Motherhood? – August 5 2008 1530 by Dani

Tags -- DaniUpdate

Things were going so well. Fish had decided to take a nap – B and NB were sunbathing – the new pool guys had to be home at 4 and they were late the way it was when they left.

I was dozing on and off on the couch next to Fish. Skippy came up to the window and I let him in.

He sniffed Fish and it dawned on me that I had no idea if Skippy liked kids or not. He circled Fish a couple of times then laid down next to him back to back.

I swear that dog can be asleep in seconds. They slept that way until something hit the side of the cabin – normally it’s a squirrel that has ‘missed’ a branch but this sounded bigger. Whatever it was, Skippy woke up howling.

Fish woke up scared of Skippy and he pushed Skippy off the couch. Skippy nipped at whatever was hurting him and I stubbed my toe on the ottoman trying to get there in time.

Skippy bounced on the floor and yelped and looked at me like it was my entire fault.

I picked up Fish and that was the end of the line for Skippy – he just wanted outside.

I let him out and saw that my toe was split open. I laid Fish on the couch and put cushions all around him then found a band-aid for my toe.

The doorbell rang and I hobbled to answer the door when Fish started screaming. It was Red – I asked why she just didn’t come in and she reminded me I had locked the door - One of those motherly things.

Fish screamed louder and then B stuck her head in the deck door saying there was some stranger down on the dock.

I picked up Fish then walked to the deck windows to get a look. I had Fish on my hip – a woman that did not know the weird lives we can live in the middle of nowhere and two kids still laying out.

I reached into the side table in front of the deck windows and got my 9m – Red sucked air in like she had seen a ghost and asked for her boy.

She yelled for her two girls to get inside. I asked her to be quiet – I really didn’t want to be noticed yet.

I ran up the back stairs as the girls ran inside. I told them all to be quiet and sneaked a peek out the 2nd floor deck door.

I had never seen the guy before and he looked pretty rough. I opened the deck door as quietly as I could and told him to stand still.

Immediately he stopped and raised his hands away from his body. He asked if I was here. I walked out on the deck and he said Hi in a very friendly way.

I asked why he needed me and he said he was told I could tell him how Stubby was doing.

I watch Skippy skip up to him and the guy asked for permission to move. I told him yes and he got down with Skippy and played with him until I got downstairs.

I introduced myself and asked why he had not come to the front door. He said he started to but then he heard the dog and baby and the barking and crying and figured someone had their hands full – he went out back to see the casino.

It dawned on me he was talking about the Dani Marie and I laughed.

I told him what I knew about Stubby – I showed him where the casino was and asked that he close the door when he left.

I knew I did not have to worry about him stealing anything. He was a real river rat.

When I went in Red wanted to hear about the dog, her baby and my toe and why I was still packing and why the guy was not even disturbed to find an armed girl in broad daylight.

I asked if I could have a drink first – she agreed.