Baby Baloos
Part 4
Higher for Hire
One Week Later
Night
All was dark and peaceful at the small building jutting out into the Cape Suzette harbor. There was no sound except for the gentle lapping of the waves, the harbor buoy clanging, and...
"WAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"I'm awake! I'm awake!" Baloo exclaimed, bolting straight up in bed with his heart thumping. Hearing his daughter's wailing, he blinked his bleary eyes and glanced at the clock - 2:40 AM. "Oh...don't that kid ever get tired?" he groaned. The big bear plopped his head down on the pillow and shook his wife's shoulder. "Becky, the baby's cryin' again." Then, he rolled over and resumed his chainsaw-like snoring.
Taking off her earmuffs, Rebecca jabbed her elbow in his back, prompting a weak "Oof!" from the pilot. "Thanks for your help, Baloo!" she spat angrily.
He snored louder.
"Oooo...that bear!" She wearily perched on the edge of the bed and tried to get her bearings. After a minute, she donned her robe, and plodded downstairs to the room that Molly and Cassie shared. The closer she got, the louder the crying became.
"Mommy, make her stop!" Molly pleaded. Her voice was muffled by the pillow that she held over her head.
Gathering the bawling infant in her arms, Rebecca crooned softly, "What's wrong, little one? Are you wet?" She checked her diaper. "No. Maybe you're hungry." She settled into the rocking chair and began nursing Cassie.
When the crying ceased, Molly cautiously poked her head out from beneath the pillow. "Can I sleep in Kit's room?"
"Go ahead, Pumpkin, but don't wake him up," Rebecca whispered, smoothing the infant's hair with a tender hand.
"He's probably already awake from the stupid, loud-mouth baby," Molly muttered morosely as she stumbled to her brother's room, doll Lucy in hand. "I'll be sleeping in Kit's room 'til she's my age!"
The Next Morning
Baloo found Rebecca asleep in the rocking chair, still holding Cassie. Rubbing the back of his neck thoughtfully, he frowned as he stared down at his wife's haggard face. There were dark smudges under her eyes, and she was noticeably thinner. He didn't like the fact that she'd been cooped up in the house ever since she and Cassie had arrived home from the hospital two weeks ago. Rebecca was becoming frazzled under the heavy, stressful load of caring for their baby, running the household, and managing Higher for Hire. Baloo kissed his wife's forehead while removing the wiggling infant from her arms.
Rebecca stirred. Opening her eyes a crack, she asked groggily, "What time is it?"
"Six o'clock," he replied, nuzzling Cassie's cheek against his own.
"Ohhhh..." Rebecca moaned. She grimaced as she craned her stiff neck up to look at him. "What are you doing up so early?"
"I've got that early delivery of water softeners to Tora-Tora. Ya know, the double delivery you've been talkin' about for weeks."
Rebecca stared at him as if he was crazy.
"Zuzz Zuzz Water Softener drop off an' sombrero pick up at Picante City in Tora-Tora, remember? The sombreros for the Friendship Festival...?"
A frown of confused concentration creased her forehead. "Tora..." Rebecca's eyes widened with panic. "Omigosh! I didn't check the air waybill for the...and the...I completely forgot about that! I knew I forgot something last night!" She jumped out of the chair and sprinted downstairs.
"Morning, Mom," Kit greeted cheerfully as his mother streaked past him on the landing.
Baloo strode into the hall, bouncing Cassie lightly in his arms.
"What's with her?" Kit asked his father. They both watched Rebecca scurrying around and muttering to herself. Her hands moved so fast that they were almost a blur.
"She forgot some paperwork for today's delivery."
"That's not like Mom."
"She's tired," Baloo yawned. An idea popped into his head. "Say, Li'l Britches, you wouldn't mind lettin' yer mom navigate for me today, would ya? She needs a change of scenery, an' I think you two kids can take care of the baby for a coupla hours."
Grinning confidently, Kit waved a dismissive paw. "How hard can it be? She sleeps most of the time. There won't be any high-diving queen or taking the Danger Mobile down to the harbor with Cassie."
