Shortly after that, Elise put fliers up around the neighborhood offering her services as a tutor. (“I miss my classes, I miss my kids,” she later told Jeff.) And when Jeff saw one of the pink photocopied pages on the grocery store bulletin board, he figured it was a godsend.
Though she was an energetic little dancer, Granny Jobson was getting on in years. Taking care of two young boys was a bit much to ask of an 81 year-old woman. Actually, Brian was no problem at all, but Davey was another matter. Taking care of him was a bit much to ask of anyone, 81 years or no.
This was compounded by the problem that he had a late birthday in November, and Jeff had decided to hold him back from entering kindergarten at four years old. Now, instead of terrorizing the public school system, he just frazzled an endless string of babysitters who tended to quit after two weeks. One didn’t even last two days.
When Jeff first met Elise and asked if she would consider a part-time job caring for Davey and Brian, she had laughed her beautiful, hearty laugh, and asked to meet the boys first – “to see if they like me well enough to stand me every day.” From that moment, Jeff knew she was the one.
To babysit his kids, of course. To babysit. Or tutor, or teach, or whatever you wanted to call it. She was the ‘one’ for that.
Davey and Brian had taken to her immediately. It was hard not to. She was simple and direct, unassuming yet witty, and she always smiled. She didn’t talk down to Davey and Brian. Instead, she treated them as equals – except when they misbehaved around her, which wasn’t often.
“Hooooo, Daddy, you don’t want to act bad around Elise,” a bug-eyed Davey had informed Jeff after the infamous “cat bowling” incident.
Her light brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail this morning, with a few wispy strands framing her rosy face. She broke out with a big smile when Jeff opened the door. If Jeff had been able to see his own face, he would have noticed a much goofier-looking version of the same grin.
“Elise!”
“Jeff – ”
That was when the two wildebeests came crashing down the hall.
“EEELLLLIIIISSSE!!!” Brian and Davey shouted as they smashed their way past Jeff and tackled Elise at the knees, nearly bowling her over.
Elise shouted and laughed, and ruffled their hair as they each clung to a leg. “Hey guys, how’s it going?”
Jeff was a little less forgiving. “DAVEY! BRIAN!”
The boys looked up at Jeff, surprised by the sharp tone of voice. Jeff was about to cut loose when he caught a glimpse of Elise’s face. She silently mouthed It’s okay - and winked at him.
Maybe it was the smile that calmed him down.
But it was definitely the wink that threw him for a loop.
“Uh…um…” he stuttered.
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Copyright © 2008 Darren Pillsbury. All rights reserved.