"You know what, both of your input is not helping right now." I said the
next morning to my brothers. They were as upset as I was and decided they'd
give me trouble about the whole situation. I really had no idea what I was
going to do. I did care about my daughter but I knew I couldn't watch her
full time. I had work and my brothers and all sorts of things to deal with
already. What was I gonna do with a baby. "I can't miss another day of
work." I mumbled. "Ponyboy, you gotta watch her for me."
"Why me?" He asked angrily, jumping up from the kitchen table were he was eating breakfast.
"Because there's nobody else who can. We can't afford for me to skip work again. I missed all of yesterday."
"What the heck do you mean we can't afford it? That girl gave you like a gazillion dollars." Soda said. "That ought to tie us over for a while. I counted that money. There's over thirty thousand dollars there! Did she marry a millionaire or something?"
"Actually she did." I said and ignored both of their surprised looks. I had counted that money myself last night. It had been more than I thought. "That money ain't for us, it's for everything I'll need for Katherine."
"So because of your stupid mistake I can't enjoy the rest of my summer vacation?" Ponyboy said angrily. "I've gotta baby-sit from eight to six everyday? That ain't fair!"
"Hey!" I yelled but then stopped myself. He was right, it was my stupid mistake. "It's only for a few days until I figure out what to do. I'll find some kind of day care or something. I dunno yet but I need you to help me out for the time being, ok?"
"Why can't Two-Bit do it?" Pony asked. "I doubt he'd mind and I don't know how to take care of a baby. Maybe Two-Bit might have some sort of idea since he has a little sister."
"Two-Bit is not watching her." I said. "That's a bad idea and you know it." He sighed. "I'm gonna pay you Pony. You'll get something out of it, I promise."
"Fine." He grumbled.
I smiled. "Thanks kiddo." I said and went on to give him tips on what to do. I'd learned several things yesterday.
"I'm gonna go shopping after work today. I have to get some stuff for Katherine and I'll bring home pizza, ok?" He nodded.
"I can't believe this is happening." Soda mumbled. " I mean don't get me wrong Dar. She's cute and I like her a lot but how in the world is this gonna work?!"
"I don't know!" I yelled. "Stop asking me that because I don't know. I am going to figure something out."
"Well, what if the people from the state find out?" Soda asked. "What if they split us up?"
"That ain't gonna happen." I said. "Let me take care of all this, don't keep worrying about it. I will figure out how to make everything work." That was a lie if I've ever told one. I had no idea what I was going to do about all of this. "C'mon we gotta get to work."
"Where's Katherine?" Pony asked. "If you want me to watch her I have to know where she is."
"She's still sleeping." I said. I had a feeling she'd be crying like crazy, wanting to know where her mother was but I wasn't about to tell Pony that. He was already reluctant enough. "Thanks Pon." I gave him a pat on the back as I headed out.
"That really ain't fair to him." Soda said as we got in the truck.
"I know." I sighed. "But I don't have much other choice. You know just as well as I do I can't miss more work and we sure can't leave her with Two- Bit all day."
"I know." Soda said.
"Can you quit being mad at me now?" I asked. "I know this is hard but what do you want me to do Sodapop? Put her up for adoption or something."
Soda shook his head. "Course not Darry. I'm just worried about you. You already work hard enough as it is."
I nodded. "I know, so I need your help ok?"
"Yeah, sure Dar." I gave him a big hug and then started up the car, looking at my watch. Late late late late late.
When I got home later Ponyboy handed me a screaming Katherine and stomped off to his room. I sighed and looked over at her. "What's wrong? What's the matter?"
"Want mama!" She cried.
"I know." I said. "I wanna know were your mom is too?" She finally quit crying when I gave her some ice cream. "Ponyboy, come get some dinner!" I called.
"I'm not hungry." He yelled back. I looked over at Soda for answers.
"He says he never wants to have children. Their to much work. I guess he had a hard time today."
I nodded and handed Soda a twenty. "Will you go give that to him after dinner? I got a hunch that he won't let me in if I knock."
"Man for this much I think I'll baby-sit tomorrow." Soda smiled and took another bite of pizza. "I thought you said you had to go shopping."
"I did. All the stuffs in the back of the truck. I'm gonna bring it in later. It's nice to go into a store and have enough money for everything you need and more." I said. Soda laughed. We always had to be careful with money. It didn't grow on trees in our neighborhood.