Baloo passed the infant to his son and slowly lumbered downstairs to where his wife was furiously scribbling on shipment documents. He leaned over the desk. "Becky, we need to talk."
Without looking up, she snapped testily, "Not now, Baloo! Can't you see I'm busy?"
The pilot grabbed two donuts from the kitchen, placing one on his wife's desk as he passed. "Eat up, Becky. Your favorite - cinnamon roll from Lee's Bakery."
He dropped into the easy chair, pleased to see that she was at least nibbling on the donut, and waited until she stamped, stapled, and filed her paperwork.
"Okay, shoot," she said, slumping wearily in her chair. She swept her bedraggled hair from her eyes.
Baloo sat facing her on the edge of the desk. "I think ya need a vacation away from here. Ya need about a week's worth of doin' lotsa nuthin'."
"I don't need a vacation!" she snapped.
"I thought a vacation would help ya unwind."
A dangerous glint flashed in her eyes. "I'd like to unwind something." Too tired to engage in an all-out battle, she said, "Baloo, you know there's no time between Higher for Hire and taking care of all of you. And now there's Cassie to care for. I can't just up and leave her."
"Rebecca, I'm serious. Have you looked in the mirror lately?" he asked gently, folding his massive paws around her small ones.
Tears of anger, exhaustion, and depression sprung to her eyes. "I'm not attractive to you anymore?" she asked, fighting to keep her trembling voice under control.
Smiling at her fondly, Baloo looked beyond her unkempt appearance, her quivering chin, her bloodshot eyes, and saw the woman he loved. Knowing that compliments went a long way in soothing her nerves, he pulled her into his arms and lied through his teeth. "Honey, I think you're more beautiful now than the day I married ya."
"Liar," Rebecca retorted, running her fingers through her tangled hair. "You just insinuated that I'm a total mess."
Baloo chuckled at her characteristic outburst, not exactly sure what 'insinuated' meant. "I'm just sayin' that ya deserve a bitsy break from work an' the baby. I know," he said casually, as if he had just thought up the idea; "why doncha come with me on the cargo run today? Kit an' Molly can watch Cassie."
"Ohhh...I don't know." Rebecca looked at her desk and thought of all of the work she had to do.
Cupping her chin in his hand and turning her head so that she had to look at him directly in the eyes, he cajoled, "C'mon, sweetheart, ya know ya wanna. The work will be here when you get back."
"Well..." One day away probably wouldn't hurt, and it was nice that he was looking after her for a change. She relaxed her head against his chest, smiling. "Okay, Baloo."
Fifteen Minutes Later
"Diapers are in this drawer, Kit. I've prepared extra bottles. They're in the refrigerator. Make sure you warm them in a pan of water - lukewarm, mind you, not hot. Test a drop on your wrist before putting it in her mouth. You don't want to burn her. Um...I feel like I'm forgetting something." Ever since Cassie had been born, it seemed that she had been forgetting things - major things, minor things, her mind, everything - due to lack of sleep.
"C'mon, Beckers, we gotta skedaddle if we're gonna make the delivery on time!" Baloo bellowed from the front door.
"In a second!" Rebecca yelled testily.
"It ain't gonna deliver itself!"
"Hold on for one single second, flyboy!"
Rebecca kissed all three cubs. "Be good, Pumpkin. Help your brother," she told Molly. "Good luck, sweetie. Radio if you need anything," she instructed Kit.
"Let's go, sweetheart!" Baloo sang as he slung his wife over his shoulder and carried her out the door.
"Baloo Augustus von Bruinwald, put me down this instant! You know I hate traveling backwards! Ba-LLLLOOOO!" she screamed, pounding him on the back with her fists.
The pilot laughed. "That sounds, an' feels, more like my Becky."
"If a customer calls or stops by, make sure you get their name and telephone number. And be polite to them!" Rebecca shouted from the plane. "Remember, Kit, I'm depending on you!"
