Anywhoo…summary: Helga meets up with Mommy…aww…
Chapter Three: Motherly LoveSome are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same, and most mothers kiss and scold together. – Pearl S. Buck
Helga got much better and was soon prancing around the house again. Although, she ignored Arnold almost completely. It just annoyed her so much that he was taking Miriam's side and not hers.
"Helga, I don't understand why you're so mad at me," sighed Arnold.
"Oh I'm not mad at you Arnold," she replied, staring at the TV. "I just don't like you right now."
"And why not?"
"Because…you're bugging me."
"How am I bugging you? All I do is say hi and then you groan and walk away from me!" Arnold complained.
"I don't groan…I give a muffled insult and walk away from you." She got up and walked away from him.
"Helga, please!" Arnold pleaded with his hands on her shoulders. "I can't stand seeing you be so angry with me."
Helga sighed and looked away. "How can I ever face Miriam again?"
"It's easy…just talk to her. And she won't kill you. At least not when you've got Jacqueline in your arms."
"Ha, ha, ha…"
"I'm serious, Helga. I really think it's important you talk to your mom. I mean, think if Jacqueline were to see you with some guy one day who's not me…won't you want to clear things up?"
Helga rolled her eyes and sighed. "I guess."
"Better than nothing. Why don't you go out? Take Jacqueline with you. I think you need some fresh air," suggested Arnold.
"Yeah, I guess so…" She got up from the couch and picked Jacuqeline up from her high chair as Arnold opened the stroller. She set her in it and took her bag of baby supplies.
"Maybe go out and eat…and buy some clothes." He led her to the door.
"Okay…" she murmered.
So she was out of the door with Jacqueline in the stroller. "Damnit," she cursed. "How did I let Arnold talk me into this?"
She walked down the street for a block and then decided to take the bus to the bookstore.
"Oh what a lovely child," commented an old lady sitting next to her. She was short and plump carrying a ball of yarn in her purse and glanced at Helga.
"Thank you," smiled Helga.
"Is this your child?"
"Uh, yes. Yes it is."
The old lady had a disgusted look on her face. "You look no older than seventeen years old."
"Well, actually…"
"Don't you have any morals?" the lady scolded. "Honestly…back in my day we didn't have children until we were at least twenty two. Or at least we were married! Kids these days…don't know how to do nothing."
Helga's cheeks flushed slightly.
"I don't 'spose you're married…"
Helga opened her mouth.
"Just as I thought. You know I was actually married before having my child. I was actually married for five years until having a baby!"
"Oh I see," murmered Helga.
"Back in the day, we didn't know anything about sex or how to have babies! Kids now a days just don't care, do they?"
"Well…"
"Back in my day, we girls had to were long sleeves and couldn't expose anything above our knees! Not like now. Now all I see are girls wearing skimpy lil skirts and tight little shirts! Honestly!"
"Not everyone…"
"The men used to also be perfect gentlemen. Not touching us women unless we've been together for at least five months! Now all you kids know is sin, sin, sin."
"Um.."
"And girl, you'll need a lot of confessin' to clear your sins."
The bus stopped in front of the bookstore. "Oh gee, here's my stop," said Helga thankfully. "Nice to have met you." Quickly she walked out of the bus with Jacqueline. "Okay, Jackie, that was your first time meeting a weird old lady. You'll be getting a lot of that when you get older," said Helga. "You'll meet a lot of kids who'll tease you because of your young parents and that you were ilegitimate. But let's not get into that now…"
She walked into the bookstore and quickly sat down at the magazine section and took out a bottle from her bag to give to Jacqueline. "Yeah. Now Mommy's going to read this uh," she glanced around and took a magazine lying next to her that someone forgot to put back in the shelf. "This uh, Seventeen Magazine…"
"Helga? Helga dear…is that you?"
Helga hid her face behind the magazine. Stay cool…Miriam doesn't bite…
"Helga?" the desperate voice said.
She didn't want to…but she couldn't stop herself. Helga put down the magazine and grimmaced. "Miriam. Nice to see you. Never knew I'd be seeing you here…in a bookstore."
"Yes, well, your little friend Harold told me."
"That's Arnold, Mom."
