Exclusive tale - "Favorite Aunt" - Part 2

I finish my essay and upload it to OneDrive. Is it any good? Good enough.

Mum gives me back my phone and I get ready to go out. I put on my Ben Sherman shirt and smooth out the wrinkles in my jeans.

As I’m deciding on which trainers to wear, the doorbell rings.

“That’s the babysitter,” calls Mum. “Be a honey and answer the door for me.”

I’m pretty sure that the ‘honey’ is me and not Lucy, ha-ha.

I pick up my pair of Adidas, the white ones with the blue stripes, and go to Mum’s bedroom door. “I’ve got it, but I’m on my way out, so I’ll see you later.”

“Back by eleven,” says Mum.

“Yeah.” I can smell Mum’s perfume; Lady Million. I was with Dad in Boots when he bought it last Christmas. I remember him spraying the tester and saying to me, “Flowers for my flower, right Jakie?”

Why’s Mum wearing it tonight? I think of her wearing to see some new guy, and my stomach gets tight.

“Don’t forget your phone.”

I pat my jeans pocket. “Got it.”

“And I hope Joe’s feeling better.”

Feeling…I almost ask Mum what’s she’s going on about, Joe’s fit as a fiddle. And then I remember my lie.

“Yeah. Thanks. Have a good night.”

I go past the nursery, blow a kiss at Lucy, and she waves at me enthusiastically. That baby loves all kinds of kisses.

I go downstairs just as the doorbell rings for a second time.

“Jake!” calls Mum.

Hold your horses.

I open the door and there’s a woman carrying a large, canvas bag in one hand and a pair of soft toys in the other. Either a babysitter or she’s just robbed the local toy shop.

The woman smiles and says, “Hello, you must be Jake.”

I nod. “You must be Auntie Sarah.” Is she actually anyone’s aunt? I’m not about to ask.

“You look very smart,” she says. “I like your shirt. Off out on the town?”

I blush. “Yeah. I mean, no, just hanging out.” I realize I’m still holding my trainers. “Better get my shoes on,” I explain needlessly.

The woman laughs. “Sounds like a plan.” And then she gets a thoughtful look on her face. “Actually, you look like a strong young man. Could you help me bring in my things?”

Inwardly, I groan. She doesn’t really think I’m strong, she’s just looking to use me for free labour. I nod, put my trainers down by the door and reach for the heavy-looking bag.

But she doesn’t give it to me. Instead, she passes the soft toys instead, and I have to juggle to make sure I don’t drop them, clutching them to my chest as I back into the hallway and let the woman pass.

She makes a big show of hauling the bag, as if she’s got bricks in it or something.

I’m not sympathetic. “You don’t really need to bring a bunch of stuff,” I say.  “We’ve already got nappies and everything.” Doesn’t she know that? Mum said that this ‘Auntie Sarah’ does a bunch of babysitting in Parkdale, like everyone’s favourite even though she’s not really their auntie. But she’ll only be here for tonight, so why does it look as though she’s brought everything and the kitchen sink?

She beams. “I’m sure you do, I’m sure you’ve got all the things you need for looking after baby Lucy. A big boy like you, I bet you know all about it.”

Just more flattery that doesn’t really mean anything. I know how grown-ups work, and if I was younger, maybe I’d fall for it, but I’m sixteen, and I’ve had to grow up this year, I’ve been through serious stuff.

The woman lowers the bag carefully, and I’m wondering now if she’s got something fragile in there.

I blink, keeping hold of the soft toys – they’re so soft, they must be brand new - and wonder about the bag. Maybe there’s a games console. Maybe it’s a Nintendo Switch and a bunch of games! And for a moment, I wish I weren’t going out after all, so I could play all the games.

And then I feel my face go warm because that’s a stupid thing to imagine. A babysitter wouldn’t bring video games for a baby. Lucy likes watching stuff on YouTube but if I gave her a game controller, she wouldn’t know what to do with it. She’d probably just try to stick it in her mouth.

I laugh out loud at the idea, and then I blush even harder. The woman’s looking at me as if she’s trying to work out what’s so funny, but I don’t want to tell her. It’s much too stupid.