"Don't worry, Mom. We've got it all under control," he said from the doorway. "Have fun!" Kit, holding Cassie, stared at the departing plane with a puzzled expression. "That was weird - Papa Bear worrying more than Mom about being on time."
"What do you want to do now, Kit?" Molly asked.
"Anything that's quiet and doesn't bother Cassie." He put the infant in her bassinet, turned on her mobile, and stretched out on the sofa with the latest edition of Flyboy Magazine.
Molly pouted, crossing her arms. "I'm sick and tired of hearing, 'Be quiet. Don't bother Cassie'. Bleh! She's the one who wakes me up in the middle of the night with her crying. It's not fair! I wanna run and shout and play Danger Woman or pirates or tail gunner."
Kit said, "Shhh!" as the baby started to fuss softly.
"I'm not gonna 'shh' and you can't make me! You're not Mommy!" Molly yanked on her brother's paw, nearly pulling him off the sofa. "Come outside and play with me."
The boy extracted his paw from her vice-like grip, shaking some feeling back into it. "I'll make you a deal, Molly. You play quietly by yourself for an hour, and I'll play with you later on."
"Okay, Kit." Molly skipped up the stairs. "I'm gonna check on Lucy. She broke her arm yesterday when she was taking flying leaps off of the bed."
"Sure, whatever," Kit mumbled, sticking his nose back into the magazine. There was a very interesting article about a Merrick Vertaplane - a controversial prototype that could translate from a fixed wing bi-plane to a rotating upper wing gyroplane. Staring at the pilot - George Townsen - waving from the cockpit in the picture, Kit imagined himself in his place. Besides his Papa Bear, George Townsen had to be the best pilot in the world.
A knock came at the door and Molly, with Lucy in her arms, sprinted down the stairs to open it. One of the doll's cloth arms was swathed in toilet paper. A group of fourteen-year-old boys streamed in - the Jungle Aces.
"Hiya, shrimp, is your brother home?" Ernie, a lanky hyena, patted Molly condescendingly on the head. Seeing the toilet paper on the doll's arm, he smirked. "Oh, does your dolly have a boo-boo?"
"Kit, it's your friends and Ernie," Molly said.
"Hey, Kit, ready to go to the Amazing Autogyro Expo at the Cape Suzette Aerodrome?" a small beige bear named Oscar asked, flashing a friendly smile down at Molly.
"That was today?" Kit cried, tossing the magazine aside.
"Today only," said hippo Felix and crane Burt simultaneously.
Kit pulled a crumpled flyer out from underneath his shirt. Yes, the date on it was July 21, and it was July 21. In all the excitement over Cassie, it had completely slipped his mind. He had been looking forward to the Autogyro Expo since before he had heard of it.
"You can't go," Molly said, hands on hips in a manner that resembled her mother's. "Mom's depending on you to watch Cassie."
"Aw, darn it!" Kit kicked at the throw rug. "Why'd Mom have to navigate today of all days?"
"We have to hurry," Ernie said, checking his wristwatch. "The first fifty people get a free ride."
"In a real autogyro?" Kit was almost salivating.
The Jungle Aces nodded.
Kit seriously considered going. After all, Wildcat was nearby and Cassie would just sleep the day away. He could be there, take a quick ride, see the show, and be back before his parents. How would they know? Then, he caught Molly's disproving glare. She would tell his parents. His heart sank right down to his feet. Feeling as if he was making a great sacrifice, Kit said, "You guys better get going if you're going to get a ride. Make sure you tell me all about it."
"We will," Felix, Sam, and Burt promised.
"Bye, Kit," Oscar said, flashing his disappointed friend a pitying look before he shut the door quietly behind him.
"No fair!" Kit yelled at the top of his lungs.
"Don't wake up Cassie," Molly said in a sing-song voice, prompting a death glare from him.
He plopped petulantly on the sofa and buried his face in the magazine.
Peeking under his arm, Molly said, "You did the right thing, big brother."
"Yeah, I know, Short Stuff. I just wish I could believe it. A chance to ride in an autogyro and I have to babysit!" he cried in despair.