"Oh of course." She sat down next to Helga on the bench. "So, that's Julie?"
"Jacqueline, Mom…" Helga corrected dully.
"She's very pretty. I remember back when I had you and Olga. It was always so much fun…"
"Cut the crap, Mom," interjected Helga. "Tell me what you came here to tell me."
Miriam looked distressed. She had huge bags under her eyes and was paler than usual. "Can we talk about this over lunch maybe? I'll buy." The smile she had on was as happy as she could make it.
Helga sighed softly and nodded. "Sure."
They went to a local café down Main street. Miriam order a cup of coffee and grilled lemon chicken. Helga ordered a Tuna Melt Sandwish and Coca-Cola. Inside, the café played soft rock.
"This is some good coffee," murmered Miriam.
"Since when did you start drinking coffee?" Helga asked. Before Miriam could say anything, Helga shook her head. "Forget it. Just tell me what happened between you and big bob."
"It's a long story…but it all started ever since you were born practically…" Her eyes looked distant as she began to speak again. "We had Olga…and you know your father. All he wanted was success and money. Olga cost him a few working days, and lost him some money. He thought she was the most awful thing in the world and didn't want any more kids. Well, eventually she became the best thing that ever happened to your father…and then I had you."
**
"Damnit, Miriam," cursed Big Bob 17 years younger. He was a lot thinner and had really greasy brown hair. "This new baby is costing a lot. Diapers, bottles, baby food! I mean crimeny!"
"Calm down, B. it's just a baby…" pleaded Miriam with Helga in her arms.
"I hope you don't expect me to take time off work to help you with this kid. I'm too busy with those new contraptions called beepers. They'll make me hundreds."
"That's really nice, B. but can't you at least try to help out with Helga?"
"Mommy! Daddy!" squealed Olga from the trophy room. "Come listen to me play my Bach English Suite!"
"In a second, Hon," called out Miriam. "You don't care, do you?"
He groaned and dropped his hands on his sides. "I care…I care but it's just. I don't have time."
"After that, you know that he didn't care about me. He could care less…and to tell you the truth he always went out with different women. He thought I wouldn't know. But I did. I knew."
"How did you know?"
"Once he was on an important 'business conversation' on the phone. I picked it up and heard him talk to some woman. They talked about where they would meet, and what they had planned out for that night. I didn't know what to do so I hung up and started crying.
"He was just so arrogant in so many ways. He would always talk badly about me and make me feel awful. Right after you left last year, he practically went crazy. He blamed all his problems on me. Saying things like I wasn't a good mother and I was stupid…"
"You know what Miriam? This is all your fault."
"My fault? Why is it my fault?"
"You're a lousey mother. I know that, and you know that. Helga knows that. That's why she left! In fact, maybe if you'd taught her some morals she would have never gotten knocked up!" He growled.
"Maybe if you would have actually spent some time with her, it would have never happened," retorted Miriam. "You know I didn't raise her on my own. YOU were her other parent."
"Oh shut up…Just shut up. Don't try to point this all at me."
"Why shouldn't I? This is just as much your problem as it is mine! Helga is gone and knowing how she is, she probably isn't come back."
"No thanks to you, Miriam, no thanks to you."
"You're such an asshole. She's our child…why are you blaming me?"
"Because you're the one with the problem, Miriam. Teaching her bad things. You're hung over ever morning, you don't make her any food to eat, and you're asleep for most of the day!"
"Well you always work so late every day doing Lord knows what, I'm surprised she even knows who you are!"
"Go to Hell, Miriam. I work hard to get this family where it is!"
"Wonderful job, B. Wonderful job…you BROKE THIS FAMILY APART!"
"Fuck off, just don't even talk to me. Get the hell away from me." He stomped up the stairs, quickly a loud slam followed.
"Aw, Mir-err-Mom…you're not a bad mother," said Helga softly.
Miriam sighed. "Well, he ignored me for the rest of the week. Then on one day, he was wearing his brown overcoat and a brown hair over his head with two suitcases in his hands. He said to me 'Miriam, this isn't going to work out. I have to leave…I'll send for the rest of my stuff later.' And he just walked out of the door and into his car."
