“What am I going to do?”, she muttered, peering into her son Jamie’s bedroom. At 5 years old, he was far too young to be left alone. Marilyn’s mind raced through her limited options – she had no family nearby and most of her friends worked during this time of the day. Glancing at the clock, Marilyn knew she had to make a decision fast.
She peered out the window, pondering over whom to ask for help. Her parents lived hundreds of miles away in a different city, making it impossible to ask them. Her sister was even further away. Marilyn bit her nails, unsure of what to do next.
She mentally went through all possible options: family members, friends, and even vague acquaintances. No one seemed suitable. As she gazed out the window, observing the surrounding houses, an idea suddenly struck her. Maybe her neighbors could help?
Although she didn’t know the neighbors across the street very well, they had always been kind and engaged in small talk when they met. They seemed to be her only hope, as the house next door was for sale and the other was inhabited by a businessman who was seldom there. The rest of the neighbors were complete strangers to her, and she didn’t even know their names.
“Yes, this must be it!” she gasped, feeling a glimmer of hope that things might work out after all. She quickly went upstairs to wake her son. “Sweetie, it’s time to get up,” she said in a slightly hurried tone, “Do you remember the nice people who live across from us?” Jamie nodded, still somewhat sleepy. In an exaggerated tone, Marilyn continued, “Well, we’re going to ask them if you can stay there for an hour and then when I get back, we will have all day to play together. Isn’t that great?”. However, Jamie’s response was not what she had hoped for.
Instead of excitement, Jamie’s eyes filled with anxiety, and he began shaking his head. Then he wrapped his arms around her neck, clinging to her like a monkey. “No, I want to stay with you, Mommy,” he said in a voice that Marilyn knew all too well – the voice that came just before tears.
Glancing at her watch, Marilyn realized she had just one hour before her job interview would start, not accounting for the drive and potential traffic. That left her with just over thirty minutes to find a babysitter for Jamie. As she pondered her options, looking down at Jamie’s sad eyes, she knew she needed a quick solution to get him on board without too much fuss.
“I have an idea,” she began: “Let’s go play on the swings in the park in front of our house for a bit.” Jamie’s eyes lit up. “And then, after that, we’ll pay a short visit to the neighbors, okay?” Marilyn proposed, hoping to strike a deal with her five-year-old son. Without a word, Jamie let go of her neck and began getting out of bed.
Marilyn quickly dressed Jamie, grabbed her keys, and headed outside. She rushed through the park, knowing she didn’t have time for this but also realizing that not doing it would only cause more delay. She almost ran to the swings. Sitting on a bench nearby was a woman Marilyn recognized instantly: the homeless woman who had been hanging around their neighborhood.
The woman seemed to spend her nights in the park, sometimes visiting the playground during the day. Her presence had concerned Marilyn and other neighbors. She had an unsettling air about her, and they never knew what she might do next. Occasionally, she would approach the children, trying to make smalltalk.
Jamie had come home one day talking about a new friend he had made at the park, named Ella. Initially, Marilyn was excited. “A new friend? How wonderful!” she had exclaimed. But when she learned that Jamie didn’t know where Ella lived or which school she attended, and that Ella apparently had no parents, Marilyn found it odd. She dismissed it as Jamie being imaginative. However, the truth hit her when, later that week in the park, she saw Jamie run towards the homeless woman, calling her name.
“Aha! So this is the Ella you’ve been talking about?” Marilyn had asked, full of disbelief. Jamie had nodded eagerly, hugging Ella’s dirty pants. Shocked, Marilyn had quickly pulled Jamie away from the woman, scolding her to leave her son alone. Once they were back home, Marilyn diligently washed Jamie’s hands. “Who knows what she’s gotten into today,” she mused aloud while scrubbing.
That evening, reflecting on the day’s events, Marilyn felt a pang of guilt. Who was she to judge so hastily? Maybe interacting with Jamie was one of the few joys the woman had. Regretting her harsh reaction, Marilyn resolved to be kinder and more understanding. She decided to allow Jamie to talk to Ella, but only under her supervision and at a safe distance. After all, she reminded herself, the woman was still a homeless stranger.
Now, seeing her again gave Marilyn the same shivers she always felt when encountering her. Up close, the woman seemed slightly unhinged, laughing loudly at nothing in particular. ‘That’s weird,’ Marilyn thought to herself, but she decided not to dwell on it. Time was of the essence, so she quickly placed Jamie on the swing. As she began to push him, Jamie’s gaze landed on the woman. Marilyn braced herself for what was about to happen.
“Ella! Ella!” Jamie screamed excitedly, waving for her to join him. Ella didn’t need to be asked twice; she eagerly rose from the bench and made her way to the swings. Marilyn wrinkled her nose in distaste, wishing Ella wasn’t here to interact with her son. This would only make it harder to leave the park promptly.
Ella greeted Jamie with a silly dance, eliciting hysterical laughter from him. Marilyn couldn’t help but let out a chuckle too. Then Ella took to another swing, swinging vigorously. She yelled, “Look how high I can swing! I bet you can’t swing as high as meeee!” In her excitement, Ella leaped from the swing at its peak, landing on the grass with a thud.
Marilyn shook her head in disbelief. This woman continuously surprised her, acting more like a child than an adult. Deciding it was time to leave, she glanced at her watch and said, “Alright, Jamie, time to go now. Say goodbye to Ella.” But neither Jamie nor Ella seemed ready to part ways.
“NOOOO!” Jamie screamed, stamping his feet. “I don’t want to go! I want to stay with Ella!” he protested. Ella quickly chimed in, telling Marilyn that Jamie could stay with her. “You go do your things. I’ll play with Jamie. We’ll be just fine, huh, buddy?” she said, ruffling his hair.
This was exactly what Marilyn had hoped to avoid. She looked at Ella, slightly annoyed. Didn’t the woman realize she was complicating Marilyn’s plans? If she would just leave Jamie alone, Marilyn could more easily persuade her son to follow her lead. It almost seemed as if Ella relished this disruptive influence.
“No, we really have to go, Ella. We don’t have time for this,” Marilyn said in a slightly annoyed tone. Then she picked up Jamie and started marching out of the park. Jamie protested, slapping and kicking her back, but Marilyn persisted. Regardless of how loudly he screamed or cried, she was determined to leave the park immediately.
She heard the woman saying something behind her, but she pretended not to hear. Marilyn was not going to waste another minute there. So, with a screaming and grumpy Jamie in tow, she rang the doorbell of the neighbors across the street. “Come on, come on,” she impatiently mumbled under her breath. “Open up.”
What felt like an eternity but was probably only about 30 seconds passed before she heard someone coming down the stairs. The door slowly opened, revealing Richard, still somewhat sleepy and dressed in his pajamas. “Oh, hello Marilyn,” he greeted her kindly. “How are you doing?”
Marilyn appreciated his usual politeness and small talk, but she was pressed for time. She wished she could skip the formalities and get straight to her request. Feeling slightly frazzled, she assured him she was fine and quickly broached her urgent request.
She explained her predicament to Richard: her babysitter had canceled at the last minute, and she had a double shift at work. She desperately needed someone to watch Jamie for the day. Would Richard and Helen be able to help? She promised to compensate them with cash and offer to walk their dog as a token of her gratitude.
Marilyn looked at Richard, hoping for a positive response. However, the frown on his forehead was an ominous sign. “I’m so sorry, Marilyn,” he began. “Normally we’d love to help, but we’re visiting family today and will be out of town all day.” Marilyn’s expression shifted from hopeful to extremely stressed in seconds. Caught up in her dilemma, she quickly thanked him and walked away, her mind racing with the question: What would she do now?
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