the recent encounter on her doorstep.
“Oh by the way, a man came round to your house yesterday. You know him, as he’s been round before; a young man with blonde hair. I told him you were out, and left it at that. I am not sure who he is, but do you want me to say where you are if he comes back?”
“Did he ask any questions?” Sam looked decidedly worried all of a sudden.
“No, he didn’t – he said he would come back and he just walked off.”
“OK, I’ve got to go. Don’t tell him anything Mary, I will sort it out. Goodbye Mary. Bye-bye Joseph, my gorgeous little boy”. Sam tenderly kissed him on the head, taking a little more time than usual, and left.
That was the last Mary ever saw of Sam.
The police knocked on Mary’s door the next morning with terrible news. Sam had died in hospital. The thing was it was shocking for two reasons.
“She has died of a drug overdose; a heroin overdose…….”
As Mary listened to the officer relaying the story, she soon understood that Sam had been a drug addict, not a cancer patient. She had never had cancer.
At first Mary felt shaken and upset, then sadness and nausea followed, but as the officer continued, some of her questions were finally answered.
The police came back the next day to formally interview Mary, followed by the social services and the newspapers, and Mary was overwhelmed as she realized the reality of the whole saga. Sam did not have any siblings. Sam had lied to her; to her face. Mary had been used and deceived again! What a sick thing to do, and poor Joseph tied up in all of this.
She had no time to feel sorry for herself, however, and had to break the news to Joseph. Mary then knew what she must do. Sam had left a letter on her coffee table before she overdosed, requesting Mary to become Joseph’s guardian. She had thought of that at least and that is how the police knew that Joseph was with Mary when they searched her house in the early hours. The strange man with the blonde hair was her dealer and she had owed him such a huge amount of money, she couldn’t cope with her life any longer. This was such a sad situation but Joseph still needed a Mother.
She picked up the phone and dialed the number she had been given for social services. Mary was sure of what she had to say.
“Hello Stacey?” she started “You mentioned that I could apply to adopt Joseph Slater – well, I would like to get the ball rolling.”
By Sandra M Dean (copyright 2009/2010)
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