Chapter One, Episode 122 - The Caretaker - Situationally Theirs

Review, Revision, Edit and Update
As I review these various Episodes, I am struck by two things. The first is that my vocabulary is limited. The limits are to my life experience, which leads me to the next issue. My writing is often to literal and does take me back to clinical writing rather than story telling. Revisions are throughout this Episode, most heavily towards the end. I do enjoy this study.

The Caretaker

A young girl swung off her bike. A red bicycle with a basket, flowers woven around the rim. She had secured it to the handle bars, and filled it with books. “Hello. Are you visiting the Richardsons?” It was just before nine in the morning. Brigitte, on her way to work at the Estate, came down the few steps and greeted the young girl. When Brigitte approached her, she realized that she was about 17 or 18 years of age, 

“Hello. I’m Tanya Meadows. I’m here to take care of Ben and Abby while Mrs. Richardson is at the library for the morning.” Tanya lifted her bike onto the small porch, wrapped a chain around the back wheel and locked it securely. Pulling out a brightly coloured mask, hooking it over her ears, she smiled with her eyes at Brigitte, then reached an elbow out for an elbow bump.

Brigitte began to ask her the litany of questions posed at restaurants, clinics and some stores. “Have you travelled outside of the country in the last two weeks? Have you had a fever…..? I don’t really remember all the questions, but you must be okay or Joanie - I mean, Mrs. Richardson - wouldn’t have asked you to come today.”

The Richardson’s front door opened. After her children came through the door, their mother followed them and pulled the door closed. “Tanya. Thank you for coming. When the Library contacted me about requiring onsite work, I called your mother to make certain that resuming babysitting for me was appropriate given the restrictions  -  and I see you’ve met my new neighbour, Brigitte Smithson.”

“Tanya! Tanya!” Abby was jumping up and down, clapping her hands. “You came back.” Tanya Meadows had been babysitting for the Richardson’s for the last three years. Since the pandemic restrictions clamped down on life and for quite some time, she had been no longer able to come to the Richardsons. 

As long as Mrs. Richardson was working from home, it had not been a great problem. Without Tanya, and with her children's help, she set them games and tasks allowing her to maintain some semblance of a schedule. Her husband, Andrew worked in another province; most days he was able to spend up to two hours on a video chat with the children. After speaking with Tanya's mother, the children's favourite babysitter was back. Mrs. Meadows chatted about the family bubble they had maintained for several weeks and how it had been difficult for Tanya to not be with her school mates, but had enjoyed the extra reading time. The Richardson children loved and missed her. She loved them and missed them equally. For Tanya, this would be the first face to face contact she had had with anyone outside of her parents, brothers and sisters for many weeks.

~~~~~

I’ve been saved! When Brigitte realized that she wouldn’t have to explain to the children that she wouldn't be spending time with them; that Mrs. Beaufort at the estate had called her in to work, she was ready to cheer. When she met Tanya and the situation had been explained to her, she relaxed. “Tanya, would you do me a favour? The children and I had plans for this afternoon, but I’ve had to cancel them. I have some butterfly stickers, markers, new crayons and colouring books for Abby.” Brigitte ran back in the house for a book bag. “Everything's in here. There's also a book about motorcycles, as well as a sketchbook and pencils for Ben. He might want to draw some sketches from what he reads. His book is for ages 10 - 13, so I hope it won’t be too much for him. That doesn’t seem like very much for Ben, but I ran out of time when I was shopping for their gifts.” Brigitte set them on the porch, still maintaining the correct distance from her young saviour.

“I definitely will! Abby and I will have fun with the new colouring books. I’ll be sure to help Ben with his motorcycle book. He used to be interested in sketching absolutely everything. Maybe it'll get him drawing again.” Tanya was certainly sure of herself. Both the children’s mother and Brigitte were grateful to this lovely young girl. Joanie got in her car and drove off to the Library. Brigitte set off walking to the Estate to meet with Miss Emelina, who was back from her vacation.

“Come on, kids. Let’s go in the house. Your neighbour gave me some things for you, but we’ll look at them inside.” Tanya picked up the book bag, sharp corners of the contents suggesting a treasure hunt was on the way.  “Ben, open the door for us. Did you kids have your breakfast? We’ll make popcorn for a snack in a little while.”

“Anyone who does anything to help a child in his life is a hero to me.”

 ~ Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers)