Jukebox Baby

Jukebox Baby

By Heather Ann Martinez

Broken glass. Broken teapot. Broken cookie jar. Mister Arthur stood at the doorway looking at the cookie jar pieces all over the kitchen floor. The boarding house had just celebrated Mr. Arthur’s 70^th birthday the night before. Mister Arthur did not regret eating the last of the cookies a few hours earlier. He still had a bit of chocolate on his mustache. No one had the heart to tell him. Miss Diane cautiously tiptoed behind Mister Arthur. Her hair was in curlers and she clenched onto her bathrobe for dear life. She too heard the glass breaking and wanted to find out what happened. The back patio glass door had been smashed. Someone had taken the cash out of the teapot and must have broken the cookie jar on the way out. That is what Mister Arthur conveyed to the police a little while later as he repeatedly fixed his crooked bowtie. He wore the same tweed jacket for nearing thirty years. His eyes were soft and honest. Police detective Ryan Mayes was assigned to the burglary. He sat everyone in the living room and asked all of the residents some questions.

“Now, this is a bed and breakfast, isn’t it?” Detective Mayes asked.

“Well, it was before the war. It’s a boarding house officially. We are all part of an intentional community.” Mister Arthur explained.

“An intentional community? Is that like some sort of social experiment?” Hayes asked smiling and jotting notes in his tablet.

“Well, I don’t know about it being a social experiment.” Miss Diane said. “We realized we didn’t have enough money, support or ability to make it on our own, dear. I suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. I can’t button a shirt or tie my shoelaces. Mister Arthur sleepwalks occasionally. Mrs. Dotty has a bad back. Mister Alistair has a difficult time talking. He stammers. Then there is Miss Rose. She goes out at night and often sleeps in the middle of the day. We all used to work in town, but lost our jobs. We couldn’t compete with all the young people. With the exception of Rose, we are all semi-retired. We were able to pull our resources and moved here.”

“And Miss Rose. Where is she now?” Hayes asked.

“It’s not yet nine. She will be back sometime soon. As I said, she is out every night. We don’t see her all that often except on the weekends. She helps us with laundry, especially Miss Dotty.”

“If she has been out all night, she wasn’t here breaking the back patio door or taking the cash from the teapot. How much did you say was missing Mister Arthur?” Hayes had forgotten. He was distracted by the fact that he just closed a homicide a few hours earlier.

“We had a little over a thousand in the teapot for a rainy day.” Mister Arthur said. At this point, he was annoyed that he had to repeat himself to the young police detective. Mister Arthur had been sitting and decided to stand up to look out the window. The truth was Rose had not been home the last couple of days. Mister Arthur did not want to tell the police that. He knew Rose had a past. He did not want them to become suspicious of her because she was not on her usual schedule. 

Eventually the police left.

“Thank goodness they are gone. Now we can start cleaning up the broken jar pieces.” Mrs. Dotty said. Miss Diane decided to help her locate the broom and dust pan. As Miss Diane started sweeping, Mister Alistair went into the library. In all of the excitement, Mister Alistair forgot he was going to tutor a small group of children that afternoon in English literature. Mister Arthur heard the thud and then moaning and crying. He tried to run to the library, but he realized that was not a good idea. When he reached the library, Mister Alistair was pointing at a basket next to Mister Arthur’s old jukebox.

“It’s a...It’s a baby.” Mister Alistair stammered.

“It’s a brown baby.” Mister Arthur said upon further examination.

Miss Diane and Mrs. Dotty came into the library and Mister Arthur picked up the baby. Mister Alistair dropped the student books when he saw the baby lying there. He startled the baby who began moaning. There was a piece of paper safety pinned to the baby’s blanket. Mister Alistair grabbed it and Miss Diane read it aloud.

“Dear Mr. Arthur, If you are reading this, it means I had to leave my baby here. I am so sorry Mr. Arthur. I never thought they would find me. Please take care of my baby until I return. I took the money from the teapot to pay off some of my debts. I’m afraid my days of gambling and chance have caught up with me. The baby’s father is in the military and will be home in another six months. When he returns, everything will work out. He will be able to look after us. I’ve sent word to him as to where we are. To answer your question, yes the baby’s father is an African man. Our baby is mixed. As you know, my parents came from Europe. I know you will look after my baby despite the fact that he is not like you or Mister Alistair. He may not know his parents yet, but we will be coming back to him as soon as we can. Love, Rose”

“This is Rose’s baby?” Mrs. Dotty took the baby from Mister Arthur. “What should be call him?”

“Leon. That’s the name sewn on the blanket.” Mister Arthur said. He was still stunned by Rose’s letter. Mrs. Dotty asked Mister Alistair to see if there was anything else left in the basket. Mister Alistair found a couple of cloth diapers, a couple of bottles and some clothes. Mrs. Dotty sent Miss Diane to the store to buy milk for the baby. Mister Arthur tried to remember the last conversation he had with Rose. It was a couple of Saturdays back. Rose never looked pregnant to him. She always wore long loose dresses and robes or long coats. He remembered talking with her about his childhood. He was the son of a distinguished British aristocrat and had a nanny. He told Rose everything changed when he came to the United States. His father lost most of his fortune in the stock market. He now realized why Rose was asking him about his childhood. She knew he had something in common with her baby.

Mrs. Dotty put the baby on a schedule as well as the residents of the boarding house. They expected Rose to come back within a few weeks and knew the baby’s father would come within a few months. Miss Diane also had her own trouble with the police and knew if they turned the baby in, there was a possibility someone could find the outstanding warrant for her. Miss Diane had stolen a lot of money from the company they had previously worked for. So, they all took turns taking care of the baby. Leon thrived in their care. Despite their physical issues, all of them managed to help Leon. Days turned into weeks, then months. Rose did not come back. The baby’s father wrote a letter to Mister Arthur stating that he would not be coming for the baby. He was married to another woman. He met Rose at a craps table several months earlier. He never meant to get involved with her.

A year passed and there was a knock on the front door. It was Rose. She looked frail. She explained that she managed to pay off her debts and got a job at a factory doing hard labor. She thanked them for taking care of her baby. Mister Arthur was not happy to see Rose. He told her that they cared for her baby as they would for her because they were a community. He reminded her of the bond they were to each other and the shared affection they had for one another. He held her as a father would hold a daughter but reminded her that her place was with them. It was time to stop running and come home. Rose and her baby Leon stayed the rest of Mister Arthur’s days. Mister Arthur and Mrs. Dotty died within days of one another. Others moved to the boarding house and Rose reminded them that they were now part of the community. They were not guests but brothers and sisters