"More pease." Katherine said, walking up to me with her bowl.
"She's gonna eat all the ice cream before I even get to it." Soda said.
"As long as it keeps her from crying she can have all she wants." I said as I put two more scoops of chocolate in her bowl.
"I hope you got her a highchair so she don't have to keep eating on the floor like that." Soda said.
"I did but I have to set it up and I'm to tired to do it right now."
Soda was quiet for a minute. "Darry I'm worried about Pony. He broke off with that girl. You know the one he's been seeing for the past month?"
I looked up at him. "Why? I thought they were doing great."
"I thought so too but Pony said she was just going to fast. He didn't know how to take it all in and I guess he got scared."
I nodded. That sounded like Pony. "Did that happen today?" I asked.
Soda shook his head. "No, about a week ago."
"Why didn't he say anything to me about it?" I asked.
"I dunno." Soda shrugged. I sighed. I wish that kid would talk to me. He hardly opens up.
"So you know, it just worries me. It's his first girlfriend. first breakup. He ended it himself but still he ain't doing to well."
"He was probably afraid he'd get burned if he got to involved." I said.
"Prolly." Soda said. And speaking of Pony he came walking in. "Here I'm spose to give this to yah." Soda handed Pony the twenty.
"What's this for?" He asked.
"For helping me out today." I answered.
"Nah Darry, that's all-right." He set it back on the table. "That's an awful lot."
"Well I've got an awful lot to spend. That money Brooke gave me is for whatever I need for Katherine and today I needed a babysitter so take it." I handed it back to him.
He smiled. "Thanks, Darry."
I nodded. "Have something to eat. I doubt you've had anything since breakfast since you've been watching her all day." He sat down and grabbed a slice of pizza. I looked over at Katherine to make sure he was ok and then went out to the truck to get the things I'd bought. I had basically just walked into a baby store, told the girl who worked there how old Katherine is, and asked them what all she'd need. I came out with a crib, a highchair, and a car seat. Oh and that was just the first store that I went to. I went to two others and got a bunch of stuff at both of those too.
My brothers came out to help me a few minutes later and the first thing we did was get her crib put together. I put her in front of the TV with another bowl of ice cream and she stayed content in the living room for a while. I made a mental note to buy more ice cream next time I went to the store. However it did take me over an hour to get her to go to sleep. She kept asking for her mom. How do you explain to a kid her age that their mother walked out on them and left them with their father who didn't even know about her until three days ago?
"Why me?" He asked angrily, jumping up from the kitchen table were he was eating breakfast.
"Because there's nobody else who can. We can't afford for me to skip work again. I missed all of yesterday."
"What the heck do you mean we can't afford it? That girl gave you like a gazillion dollars." Soda said. "That ought to tie us over for a while. I counted that money. There's over thirty thousand dollars there! Did she marry a millionaire or something?"
"Actually she did." I said and ignored both of their surprised looks. I had counted that money myself last night. It had been more than I thought. "That money ain't for us, it's for everything I'll need for Katherine."
"So because of your stupid mistake I can't enjoy the rest of my summer vacation?" Ponyboy said angrily. "I've gotta baby-sit from eight to six everyday? That ain't fair!"
"Hey!" I yelled but then stopped myself. He was right, it was my stupid mistake. "It's only for a few days until I figure out what to do. I'll find some kind of day care or something. I dunno yet but I need you to help me out for the time being, ok?"
"Why can't Two-Bit do it?" Pony asked. "I doubt he'd mind and I don't know how to take care of a baby. Maybe Two-Bit might have some sort of idea since he has a little sister."
"Two-Bit is not watching her." I said. "That's a bad idea and you know it." He sighed. "I'm gonna pay you Pony. You'll get something out of it, I promise."
"Fine." He grumbled.
I smiled. "Thanks kiddo." I said and went on to give him tips on what to do. I'd learned several things yesterday.
"I'm gonna go shopping after work today. I have to get some stuff for Katherine and I'll bring home pizza, ok?" He nodded.
"I can't believe this is happening." Soda mumbled. " I mean don't get me wrong Dar. She's cute and I like her a lot but how in the world is this gonna work?!"
"I don't know!" I yelled. "Stop asking me that because I don't know. I am going to figure something out."
"Well, what if the people from the state find out?" Soda asked. "What if they split us up?"
"That ain't gonna happen." I said. "Let me take care of all this, don't keep worrying about it. I will figure out how to make everything work." That was a lie if I've ever told one. I had no idea what I was going to do about all of this. "C'mon we gotta get to work."
