37 Mabel Moves
Her dear Uncle had fronted significant cash…for expenses and teaching materials. And he provided her with a new very nice phone. She could record and take pictures, even videos. She was to communicate anything and everything unusual. What might be unusual? You'll know it when you see it. The taxi stopped outside the address. The house was in a normal looking row of houses on an average looking Seattle street so it wasn't isolated but she could see the back area behind this row of houses was a hilly deliberately undeveloped park terrain spotted by large shady trees. That was unusual. She didn't think that was what her Uncle was talking about. The driver unloaded her suitcase. She had kept her carry-on roller with her inside. She paid the driver and he was gone before she started her walk up to the door. A little late, but it occurred to her that she should have had him wait until she was sure someone was home. The suitcase looked bigger now and it also occurred to her she might have gotten him to move it into the house.
She rolled the suitcase to the bottom of the steps and left it to climb up to the door. She rang the doorbell. Nothing. She rang it again. Nothing. Something bumped inside. She waited. More bumping. Some mumbled cursing. The door opened. A young man who looked like he had been sleeping stood in his underwear. "We don't want anything." He took his first gander. "All right then, what are you selling." He scrutinized her his eyes moving up and then down a little too obviously. She tried not to show she noticed he was only in his underwear.
"I'm Mabel Ferguson. The new teacher for Thomas Ferguson."
His eyes opened up like he just stuck his hand in a bucket of ice water. "Bloody hell that was fast. The old man was just here yesterday." He glanced back behind into the room. He looked back at her. He had no idea what to do with her that was becoming obvious or maybe he couldn't find an escape route. "OK. OK. Come in then." He opened the door, waved towards a few chairs and ran towards the stairs. He said over his shoulder, "I'll be back down in a minute."
She heard a car drive up and into the garage. Doors slammed. She could hear a boy. She moved back out the front door and onto the porch. She saw a young striking blonde walking toward the front door. The boy, no doubt this was her cousin, Tommy, was already trying to take hold and carry her suitcase.
Tommy said, "Hi. You must be my new teacher."
She moved down to take the case from him. He had the will but not the means to carry it up the stairs.
The woman smiled, put her hand out, and said, "Hi. I'm Daisy, Daisy Adair. You must be Mabel?"
"I'm Mabel, Mabel Ferguson. My Uncle called me and asked me to…"
"Please come in. Why is this out here? Where's Mason?"
Mason popped out. "I'm right here and she just got here not one minute before." Mason added his hands to the case and between the two they moved it into the house. He was letting Tommy feel like he was moving it too.
Another car pulled into the drive way. A tall man, running into his late 20's or maybe very early 30's, and a young woman her own age got out and walked toward them. Tommy ran toward them leaping into the arms of the man who swung him up into the air and back down. Tommy then jumped into a hug from the woman.
Daisy said, "John, Reggie. This is Mabel Ferguson, Tommy's new teacher."
The woman moved forward and shook hands.
"I'm Reggie Lass."
"And I'm John Merryweather."
Daisy said, "They're moving out so you can take their room."
"Oh I'm sorry. I hope I'm not putting you out."
"We're moving into my old house with my…friend. That was something already in the works so it's no problem."
They all moved inside. She could see several boxes about. Daisy showed her a downstairs bedroom. The bed had a few piles of clothes and things and there were more boxes on the floor. Daisy had Mason put her case aside in the living room. Reggie and John got busy packing. And Daisy brought her into the dining room where she sat at the table. Daisy went into the kitchen to fix some tea. Mason went upstairs and Tommy sat down with her. She looked around at her new home. The fixtures and knick knacks scattered about the room on every shelf seemed a bit out of place for these people. Daisy returned.
"Here you go." She put down a tray with a few cups and poured the hot water into the cups. "They'll be out soon. Most of it's done and then I'll get you some clean linen. Did you have anything more coming?"
Tommy seemed distracted whispering off to the side. "No. Well not much anyway. I just graduated. I have most everything I need for now." She picked up her cup and blew on it. "Do you have textbooks."
Tommy jumped in. "I've got lots of books."
"Excellent. So you can read?"
Daisy said, "Yes, he can read." She thought about something. "Though I'm not sure at what level. We haven't tested him."
Tommy said, "I can read at a third grade level."
Daisy smiled. She waved her hand like she was brushing away a fly. "You'll have to test him. Just let us know what we can do to help."
That was odd. How would he know that? "Uncle Duane advanced money for books and materials. Maybe later I could take Tommy to the store and we could pick up his school supplies."