The Sea Duck
An Hour-and-a-Half Later
Baloo stole a sidelong glance over at his wife. She, staring blankly ahead, didn't appear to be having fun. In fact, she didn't even appear to be awake. "Becky?"
He had to repeat her name twice more before she snapped out of her stupor.
"Did you say something, Baloo?"
"Where are we? We should be gettin' close to Picante City."
"Oh, we're..." Rebecca wrestled with the map on her lap and peered at the compass. It had been a long time since she had navigated. She briefly gave him the coordinates.
Turning the plane slightly to port, Baloo chuckled. "I thought I was the only one who could sleep with my eyes open."
Too tired to argue, Rebecca sighed. "I wasn't sleeping. I was thinking about the kids."
"Aw, they'll be fine." He leaned back in his seat and steered with his feet, knocking his left elbow against the wall of the cockpit. Two sodas popped out of their holder in the wall. He popped the lid off of one and offered it to her. "Orange Fizzie?"
She took a sip. "Maybe you're right, Baloo."
"Of course I'm right." Baloo finished off the soda in a few gulps and tossed the empty bottle over his shoulder. "What can go wrong?"
Higher for Hire
"It's been over an hour, and you promised to play outside with me," Molly reminded Kit.
The teenager, who had been rudely interrupted in the middle of an exciting magazine article, sighed. "Okay, but just for a while. Mom said Cassie can't be outside for too long, or she'll get heat stroke."
"I thought having a little sister would be funner," Molly retorted as she watched her brother place the baby in her pram.
He pulled the visor down to shield the infant from the scorching July sun. "She's not so bad. I kinda like her." Kit smiled at Cassie and pushed the pram outside. He parked it on the shady side of Higher for Hire.
"Even if you hafta miss the autogyro thing because of her?" Molly asked incredulously.
"Yeah," Kit gritted his teeth. His friends were probably having a blast right about then. "I still like her."
Molly began scooping a deep trench in the sandbox. "I like her, too, but she can't do anything."
After only fifteen minutes of playing in the sandbox, Cassie began to bawl.
"Our baby sister says it's time to head in."
"She always cries," Molly said, rolling her eyes. "That's all she does - eats and cries."
Cassie cried louder.
"And poops! Yuck, Kit, she needs to be changed!" Molly cried, pinching her nose shut as she helped Kit push the pram back into the house.
"Great," Kit muttered, wishing that he was at the aerodrome with his friends. There were no diapers to be changed there. "Lucky me."
A few minutes later...
"There you are, Cass. A nice clean diaper," Kit said, throwing the soiled one in the diaper pail and removing the clothespin from his nose.
"P.U.! How can a little thing like that make such a big, stinky mess?" Molly, holding her nose and gasping for breath, scrambled over her bed and threw open the window as far as it would go. She flipped the fan on.
In spite of the new diaper, the infant continued to bawl.
"What's wrong now, Cassie? You have a clean diaper." Molly picked up the baby.
"Maybe she's hungry," Kit suggested and ran to the kitchen to warm a bottle.
"Wish you could talk and tell us what's wrong." Molly gently bounced the red-faced, bawling infant up and down. "Golly, you're getting heavy!" She carefully made her way down the stairs to the kitchen. "Bottle ready, Kit?"
Kit tested a drop on his wrist. "Yep."
Cassie took a few sucks from the bottle and spit it out - still crying.
"It's not too hot. I tested it just like Mom said." The boy frowned at the bottle and then at Cassie.
"Maybe she needs to burp," Molly surmised. She patted the baby's back vigorously, but no burp came up. She looked at Kit. "I think we should call Mom."
"No, this is Mom's day off. We can figure this out ourselves," he said stubbornly. Snatching up a rattle, he waved it in front of the wailing cub's red face.