“Thanks for helping,” she says, and points at the soft toys in my hands. I look down – I’d forgotten I was even holding them – and I smile. “You brought rabbits,” I say, more loudly than I’d intended. There’s three of them; one white, one pink, and one blue.

“Of course,” says the woman warmly. “Lucy loves bunnies, right?”

I gape at her for a moment, and then I say, “Yeah, Lucy loves bunnies…rabbits.” I blink again. I’m feeling so tired, all of a sudden, like I’d stayed up all night. I realize I’m still holding the rabbits, and I offer them to the woman. “How’d you know?”

“I’m magic,” replies the woman, and for a split-second, somehow, I believe her, and I feel a rush of nerve that make me feel as though I have to go to the toilet or I’m going to wet myself, and then I feel better. She’s not magic, she’s just pretending.

She winks, and I laugh with relief. “No, you’re not,” I say, just to make sure she knows I’m not fooled.

She laughs too. “Your mum told me on the phone. She said, ‘Lucy loves bunnies, and Jake loves dinosaurs.”

I frown. “No. I mean, not anymore. I used to...” I trail off and offer the soft toys to the lady again.

“Could you keep hold of those for me? Just for a minute, so I can get my magic tricks ready?” She winks at me again.

I shrug, feeling silly for holding them. I’m too old for soft toys, much too old for fluffy bunnies.

“So no dinosaurs for you, then,” says the woman. “I’m actually rather glad, because I didn’t have any dinosaur toys.” She looks me up and down. “So what toys do you like?” She smiles. “Maybe you like bunnies, like your sister? I brought three of them, and I’m sure Lucy would be happy to share.”

I shake my head, and the hallways wants to shake with me.

“Careful,” the woman says sweetly. “You look a little dizzy.”

“I’m all right,” I reply quickly. I look down and see my trainers. “I should get my shoes on; I have to go out.” And then I yawn, a great big open-mouthed one, and I move my hands to cover my mouth, but all that does is bring the fluffy toys to my face.

They’re even softer there. And I think of Lucy, how she smiles when she has something soft and fluffy to hold, and how she sucks on her toys.

“Sleepy boy,” says the lady. “I don’t think you should go out. I think you should stay here with me. Stay and play with Lucy and all the lovely bunnies.” She smiles, and I smile back. She’s a very pretty lady.

“Which bunny do you want?” she asks softly. She whispers, “You can choose, you can have first pick. Blue, pink, or white. You can play with your bunny and have a lovely time with Lucy and your Auntie Sarah.”

I shake my head, but that just makes me even dizzier, even sleepier, and I lean back against the wall, grateful for the support as I slide down until I’m sitting on my bottom. I reach for my trainers, intending to put them on, but when I look at the laces, I can’t remember how they work.

Besides, how I can tie shoelaces when I’m still holding one of the silly, fluffy bunnies.

“You choose the blue bunny,” the lady says. “Blue for boys.”

She sits down beside me. Will she help me put on my shoes?

“There’s a good boy,” she says. She strokes my hair, and at first, I don’t like it, and then I think it’s okay. “I bet you’re quite the helper for your Mummy.”

I nod, and then giggle as the dizziness comes over me in waves. “I’m a…” I nod again because the dizziness isn’t bad. It’s nice, it’s funny, and I keep giggling. “I help Mummy…Mum with lots…”

“I bet you do,” says the lady, and she’s got such a nice voice, and when she tells me something new, I find myself agreeing without question.

“Such a good helper for Mummy, but you’re so sleepy! Such a sleepy boy, I think tonight you don’t have to worry about helping, because I’m here now, and I know all about looking after little girls and little boys.” She keeps stroking my hair, and I look down and see that I’m stroking the fluffy blue bunny, and my eyes are all heavy.

“Even if you fall asleep right now,” says the lady, “Auntie Sarah will take care of you. If you just have a lovely nap right here, like a sweet, silly little boy, Auntie Sarah will take care of everything.”

I’m going to say yes, that I want to go to sleep, but my eyes close tight and then I forget to say anything at all.

To be continued...