"Oh, if only you'd have told me or something…"
"I didn't know where you were. I couldn't tell Olga. She wouldn't have understood. Not like you, Helga. You're strong, full of spunk she doesn't have."
Oh my gosh…thought Helga. She actually cares… "Then what happened, Mom?"
"Well, then I moped around a bit…and found out that he was staying at the other side of Hillwood. With some red head. And he still works at the store. Oh, and he sent me divorce papers six months ago."
"And you signed them?"
"Yup. I signed them. We're officially divorced now." She opened her left hand to show her gold wedding ring was no longer there. "I sent it back to him."
"So how did you meet that Aaron Blackwell guy?"
"Well, I was making a smoothie with our old mixer…but then I guess I forgot to take the pit out of the peach and, well, it broke."
"Oh Mom," Helga said exasperatedly.
"Anyways, your father wasn't there to fix it or anything so I went to that appliance guy on TV. And that guy was helping me out…and was really considerate. He was asking about my problems and all. Then he just asked me on a date."
"How long have the two of you been together?"
"Oh, five months or something, I suppose." She sighed. "The truth is that he's made me feel happier than I ever had in a long time."
"As long as you're happy, Mom."
Miriam smiled. "I hope you understand now…"
"Yeah. I'm just sorry that I doubted you in the first place."
"It's okay. I would've doubted myself too." She laughed softly.
Jacqueline began to whimper. "Aw, poor baby," murmered Helga, picking her up from the stroller, rocking her in her arms. "You're bored, aren't you?"
"Looks like you have quite a handful," commented Miriam.
"Yeah…she's one of the best things that happened to me. Arnold and I are very happy."
"You remind me of myself when your father and I had Olga. We were probably just twenty or so. We thought loved each other so much with Olga." She sighed. "Be careful, Helga. Men change their minds all the time. Especially at an age like this."
"I know. But Arnold's different…"
"Is he really?"
Helga nodded. "Really, he is."
"Just don't be too disappointed if he suddenly isn't." she paused. "Oh, what am I wasting my breath on this for? You're a smart girl…let me see my grand daughter."
Helga carefully handed Miriam Jacqueline.
"She's adorable, Helga…has your eyes."
"Mom. I have green eyes and she has blue ones."
"Oh right then. She has your nose."
**
"Hey there," said Arnold warmly as Helga walked in through the bedroom door.
"What'cha doing in my bed?" she asked jokingly with Jacqueline in her arms.
"Waiting for you." He got up and kissed her on the cheek and put Jacqueline in the crib. "Have fun?"
"Oh yes. A lot of fun, in fact. I even saw my mother." She sat down on the bed.
"Wow, really?"
"Yeah…talk about coincidence, eh?"
"Seriously," he said. "So, did you get things straightened out with her?"
"Yup. It was really interesting."
"Happy you saw her then?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Why are you thanking me? I didn't do anything…"
"I know you called her. She told me."
"Damnit," he cursed to himself. He sat down next to her.
Helga sighed and dropped her head on his shoulder.
"What's eating you?" he asked curiously, pulling his hand through her hair.
"Nothing. It's just…"
"What?"
"Would you ever leave me for another girl?"
Arnold put his hands on her sides and straightened her up as he looked at her strangely. "How could you ask such a thing?"
"I don't know," she looked at the ground. "I was just thinking…"
"Helga, I would never leave you for another girl. You're the only girl for me. Well, you and Jackie," said Arnold, bending his head to try and face her. His hand lifted up her chin. "I swear I would never leave you. That's the last thing I'd think of doing." He touched his lips with hers.
Helga pulled away. "Arnold, do you think we've sinned?"
"Sinned? What are you talking about?"
"Oh…nothing." She smiled, and pulled him in for another kiss.
"No, seriously," he said in between the kisses. "What do you mean?"
"Does it really matter?"
A/N: Eehh…I'm sorry people…had writers block. Hope you liked this chapter. My computer is screwing up. Oh well! =) Don't forget to r/r! Oh, and I have a drawing for the chapter…it's here: http://www.geraldfield.com/cgi-bin/unofficial/fanart/album/album.pl?photo=gr1.jpg
Okay…cool.