The Malones

Maura's World

Summer 1999

"Daddy, where's mommy?"

"Mommy and Gaga went shopping. She'll be home before lunchtime."

"Daddy, Joey and his friend are being mean to me."

"Oh no sweetheart, what are they doing to you?"

"I want to have a tea party and they won't have one with me."

Sam looked up from weeding the garden and smiled at five year old Maura. She is such a girly girl, he thought to himself, so much like her mother. Usually she was able to get her twin brother to do anything she wanted him to do, but today Joey had a friend over to play.

"Honey, Joey isn't being mean to you by not wanting to have a tea party. He and his friend must be playing something that boys like to play. What are they doing in the house anyhow?"

"They're pretend shooting each other," said Maura.

"Wait a minute. Mommy doesn't allow toy guns in the house. What are they shooting each other with?"

"Mommy's high heeled shoes," said Maura.

Sam laughed and couldn't wait for Diane to get home to witness her theory on toy guns in action. Her theory has been that if children are allowed to play with toy guns, they become too conditioned to violence. Sam's theory regarding toy guns has been that if little boys don't have any toy guns they will use Barbie Dolls (or high heeled shoes in this case) and pretend they're guns. Apparently shoes were used since Diane also doesn't allow Barbie Dolls in the house (too adult-like for young girls). Sam always loved to good naturedly tease Diane about her theories.

"Maura, honey, I fixed the chain on your bike. Why don't you ride it up and down the sidewalk and watch for mommy to get home? She and Gaga will have a tea party with you when they get home and if they can't, I will," said Sam.

"Okay daddy."

"Remember though, you can't go around the corner or the block, just stay on the sidewalk on this side of the block. When you're six you can ride around the block."

Maura smiled her sweetest little smile and told Sam she wouldn't go around the block.

"Now remember, I don't want to have to take away your bike again because you didn't listen," Sam called as she disappeared down the driveway.

Maura's personality always delighted Sam. She was independent like her mother but a risk taker like Sam. She bent the rules whenever it suited her. She was indignant whenever she got caught and given a consequence. She was also talented, funny, friendly and cute as a button. Sam reminded himself to never be too stern with her when she did break a rule, which she did with regularity, because he never wanted to crush her spirited nature.

Sam was mowing the lawn as Diane and Margaret drove into the driveway followed by Maura on her bicycle. Maura hopped off her bike when she spotted Margaret and threw her arms around Margaret giving her a hug. "Guess what Gaga, I just met a new friend who lives down the street."

"Mommy, can I invite my friend Adele over to have a tea party? She said she wants to meet us."

"Of course you can honey. Why don't you ride your bike to her house and ask her to come now? She can have lunch with us. Make sure to get her phone number so I can call someone to make certain they know where she is."

"I think I'll walk to her house. I don't think Adele has a bike," and with that Maura took off running down the driveway.

Margaret took some packages into the house and Diane walked over to Sam.

"Sam, you look like a ditch digger. You have dirt all over your face and arms and you haven't shaved today. Kind of a sexy ditch digger though," she smiled, "and if you had a tool belt around your waist I'd really be turned on."

Sam laughed and said,

"Watch it or I'll wrap my grimy arms around you, kiss you with my dirt encrusted lips, and pass off some of this mud onto your perfect little light blue sundress. I plan on showering as soon as I'm done in the yard. Couple minutes more." In saying that, he lunged toward her and she ran into the house, laughing like a school girl.

Sam was putting his garden tools and fertilizer away still smiling at his and Diane's funny exchange. He pulled his tool belt out intending to put it on before he went into the house knowing it would make Diane laugh. A woman walked into the backyard holding Maura's hand. She looked to be about seventy-five or eighty but tanned and healthy looking dressed in stylish clothes, with cotton white hair and bright blue impish eyes.

"This charming young lady has just invited me to lunch and a tea party. She told me that her parents approved the invitation and, in fact, she has a note that has asked that I bring a phone number so that my whereabouts can be resolved," the woman said with a wink. "My name is Adele Monaghan, I live in the house on the corner."

"How do you do Adele. My name is Sam Malone and I'm Maura's father. I don't mean to act surprised but we were expecting someone…" Sam smiled and said, before he stopped himself.

"You mean someone slightly younger? I gathered as much Sam but I couldn't resist this precious child's invitation. She is one of the most endearing children I've ever met. She's been helping me in my flower garden this morning. I'm very impressed at her knowledge of the different varieties of flowers. I think she knows more than I do. Now that I look around your yard, I can see where she's learned it."

"Well thank you Adele. Maura works with me in the garden and as you probably know by now, asks a lot of questions."

Adele smiled and nodded at Sam.

"Maura," Diane called from the deck, "what are my high heeled shoes doing on the dining room table?"

"Joey was using them, I wasn't."

Sam burst out laughing and so did Adele.

"What was Joey doing with my shoes Maura?"

"Shooting his friend."

Diane walked down the steps laughing and ready to meet the woman talking to Sam. She said as she walked,

"Sam, I'll just bet you love this don't you. That little stinker, he used my favorite shoes too."

Diane held out her hand to Adele and introduced herself. She was as surprised as Sam had been in learning that this was Maura's new friend.

"Adele, I do hope you'll stay for lunch. A friend of Sam's is stopping in, the children's adopted grandmother is here, and her friend Charlie is coming over too. I can promise you that I won't let my son shoot you with my high heeled shoes and Sam has also promised to clean himself up before lunch," Diane laughed as she turned to Sam.

"Diane, I'd love to stay. I knew when I met this special little girl that I would have fun at her house. What can I do to help?"

"Nothing, nothing. Just sit and visit with us. Come in and I'll introduce you to Margaret."

"Margaret must be Gaga. Maura told me all about Gaga and her friend Charlie, among other things. She said they weren't anyone's parents, only her grandparents," said Adele with a smile.

As Diane and Adele turned toward the house Margaret's friend Charlie walked into the yard.

"Charles, is that you?" said Adele, "What are you doing here?"

Charlie stopped and stared at Adele. He looked happy but bewildered.