She looked up at him, and he was tearing and his nose was running. “Thanks, baby,” he said.
“Are you okay?”
“Just perfect.” He adjusted his junk while she stepped out of the shower. “Where you going?”
She turned on the faucet and splashed her face with water; her open mouth caught some of it and the rest simply hit her face. She was damn sure she was gonna puke. But she didn’t.
“Sorry, Cleve. I’m not feeling so good this morning.”
“Damn, girl, you know I like it when you finish up the job.”
“I’m sorry. Really.”
“Fine, whatever.”
Trying to ignore the rumble in her belly, Sue Ellen went to her bedroom and dried her hair. When she walked out of her room, she looked out the front window and saw a huge puff of black smoke, and in front of it, a big yellow bus speeding away.
“Kimi-Sue! You missed your bus.”
Kimi-Sue came walking out of her bedroom. “Oops,” she said with a shrug.
“Dammit! I don’t have time to drive you to school.”
“Why not?”
“Because, I have to drop Elie-Jay off at his school, and Elie-Dre off at nursery school.”
“Mommy,” Elie-Jay croaked meekly as he walked out of the room he shared with his brother, “today’s Tuesday. Elie-Dre don’t have school on Tuesdays.”
“You’re right.” She just had too much on her mind. Elie-Dre only went to nursery school on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. “Okay. Let’s go. Everyone in the car!”
They walked out and the three kids piled into the Dodge station wagon. She hated the farty-looking thing but it was a real upgrade from the rusty old van they’d called a home for six months before meetin’ Cleve.
She couldn’t think straight. What the hell was she to do? She had to see the doctor… she had to confirm it. Didn’t she?
“Mom! Elie-Dre’s pulling my hair!” Kimi-Sue moaned in the background, but Sue Ellen wasn’t listening.
Still, as if her mouth was on autopilot, she turned around, looked the boy in the eye and yelled, “Elie-Dre, leave your sister alone!”
“She started it! She took my Sponge Bob.”
“Did not!”
“Did too!”
What the hell was she going to do!
“Stop fighting!” the autopilot mouth shouted, even as the brain continued to wander. Keeping one hand on the steering wheel, she leaned over, grabbed the Sponge Bob doll from Kimi-Sue and handed it to Elie-Dre.
How was she going to go to the doctor’s office when she had Elie-Dre all day? Damn, why couldn’t today be a Monday, Wednesday or Friday! Why did it have to be Tuesday?
“Mommy! Elie-Dre’s stretching out my shirt.”
Sue Ellen looked into the rear-view mirror. Elie-Dre was pulling the strap of Kimi-Sue’s halter top and letting it snap.
“Stop it!” Kimi-Sue whined, then slapped his arm.
She turned back around and grabbed the boy’s chin. “Elie-Dre! Leave your sister alone.”
Elie-Dre quickly turned his head and shoulders away from his sister, towards the driver’s side back window. Sandwiched between her brothers, Kimi-Sue looked straight ahead, her face red and lips pursed together. Like one of those Hollywood movie stars, she twisted her head and did a hair flip while biting her bottom lip.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, Sue Ellen caught a glimpse of Elie-Jay sitting quietly, crouched in the corner on the passenger side, barely taking up any space. In fact, he was leaning against the door so as not to disturb his sister. Open in front of him was a Dr. Seuss book, which he was reading quietly. What would she do without her Elie-Jay? He was such a good boy.
“Kimi-Sue, move over a little,” Sue Ellen said sternly. “Give your brother some room.”
“I don’t have any room!”
“I’m fine, Momma. I have plenty of room.”
“Shut up, froggy!”
“Kimi-Sue, don’t you talk to your brother that way. Now move!”
“Fine!”
“Elie-Jay, don’t lean against the door like that. It’s dangerous.”
“Okay, Momma.”
She whipped up the circular path to Heinz Kindergarten and stopped, right in front of Phyllis, the crossing guard.
“Would ya slow down, please!” Phyllis snapped as she hop-stepped over on her one leg, using her long-pole stop sign as a crutch.
“Sorry, Phyllis.”
“You gotta be careful. There’s kids around!”
“I know. You’re right.”
Phyllis stood up straight, leaning against her sign while lighting a cigarette. “Slow down!” she said, cigarette dangling and smoke dragon-fuming out her nostrils.
“Bye, Momma,” Elie-Jay said as he opened his door.
“Bye, sweetie. Mommy loves you.”
“Love you, too,” he said, then shut the door.
She watched him hop, skip and jump up the asphalt path and once he was to the door, she waved to Phyllis and pulled out. Phyllis didn’t wave back.
Once back on the road, Sue Ellen gunned it through traffic. She didn’t know why. What was the big hurry? She just couldn’t think straight. Finally, she reached The Hodges School, Grades 1-6. Next year Elie-Jay would go there, too, thank goodness-one less stop she’d have to make on days like these.
“Okay, Kimi-Sue. Have a nice day.”
Kimi-Sue slid across the seat and opened the door. Without saying a word, she stood up, shot an evil eye at her little brother, then slammed the door shut.
Sue Ellen sighed, then drove away, muttering, “She has her father’s temper.”
Not knowing what else to do, Sue Ellen drove straight to Dr. Kurtsworth’s office. She slid cockeyed into a parking space, ignoring her squealing tires, and jumped out of the car.
“Come on, Elie-Dre!” she shouted as she opened the door and yanked him out.
They walked up the steps and into the waiting room. Sue Ellen stepped right up to the window that separated the waiting room from the reception area.
Rosalie, the leather-tanned, gum chewing receptionist sat behind a large Formica desk. She didn’t look up as she asked, “Can I help you?”
“Hi, Rosalie,” Sue Ellen said as she panted, trying to get air back into her lungs.
Rosalie half looked up, still busy with something behind the desk, and between cow-chews and bubble snaps said, “Miz Biddle, you don’t have an appointment today.”
“I know, Rosalie, but I have an emergency. I need to see Dr. Kurtsworth as soon as possible.”
“Well you’re not in the book.” Chew. Snap. Chew.
“I know I’m not in the book, Rosalie. But this is very important. I can wait if I have to, but I really need to see the doctor.”
“I win,” a squeaky voice said from behind the desk.
“Fine. Best two outta three.” Rosalie finally looked Sue Ellen directly in the eyes. Chew. Snap. Chew. Snap. Rosalie sighed, then said, “What’s the emergency, Miz Biddle? Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m okay… I mean… I’m not okay. I’m not dying or anything.”
“X in the top left corner,” she said then turned to Sue Ellen. “Just tell me the problem, please.” Chew. Chew. Snap. Snap.
Sue Ellen looked over her shoulder. Elie-Dre was sitting in a chair, his legs dangling about as he hummed the Sponge Bob theme, horribly out of key.
“It’s personal,” she whispered.
“Okay, Miz Biddle. You’ll have to come back this afternoon.” SNAP!