"Where's Katherine?" Pony asked. "If you want me to watch her I have to know where she is."
"She's still sleeping." I said. I had a feeling she'd be crying like crazy, wanting to know where her mother was but I wasn't about to tell Pony that. He was already reluctant enough. "Thanks Pon." I gave him a pat on the back as I headed out.
"That really ain't fair to him." Soda said as we got in the truck.
"I know." I sighed. "But I don't have much other choice. You know just as well as I do I can't miss more work and we sure can't leave her with Two- Bit all day."
"I know." Soda said.
"Can you quit being mad at me now?" I asked. "I know this is hard but what do you want me to do Sodapop? Put her up for adoption or something."
Soda shook his head. "Course not Darry. I'm just worried about you. You already work hard enough as it is."
I nodded. "I know, so I need your help ok?"
"Yeah, sure Dar." I gave him a big hug and then started up the car, looking at my watch. Late late late late late.
When I got home later Ponyboy handed me a screaming Katherine and stomped off to his room. I sighed and looked over at her. "What's wrong? What's the matter?"
"Want mama!" She cried.
"I know." I said. "I wanna know were your mom is too?" She finally quit crying when I gave her some ice cream. "Ponyboy, come get some dinner!" I called.
"I'm not hungry." He yelled back. I looked over at Soda for answers.
"He says he never wants to have children. Their to much work. I guess he had a hard time today."
I nodded and handed Soda a twenty. "Will you go give that to him after dinner? I got a hunch that he won't let me in if I knock."
"Man for this much I think I'll baby-sit tomorrow." Soda smiled and took another bite of pizza. "I thought you said you had to go shopping."
"I did. All the stuffs in the back of the truck. I'm gonna bring it in later. It's nice to go into a store and have enough money for everything you need and more." I said. Soda laughed. We always had to be careful with money. It didn't grow on trees in our neighborhood.
"More pease." Katherine said, walking up to me with her bowl.
"She's gonna eat all the ice cream before I even get to it." Soda said.
"As long as it keeps her from crying she can have all she wants." I said as I put two more scoops of chocolate in her bowl.
"I hope you got her a highchair so she don't have to keep eating on the floor like that." Soda said.
"I did but I have to set it up and I'm to tired to do it right now."
Soda was quiet for a minute. "Darry I'm worried about Pony. He broke off with that girl. You know the one he's been seeing for the past month?"
I looked up at him. "Why? I thought they were doing great."
"I thought so too but Pony said she was just going to fast. He didn't know how to take it all in and I guess he got scared."
I nodded. That sounded like Pony. "Did that happen today?" I asked.
Soda shook his head. "No, about a week ago."
"Why didn't he say anything to me about it?" I asked.
"I dunno." Soda shrugged. I sighed. I wish that kid would talk to me. He hardly opens up.
"So you know, it just worries me. It's his first girlfriend. first breakup. He ended it himself but still he ain't doing to well."
"He was probably afraid he'd get burned if he got to involved." I said.
"Prolly." Soda said. And speaking of Pony he came walking in. "Here I'm spose to give this to yah." Soda handed Pony the twenty.
"What's this for?" He asked.
"For helping me out today." I answered.
"Nah Darry, that's all-right." He set it back on the table. "That's an awful lot."
"Well I've got an awful lot to spend. That money Brooke gave me is for whatever I need for Katherine and today I needed a babysitter so take it." I handed it back to him.
He smiled. "Thanks, Darry."
I nodded. "Have something to eat. I doubt you've had anything since breakfast since you've been watching her all day." He sat down and grabbed a slice of pizza. I looked over at Katherine to make sure he was ok and then went out to the truck to get the things I'd bought. I had basically just walked into a baby store, told the girl who worked there how old Katherine is, and asked them what all she'd need. I came out with a crib, a highchair, and a car seat. Oh and that was just the first store that I went to. I went to two others and got a bunch of stuff at both of those too.
My brothers came out to help me a few minutes later and the first thing we did was get her crib put together. I put her in front of the TV with another bowl of ice cream and she stayed content in the living room for a while. I made a mental note to buy more ice cream next time I went to the store. However it did take me over an hour to get her to go to sleep. She kept asking for her mom. How do you explain to a kid her age that their mother walked out on them and left them with their father who didn't even know about her until three days ago?