Tora-Tora
Picante City, the second largest metropolis in Tora-Tora, combined old world charm with native culture. The past mingled with the present; the old mixed with the new. Red-tiled roofs stood side-by-side with modern structures. People wearing colorful native costumes as well as the most up-to-date outfits could be seen traversing Picante City's streets. Because it was so close to Usland, the just south-of-the-border city was a popular tourist destination. Ergo, all of the hotels were clambering to have soft water for their wealthy customers. Zuzz Zuzz Water Softeners were a very profitable commodity.
But, for once in her life, profits were the furthest thing from Rebecca's mind. "Need to find a phone," she muttered to herself.
"Where're ya sneakin' off to, Becky?" Baloo asked, almost bent over double as he lugged an extremely heavy crate from the cargo hold.
Rebecca spun around with a guilty expression on her face. "Um...I have some...nowhere."
"Yer gonna call the kids, aren't ya?" He plunked the crate down beside the other five crates, looking back at the others in the hold. Only fifteen more to go.
"Maybe," she mumbled sheepishly, irked that he read her mind, and doubly irked that he had that infuriating little smirk on his face.
"Go ahead if it'll make ya feel better. Tell 'em hola (he pronounced the 'H') from me." The grey bear took off his cap, brushed sweat from his brow, and chuckled at the sight of his wife rushing off in search of a telephone.
Higher for Hire
RING! RING! jangled the phone.
Molly picked up the receiver. "Higher for Hire. Molly speaking," she answered politely. "Oh, hi, Mommy." She gestured wildly to Kit to take bawling Cassie out of the room. "It's Mom!" she mouthed, pointing to the phone.
"Jeepers!" Kit slipped outside with the infant.
Rebecca heard her baby crying. Struggling to keep the panicky feeling inside of her suppressed, she asked anxiously, "Is everything all right?"
"Yep, everything is hunky-dory. How 'bout you?" Molly asked loudly in a fake cheery tone. "How's Tora-Tora?"
"Hot and dusty. Oh, Daddy says 'hola'."
Molly shot a glance at the door. "Okay, bye."
"Wait, Molly! You're sure everything's okay?" Rebecca said suspiciously. "Any business calls? How's Cassie?"
"Nobody's called except you, and Cassie's one hundred percent okey-dokey," Molly replied with a nervous giggle. She could still hear Cassie's screams and hoped that her mother couldn't.
"Well...if you're sure. Goodbye." Rebecca hung up.
Molly gave a sigh of relief as she hung up the receiver and went outside. "All clear, Kit."
"Good. Your turn to walk with her. I want to rest my arms, not to mention my ears."
Back to Picante City
"Ready for a little sight-seein'?" Baloo asked when the bearess returned. "Those sombreros don't hafta be there 'til tomorrow mornin'."
"Cassie was crying. Maybe we should just go home." Rebecca started for the Sea Duck with a worried frown.
Baloo caught her by the arm, pulling her to his side. "Nuh-huh. Kit an' Molly can handle it. It ain't every day that I get ya all to myself." Wrapping an arm securely about her waist, he grinned down at her.
Rebecca half-heartedly returned his smile. "Well...I am a little hungry." It was the first time she had felt hungry since Cassie had been born. Her smile widened. "Where do you suggest we eat, Baloo?"
"Now yer talkin', Beckers!"
Higher for Hire
"ARGH! Be quiet already!" Kit screamed over Cassie's wails.
"Do something, Kit!" Molly yelled. Cotton balls were stuffed in her ears.
"Like what?" he retorted, tossing the teddy bear at her. "We've tried everything!"
Molly threw the toy back at him. "I dunno. Feed her!"
"We've done that! She won't eat!" The bear flew at the eight-year-old.
"Change her diaper then!"
"I just did that five minutes ago! She can't be dirty already!"
Molly threw the toy back at Kit. "Shake the teddy bear in her face!"
"I did! It only makes her cry more!"
"You're the oldest. You should know what to do!"
"Well, you're a girl. You should know something about babies from playing with dolls."
"Lucy doesn't cry unless I pretend she does. I can't pretend Cassie to stop crying." Molly started towards the door.
"Hey, where are you going? If I have to suffer, so do you!"
"I'm gonna get help!"
