What A Day

   It began like any other Saturday morning. My eyes opened, blinked from the shaft of light just hitting the edge of my vision. The sun was shining brightly, wisps of clouds and blue sky showed through the skylight above the bed. The birds were singing melodically in the trees. Oh what a beautiful day as I swung my legs out of bed. Ouchhhh, the cast on my left leg hit the side of the bed, reminding me that jumping up was not an option.

    As I clumped into the kitchen to start the coffee, I again lamented how tough it was to do anything with a cast on your leg. I greeted my niece as she came into the kitchen, carrying her baby. It was at that time she informed me that: 

1. She was babysitting for her two brothers and sister for the entire day into the evening, and, 

2. She needed a ride to pick up her paycheck across town at restaurant she worked at. 

I groaned, knowing that would mean for a short time I would be babysitting 4 kids under the age of five. I smiled at her and said, "No problem."

    About an hour later we were bombarded by 3 energetic and loud little's. Of course, this got the youngest going as well. Since it was raining outside, they began chasing each other around the house. It was at this time my niece decided to ask her uncle to take her to pick up her check. He didn't have a license but that had never stopped him before. They took off out the door and the kids got louder. 

    I yelled, "Hey, you want to do something fun? Halt!!" They came to a screeching halt, looked expectantly at me, as I herded them into the kitchen to sit at the table. I got out powdered sugar, peanut butter, food coloring, paper, and vanilla instant pudding. Their eyes got big. I told them, "I have an art project for you to do." I mixed powdered sugar and peanut butter, until it had the consistency of play dough. Added a few drops of food coloring to different balls and divided it among the little's. Gleefully they starting making their masterpieces and licking their fingers. I then mixed vanilla pudding and put in separate bowls with food coloring as well, walaa finger paint. Knowing these little tricks not only encouraged kids creativity but kept from having a mess, by being delicious. Silence reigned in the house once again. Score one for the gimp as I put my foot up on the stool and watched.

    About this time the house phone rang (yes, it was back in those days). I answered and heard Uncle's voice, "Ummm I have a slight problem." he said. " What would that be?" I replied. "Well, I just got stopped by the cops," he started. I interrupted, "Really, so now you are going to jail because you don't have a license? How am I supposed to get my niece?" "No," he said, "they gave me a ticket and let me go. Told me I had to walk home so I am at gas station calling you. Now, I am going to walk back to the car and drive home, cops are gone. About your niece though, they took her to juvenile, seems she had a warrant for her arrest. Better get a hold of her mom."

     Just as he delivered this bombshell, the little's volume increased in the kitchen. Either they were out of the art materials and/or the sugar was kicking in, and I wasn't ready for this on top of that. I angrily said, "Great, see you when you get back."

    I thumped my way back into the kitchen and looked at 4 of the most cherubic faces covered in pudding and peanut butter. Half hour later, the little's were cleaned up and seated in the living room watching a movie. Uncle was just pulling up and coming in, I motioned to him to be quiet. My look told him, don't you dare get these kids going again!

    The phone rang, and I reached for it with dread. Today did not seem to be about pleasant calls and I steeled myself for what would come next. A girl's voice I did not recognize said, "Hi, this is a friend of your son's. He has been arrested for cannabis, I don't know what that is. His bond is $100 and we still need $25 to get him out. He said maybe you could help us out." I rolled my eyes, my son was grown but not grown, obviously.....  I said, "Well if you know my son, you know what cannabis is, and you still need $25. I am a little busy right now." I hung up and thought, "Oh Lord, what next." 

    About 2 hours later, son comes walking sheepishly in the door. Little's had fallen asleep and I was putting together hot dogs with Mac n' Cheese for dinner. Certainly a crowd pleaser for this bunch. Son explained situation and that it was all a mistake, and blah, blah , blah. I seem to remember hearing this before. I told him I needed him to drive me out to juvenile, I was supposed to pick up my niece's things and get some papers since I had been unable to get a hold of her mother.

    Oh, that's right, can't forget this part of the story. I had been trying all day to get a hold of my sister to tell her what was going on. She was split up from her husband, he had custody of the kids, she was dealing cards for a traveling gambling thing, but I had not been able to reach her. I called her work, and they were worried, she was supposed to be at work and no one had heard from her. Now I was getting concerned and finally had reached someone we knew to go check on her.

    In the meantime, I called my daughter, and asked, "Could you please come watch the little's, while your brother takes me out to check on your cousin?" She showed up a few minutes later, only lived 5 blocks away. We drove out to juvenile. 

    We were standing in between the glass doors, waiting to be let in. There was a metal grate that allowed snow and such to melt down so I began to tell my son a story about how this was the entrance to bad kids land. The ones that were habitual and always in trouble. The grate would open, the child would be sucked down and end up in a land where they had to work 20 hours a day, were forced to read and learn and if they did a good job, there was an elevator that would allow them to return to this world if not, they stayed. Seems like it took a long time for them to come to door to let us in, finally an officer was coming our way and laughing heartily. He opened the door, said, "Sorry it took so long. We had to wait until your story was done. We could see and hear everything you said." Son turned red, and I said, "Well glad someone appreciates my stories." I was given my niece's things, the paperwork, stating an adult in her life had to be at the courthouse on Monday in order for her to be released. I thought my sister can do this, as her stepfather wouldn't miss work unless the world ended.

    We arrived back home to little's eating dinner and smiling like angels. My daughter asked if I had this situation handled now, I told her yes and thank you. The phone rang again, I really didn't want to answer it. It was the friend I had sent to check on my sister. Seems she found her laying on the floor of her place, non-responsive except for moaning, called 911 and an ambulance had been sent. She was at the hospital, going into emergency abdominal surgery, she had an abscess in her stomach and was septic. They would let me know more later.

    The little's were starting to get restless and thank goodness their father arrived to pick them up. I told him what was going on and he said, "Thanks for watching kids, let me know how the rest turns out." I contemplated throwing something at his head as he was departing but not a good idea in front of little's and in light of how the day was going. 

    I sank down on the couch, exhausted, leg aching, and realized I would have to be the one going to the courthouse on Monday. I picked up the phone, dialed my boss, and said, "I have a family emergency, I won't be at work on Monday." He said, "Oh, which one?" I retorted, "PICK ONE!" There was silence and I groaned, "What a day!"...........