Part 27 (1/2)
”Sorry!” I slamthedoorclosed.
”Grayer,who's that?” I ask.
”That's CarsonSpender. She's stayingtheweekend.”
”O-kay.” Just then I hear a car pull up the gravel drive. I go over to the window and watch Mr. X direct a Range Rover around to the side of the house. 1 walk down the hall to the dingy clerestory window facingthe oceanand see the car pull in next to four others parked by the overgrown hedge.There are at leasttenchildrenonthebacklawn.
”Grover?” I call, and he comes thumping down the hall. I heave him up so he can see out the window.
”Wh.o.a.rethosekids?”
”I dunno. They're just kids.” I kiss him on the top of his head and put him down as the bathroom door opens. Carsonshootsme a dirty lookbeforemarchingdownstairs.
”G,whydon't youheaddownand I'll changequickly?”
”I wanttostaywith you,”hesays, followingme backintoour room.
”Okay,youcanstandoutsidethedoor.”I trytocloseit.
”Nanny,youknowI don't likethat.” I pullitback,soit's barely cracked,andpulloffmyshorts. ”Nanny?
Canyouhearme?”
”Yes, Grove.”Hesticks.h.i.+slittle fingersunderthedoor.
”Nanny, try to catch my fingers! Come on, catch ”em!” I look down for a moment, then kneel and gentlyticklethetipsofhis fingerswith myown.Hegigglesatmytouch.
”You know, Grove,” I say, recalling that first week when he locked me out. ”I got tnye thung thitikin outta,too,andyoucan't seeit.”
”Noyoudon't, silly.”
”HowdoyouknowI don't?”
”You'd never,Nanny. Hurryup, I'll showyouthepool. It's reallyreallyfreezing!”
Out back are men in summer suits, and women s.h.i.+vering in lawn dresses, all standinglike traffic cones aschildrenwhiz chaotically aroundthem.
”Mommy! Shetookmyprivacy!” I canhearCarsonpointingme outtohermather.
”Oh, Nanny, there you are,” Mrs. X says. ”We should all be beack around six. There's plenty of stuff in thefridgeforlunch.Havefun!”
A chorus of ”Have a greattime, guys!” erupts aroundus astheadults headover to theircars, which take off,ca.r.s.eatsempty.
I look down at twelve expectant faces, as visions of an afternoon on the chaises quickly disappears.
”Okay, guys, I'm Nanny. I have a few ground rules. n.o.bODY goes near the pool. Is that clear? I don't want to seeanybody going past thattree over there or you will sit in the broom closet for the rest of the afternoon.Got.i.t?”Twelve headsnodsolemnly.
”Butwhatiftherewas a warandtheonlyplacetogoforsafetywasbythepooland?
”What's yourname?” I askthefreckledbrunetwith gla.s.ses.
”Ronald.”
”Ronald, no more silly questions. If there's a war we go to the shed. Okay, everyone, go play!” I run inside, looking out every window I pa.s.s to make sure no one is even creeping toward the pool, to find Grayer's artkit.
I set up crayons, construction paper, and scotch tape on the patio table. ”Okay, listen up! I want you all tocomeover here,oneat atime, andtellme yourname.”
”Arden,” asmall girlinOshKoshB'Goshtellsme.
I write ”ARDEN” and a big ”1” on her impromptu name tag and then tape it to her s.h.i.+rt. ”Okay,Arden, you're one. Everytime I callout 'Headcount!'youshout 'One!'Gotthat?All youhaveto remember is 'one.'” She climbs up into mylap and becomes mya.s.sistant, pa.s.sing me the tapeand pens, alternately.
For an hour everyone runs around on the gra.s.s, some play with Grayer's toys, others just chase each other,while I look out atthefog-covered ocean.Every fifteenminutes I call out ”HEADCOUNT!” and theysoundoff.
”One!”
”Two!”
”Three!”
Silence. 1 tensetorundowntothepool.
”Jessy,you're four,dummy.”
”Four!” a small voice squeaks.
”Five!”
”Six!”
”Seven!”
”Grayer!”
”Nine!”
”Ten!”
”Eleven!”
”Twelve!”
”Okay, time for lunch!” I survey the troops. I am wary about leaving them outside while I inspect the supplies. ”Everyone inside!”
”Ae in the kitchen one at a time to taste the bread andthecheeseandseewhichoneyouwant.”