When the door slammed shut behind her, Kit yelled, "But Mom's five hundred miles away!" In exasperated exhaustion he sank onto the sofa and sandwiched his head between the teddy bear and a pillow.
A few minutes later, Molly hurried through the door, clutching Wildcat's paw.
"Where's the fire?" Wildcat said. "I can hear the fire truck siren."
Molly silently pointed to red-faced Cassie bawling her head off in her bassinet.
"Whattsa matter, Little Cassie-cat?" the lion crooned. He turned the baby upside-down and back and forth, looking her over intently. Finally, he pulled a microscopic splinter that was poking her in the thigh. "Here's your problem. This sharp, pointy thingy was jabbing her and her little leg was saying, 'help me!'."
"So were we," Kit said.
Cassie's boisterous sobs subsided into hiccups, then ragged breathing. In a matter of a few minutes, she zonked out in Wildcat's arms.
"Thanks, Wildcat," Molly said, grinning from ear to ear as the mechanic put the now peaceful infant in her bassinet.
"No problemo, guys. If ya need me, I'll be real close, like, right next door, or in the next boat."
Molly plopped down on the sofa beside her brother. "Hear that, Kit?"
He cocked his head to one side. "I don't hear anything."
A big smile spread across her face. "That's what I mean. Silence! Yippee!" She tossed her the cotton balls into the air.
Cassie whimpered, prompting looks of utter terror to appear on the older cubs' faces.
Molly slapped a paw over her mouth. "Yippee," she whispered.
Higher for Hire
That Evening
"That was the most fun I've had in a long time," Rebecca commented as she alighted from the Sea Duck. She felt refreshed from her nap on the return trip.
"Speak for yerself, honey. I got heartburn from all that spicy food." Baloo belched and thumped his chest with his fist. "Oh, baby."
"I wonder why. Was it because you ate eight quesadillias on top of five tacos, six burritos, and three fried ice creams? But who's counting?" she remarked airily with a smirk.
"Maybe I shouldn't have had that diet soda," Baloo reflected, opening the door. A broad smile spread across his face. "Becky, would ya take a look-see at that?"
In the red easy chair, Molly and Kit sat side-by-side; Molly's head was on the boy's shoulder. Kit's head was propped on the top of Molly's. Both were fast asleep with a gurgling Cassie - swaddled in a blanket - stretched across their laps.
"Looks like Cassie won this round," Rebecca commented, lovingly bending over her three children. She picked up Cassie, smooched her soft little cheek, and put her in the bassinet.
"You take Molly, an' I'll get Kit," Baloo whispered, scooping the boy up in his arms and starting up the stairs behind his wife.
Kit was jostled awake. "About time you're home," he murmured through a gaping yawn.
"How'd it go with Cassie?" Baloo asked, putting his son on the bed.
"Er...she wasn't bad after she stopped crying." Kit crawled underneath the blankets.
"Glad ta hear it, 'cause I'm thinkin' of takin' yer mama out dancin' next weekend."
An involuntary "No!" escaped from Kit's lips.
Baloo chuckled at his son's apprehensive expression. "But if ya can't handle it..."
"I can handle anything," Kit said emphatically, but still looking frightened at the prospect of babysitting.
"Yeah, I know ya can. 'Night, Li'l Britches. Love ya." He gently scratched behind Kit's ear and smiled warmly down at the boy.
"I love you too, Papa Bear."
Baloo flipped out the light. Before he closed the door, he said, "Oh, before I forget, Becky an' me ran inta an old friend of mine in Picante City - George Townsen."
"George Townsen! The test pilot?"
"Yeah, I told him that I had a son who loved flyin', an' was fascinated by autogyros an'," Kit held his breath when his father said, "hetold me he'd swing by the next time he was in Cape Suzette."
"Wahoo!" Kit whooped, his eyes shining with excitement. "Gee, thanks, Papa Bear." Recklessly, he offered, "I'll babysit anytime you want me to."
Baloo winked. "Night, kiddo." He shut the door.
Into the darkness, Kit whispered, "I get to meet George Townsen? Wow!"
