Word count: 1,095
Written for:
QLFC - [my seeker prompt] Neville's Great Aunt Enid
Two Times Enid Got Her Way and One Time She Didn't
"Black makes twenty-five cents more per hour than me," she intoned, speaking with a slight severity in her voice. "That's a dollar or two per day, and I've got to say it makes a difference." Enid was shorter than the man at the desk, but she hadn't bothered putting on heels that morning. He didn't deserve to see her legs in action. There was no need to strut her stuff when words would suffice.
He glanced her way, pretending that he hadn't been listening. "What was that?"
"I said, Black makes more than I do. Got him to tell me over a game of cards. He lost and had to wear a pinafore at the counter this morning," she recounted, smirking.
He stared. "And why are you telling me this?"
She stared. "Because you're my boss? And you can give me a raise?" Maybe he was denser than she thought.
"I'm not going to give in to your ridiculous demands," he muttered, then turned away, continuing to speak like he was talking to himself. "I've got enough on my plate without some young girl… Yes, I'll have to send her away…"
Enid made fists with her hands, wanting to punch him in the nose, but held back. She used her nervous energy to smooth out the fronts of her blouse and trousers. "I'm right here, you know. And I'm not leaving. I need money for my schooling."
Somehow, his twisted-up face loosened, and the scowl that was so prominent before melted away. "I'll think about it."
"Oh- all right then," she answered, perhaps too loudly, and hurried away. Why had he been so quick to change? What magic words had she spoken?
Enid shook her head. There was no use in wondering something she'd never hear the answer to. In the meantime, her pay might rise! Oh, Black would be furious. Enid grinned, and strode out the shop's main door. It was nearly her lunch break.
...oOo...
"Black is horrid, mother." Enid sighed, gathering a pile of socks and shoving them into her suitcase. "It's not my fault that he smells like fish and uses even more hair gel than the boys do nowadays. I don't have to marry him just because you want a grandson."
"My intentions are anything but selfish, Enid." Her mother frowned and plucked a large brassiere from the pile of clothes to pack. It seemed like she was about to comment, so Enid interrupted her.
"No, they're quite selfish, Echidne. Oops, I mean Echidna."
"Don't you dare call me th-!"
"Put my things down, mother. I'm traveling the world, and that's my decision. I'm not a child anymore." Enid grabbed the bra, along with a pile of trousers and shirts, and stuffed them beside the growing mound of clothing in the suitcase.
"You're close enough! Barely out of school, single…" Her mother clucked her tongue reproachfully. "You don't understand what you do to me. The neighbors, always whispering…" She looked to the left and right in quick succession, as if making sure no gossiping neighbor was on the prowl in Enid's bedroom.
"Mother," she said, rolling her eyes. It was a habit she'd never grown out of. "I'm telling you, I'm twenty-five. Being single isn't a disease. And for heaven's sake…" She picked up the bra and shook it in her mother's face. "All the women are wearing them low-cut like this! You're old-fashioned."
"I have standards," the older woman muttered.
"So do I." Enid stood tall, realizing she was finished packing. There was still a lot of useless things left in the room, but she'd packed the best of the clothes, and none of the dresses. She was ready.
"I understand. You're young and you want to fly the coop." Her mother smiled sadly at her, dropping her fidgeting hands to her sides. "You may go."
"I wasn't going to wait for you to say so," Enid replied. "But I'll take it." She waved cheerily and dragged the suitcase to the floor, where it stood on two small wheels, ready to be rolled away. "Goodbye, mother. I do love you."
"So do I, dear."
...oOo...
"Black isn't begging for a great-nephew - why should I?"
Frank and Alice sat before her almost too patiently. All they'd done was express their desire, and she'd been allowed to complain as much as she liked. It was a bit suspicious, to be honest, but Enid was in the midst of a winning argument. Logic could wait.
"Well, Black is already married with children, Enid. It's a bit different."
"Whatever," she barked. "I don't want one and that's final. You'll have to find something else to do with your time. Get a puppy, maybe." She eyed the young couple, deciding whether they'd be up to the task of pet ownership. All the while, they stayed silent. Until…
"Enid," began Alice kindly. "We need to tell you something."
"What? Hurry up, I'm a busy woman."
"You see…" She exchanged glances with Frank. "I'm already pregnant."
"It's a boy," Frank said, smiling so widely Enid thought his face would pop at the seams. "The doctors said so. We're naming him Neville."
Of everything, Enid would have expected this scenario the least. Shocked, she did her best to look affronted. "You tricked me! Watch out, Frank, or you'll find something worse than Alice's cooking in your pie..." Enid glared at them, then sighed. "I suppose there's no chance of reversing it now."
"No, and we wouldn't want to." The pair looked at her, waiting for some sign that she wasn't in the mood for any real sabotage - but there was no need for that.
Enid offered a knowing smirk to the anxious parents-to-be. "I'll be busy shopping for things for little Neville. Lots of pacifiers, a cradle… You two are free to do whatever you like while I'm out. You know what they say...!"
Frank's eyes were wide as he glanced at his wife. "What- what do they say?"
She was laughing, catching Enid's remark about the activities of expecting parents. "They love each other a bit more, I've heard." Alice winked at him, and Enid thought it was about time to make her getaway. She slipped out of the room and into the hall, already scheming about pranks to pull on the unsuspecting pair. It was best to keep them in good spirits before the baby arrived... But there was one shock left to come:
"And you, Enid," came Alice's cheery voice. "They say things about the older folks as well. You go and find cute old Black!"