Part 2 (2/2)
”I only went in for a few hours yesterday,” he replied.” ”I need to make up for that.”
”But yesterday was Sat.u.r.day. Most people don't go to work then.''
”I do.”
”Would you go if I didn't have any plans today?”
”Of course not.”
Well, that was something. But I had the vague feeling that Dad was glad I had plans so he wouldn't have to entertain me. I sighed. I think this must have been one of the problems between my parents. Now I understood how my mother had felt when she was married to Dad.
I knew Dad loved me, though, and that in the end I (not his work) came first. He'd shown me that the last time I was in the hospital. So I set aside my worries and got ready for my first job with the Harrington children.
”What are you going to wear?” Claud asked me later, as she and Dawn and I were getting dressed in my bedroom, ”For a day in the city with two little kids? My grubbies.”
Claud laughed. ”I didn't know you owned grubbies. Besides, do you really think Rowena and Alistaire will be dressed in grubbies?”
Good point. ”No,” I admitted, and opted for casual clothes, something between grubbies and matching, spotless sailor outfits.
Not much later, Claudia and I headed out of Dad's apartment, reluctantly leaving Dawn behind. After my father left, Dawn would be on her own.
”What's she going to do all day?” Claudia wondered.
I shrugged. ”She's got Laine's phone number. She can reach you guys if she decides to venture outside.”
”Hullo! Hullo!” called Alistaire.
Mary Anne and I were standing in the foyer of the Harringtons' borrowed apartment. The housekeeper had let us in, and now Alistaire was running toward us, followed closely by Rowena. Once again, the kids were pretty dressed up, but I was relieved to see that at least they weren't wearing white. White is not the most practical color for New York, especially if you are four or seven.
”Good morning, Stacey. Good morning, Mary Anne.” Mrs. Harrington joined us in the foyer. Talk about dressed up. What were she and her husband doing? They'd said they had to work.
Mrs. Harrington smiled. I must have been gaping at her outfit. ”Lots of events today,” she said. ”Since we're here for just two weeks, our schedule is quite full. We may be able to spend some time with the children next week, though. For now - show them the city. They're very excited.”
”I read about New York in a book/' said Alistaire. ”People call it the Big Apple. I want to see the tall buildings.”
”I want to see the apple,” said Rowena, and everyone tried not to laugh.
Mrs. Harrington handed me a wad of bills. ”For expenses/' she said. ”I know Rowena and Alistaire will have much more fun with you two than with some stuffy grown-up.” She smiled. ”Don't give them too many sweets,” she warned. ”But show them the city the way a child would want to see it.”
Mary Anne and I grinned.
”No problem,” I said. ”I grew up here.”
”And I know all about New York,” added Mary Anne.
”All right, then. Can you bring the children back by four o'clock?” (Mary Anne and I nodded.) ”Lovely.” Mrs. Harrington turned to Alistaire , and Rowena, who were waiting patiently by the doorway. ”Be good,” she said to them. ”Mind Claudia and Mary Anne. And have fun!”
Mrs. Harrington kissed the children. Before I knew it, Mary Anne, Rowena, Alistaire, and I were leaving the Dakota. We came to a stop on the sidewalk.
”What do you guys want to do today?” asked Mary Anne. ”See tall buildings?”
”Oh, I can see tall buildings right here,” Alistaire replied solemnly, looking up. ”Ro-wena and I would very much like to go to Central Park, though.”
”We saw pictures of it in Alistaire's book,” added Rowena. ”We saw a lovely carousel and animals in a zoo - ”
”And a man selling toys that were tied to sticks!” interrupted Alistaire.
”Okay. A day in Central Park,” agreed Mary Anne cheerfully.
”Is it very far away?” asked Rowena.
I put my hands on her shoulders and turned her so that she was facing Central Park West. ”Look across the street,” I said. ”See those trees?”
”Yes,” said both Rowena and Alistaire.
”Well, that's the park.”
”Oh!” cried the kids. ”Brilliant!”
I snuck a peek at Mary Anne. I could tell she was as enchanted by the Harringtons as I was. Rowena and Alistaire spoke with wonderful accents. They were endlessly polite but didn't seem stuck-up. They were eager and curious and delighted by each new sight or activity.
The four of us walked through the park.
”Want to go to the zoo first?” asked Mary Anne.
”Oh, yes!” cried Rowena. ”I want to see some bears. But no snakes, thank you.”
The walk to the zoo was on the long side, but the kids didn't seem to mind. They ran ahead of us (not too far, though), and once I saw Alistaire jump up, swat at a leafy tree, and cry, ”We're in Central Park!”
We reached the children's petting zoo before we came to the main part of the zoo. ”Would you like to pet some animals?” asked Mary Anne.
The kids did, of course, so I forked over forty cents (the petting zoo costs just ten cents per person, and always will), and we walked through a narrow building and out into the suns.h.i.+ne again.
”Oh!” exclaimed Rowena immediately. ”A goat!”
Alistaire and Rowena ran from pen to pen and exhibit to exhibit. When they had had their fill, we left to explore the rest of the zoo. On the way, we pa.s.sed several vendors. Most of them were selling food - ice cream, pret- zels, sodas, hot dogs. But Alistaire barely noticed the food (although Rowena looked longingly at the Good Humor stand). Instead he exclaimed, ”There's the man selling toys on sticks! It's the man from my book!”
Well, naturally, there are probably thousands of people who sell inflatable toys tied to sticks, but apparently the only one Alistaire had seen until now was between the covers of a book.
”Would you like to buy a toy?” I asked the kids. Then I added generously, thinking of the bills in my purse, ”You can each have one.”
With great excitement, and after much discussion, Alistaire chose a rocket s.h.i.+p and Rowena chose a coiled snake.
”I thought you didn't like snakes,” Mary Anne said to her.
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