Higher for Hire
September 1939
Tuesday Afternoon
"No, you can't take Cassie to Louie's, Baloo," Rebecca said firmly. "She's too young to fly."
"She's gotta start sometime. The younger, the better."
"NO! And that's my final word!" she said with a petulant stomp of her foot.
"Aw, c'mon, Becky. Louie wants ta take a peek at her. Guess his interest was piqued after I bragged 'bout her an' showed him all them pictures."
"He can come here to see her. Just watch her for a while. I need to do some errands in town."
"You can count on me, Beckers," he said as Rebecca picked up her purse and headed to the door.
"Stay!"
"Woof, woof," Baloo mumbled under his breath.
Rebecca stuck her head in through the door. "Watch your smart mouth, mister!"
Baloo gathered the two-month-old in his arms and gently bounced her up and down. She giggled and squealed at this amusement. He'd never been alone with Cassie before and he wasn't sure exactly how to take care of her. It was a little frightening, being in charge of a baby. Of course, he would never admit his fear to his wife.
"Just you an' me, kiddo. Whattaya wanna do?" As if on cue, his stomach growled. "Uh-oh, the Big Guy's complainin'. Let's you an' me grab a snack. What yer mama doesn't know won't hurt her." He chuckled, tickling the little girl under the chin, prompting a fit of giggles. "Promise not ta tell, Cupcake? Ya promise?"
In response, Cassie's lips parted in a toothless grin.
"Yeah, ya promise. Yeah, ya do. Yer gonna be Daddy's little friend an' not snitch on me for eatin' a little bite. A snack never hurt nobody."
They stepped over to the refrigerator, opened the door, and stood before it, gazing at its contents. "Hm...hope Becky remembers ta get more olives."
An unpleasant aroma wafted to Baloo's nose. It drove all thoughts of food away. "You smell somethin', Cassie?" He sniffed inside the refrigerator, sniffed his shirt, and then he tentatively sniffed Cassie. "Oh, baby, it's you, baby!"
Cassie's chin quivered as she began to whimper. Tears beaded in her eyes.
Baloo began to panic. "No, no, oh-ho, no! Don't start with the waterworks. It's not your fault, sweetheart. Daddy'll get ya cleaned up in a jiffy."
He carried Cassie upstairs to her room and laid her gently on the changing table. He rummaged through the drawers. "Where's the diapers? Diapers, diapers...a-ha! Let's get this icky thing offa ya."
He removed the safety pin, unwrapped the diaper and... "Ugh!"
Cassie smiled, squealing happily.
The dirty diaper was tossed into the diaper pail as if it was a boa constrictor. He shot an askance look at the clean diaper, turning it this way and that, examining its rectangular shape. "Now, how do I get this thing on you? Babies should come with instruction manuals, like planes. What's next? Oh, yeah!" He wiped her bottom with a baby wipe, making sure that his fingers were nowhere near the excrement, and sprinkled talcum powder on her derriere.
Baloo folded the diaper in half and fitted it around her. Taking a step back, he could see that that wasn't right. "Nope, must be defective." He tossed the diaper in the corner of the changing table.
He picked up another clean diaper, this time folding one corner to the opposite corner. He tried it on her, wrinkled up his nose, and scratched his neck. "That ain't right neither." That diaper joined the first diaper.
Taking a third diaper, he folded all three corners together so that they met in the middle. "Yeah, now we're gettin' somewheres." He slid her legs through the openings and it fell apart. "Doggone it! Another defective diaper. Becky needs ta buy a different brand." That diaper was thrown on the pile with the rest.
Diaper number four. He folded the corners together and fastened them with a safety pin. Then he fitted it to Cassie. "There we go." Grinning, he picked her up. Baloo frowned as the diaper fell to the floor.
Cassie shivered. Pee trickled down the big bear's shirt.
"Aww..." he groaned. "Don't go anywheres, Cassie." He shed his shirt and tossed it into the bathroom hamper. "Still here? Good. Let's try this dang diaper thing again," he muttered angrily. He slammed diaper number four on the pile.
The fifth diaper! Swiftly, he folded the corners together, pinned it, and deftly wriggled Cassie into it. Baloo searched the room, pulling drawers open and turning out their contents, for a means of securing the diaper to her.
He reached into his pocket and found a ball of fishing string. He threaded the string through the safety pin and around Cassie's waist, tied a knot, and snapped the excess off with his teeth. Carefully, he picked the baby up. Victory - the diaper stayed on! Just for good measure, he tugged on it. It still stayed on! "Who says Daddy can't take care of ya?" He smooched Cassie's cheek and gently pinched her nose. Stepping over a pile of clothes on the floor, he walked out the door. "Now for that snack."
An hour later, Rebecca, laden with grocery sacks, walked into Higher for Hire. "Baloo, help me with these sacks. There's more in...the...car...oh, my!" Everything dropped - her jaw and the sacks she was carrying.
Her office was completely and totally trashed. Toys, baby clothes, diapers, bottles, books, records, pillows and blankets were strewn around the room. She couldn't take a step without treading on something. "BAAAAAALLOOOO!" she screamed, kicking a squeaky giraffe out of her way.
"Baa baa black sheep, have ya any wool?" Baloo looked up from the book he was reading to Cassie with a sheepish grin on his face. "What?" he asked innocently.
"Wha...what happened to my office?" Fury was etched on her face.
"Becky, ya broke the eggs." Yellow goo seeped out of one of the paper sacks onto the floor.
"Don't you dare change the subject, Baloo." Picking her way through the room, she charged over to the easy chair and grabbed his ear. "I was gone for one hour. Sixty minutes and I come home to this!" She made a sweeping motion with her arm at the clutter.
"Well, honey, I..."
"And I want the truth, mister!"
Baloo sighed, facing the inevitable. "The truth is after ya left I changed Cassie an' came downstairs. She spit up all over her clothes. So, I went back upstairs ta change her outfit. I kinda, um, spilled Tabasco sauce on her gettin' a snack. The bottle slipped outta my hands. Don't look in the kitchen, Becky. Still haven't cleaned up that mess. If you think this is bad..."
Feeling a migraine coming on, Rebecca groaned.
"Back upstairs to change her again. We came downstairs an' I ate a snack. Just a little sandwich. Seein' me eat musta made her hungry. I fed her a bottle. She spit up again. I changed her clothes again. Ten minutes later, she wet her pants." Baloo sighed. "Back upstairs an' I changed her diaper. Is she always this messy, Becky?"
Rebecca's eyes sparkled with silent laughter. She nodded. "Go on."
"She got kinda fussy. I thought she might be gettin' tired, an' I tried to get her down for her nap. Guess she wasn't tired. Never closed her little peepers for a sec. So, I pulled out all her toys."
"I can see that," Rebecca stated dryly.
"The toys didn't work. She wasn't interested or somethin'. Then, I got out the records to see if music would calm her down so she'd go to sleep. It didn't. Next, I got out her books, an' that did the trick. She was almost asleep when you came home an' yelled at me. Aren't ya ashamed, Becky?"
By this time, Rebecca was rocking with laughter. She managed to gasp out, "How many diapers did you go through?"
Baloo silently counted on his fingers. "Eleven, I think, countin' the dirty ones an' practice ones."
"Practice ones?" She arched her eyebrows.
"That reminds me, I gotta get more fishin' line."
"Fishing line?" She wondered at this mental jump.
"Yeah, ta tie up her diapers so they don't slip off." He pointed to Cassie's waist. A pale blue plastic line was looped around the diaper.
Rebecca sat down on the arm of the chair, threw her arms around Baloo's neck, and laughed until she cried. When she was able, she choked out, "Oh, Baloo! I'll show you how to fold a diaper so that it stays on without fishing string."
"It can?"
"Yes, it can." She wiped tears from her eyes. "After you get her to sleep, you get to clean up this mess."
Baloo smiled. "Yes, sir, boss lady."
End of part 4