Christmas at Harrington's Read online

  “You know the owner?”

  “I only met her today. Her name is Bonnie and she seems nice.”

  “I have worked in a restaurant before,” Sally said.

  “You should run down there and talk to her.”

  Sally looked at Jemima. “But what about – ”

  “She can stay with me . . . if you want.”

  She seemed torn.

  “I understand your concern,” Lena said. “Normally I would agree with you. You should never leave a child with a stranger. But honestly, you can trust me.”

  Sally pressed her lips together.

  “It’s okay, Mommy,” Jemima assured her. “I like Lena.”

  “Okay.” Sally leaned forward to peer into Lena’s eyes. “But if anything goes wrong – ”

  “Just go, Mommy,” Jemima insisted. “Go see about the job before someone else gets it.”

  Lena nodded. “Your daughter has a good head on her shoulders.”

  “Just let me fix up a little.” Sally glanced down at her green sweatpants with a hole in one knee. “Maybe Jemima can stay with you while I clean up.”

  “That’s fine,” Lena said. “And if you’d like, I can take Jemima downstairs and stay in the waiting area while you’re over there talking to Bonnie.”

  Sally seemed to consider this then shook her head. “No, Lucy doesn’t like kids hanging around down there. It bugs her. But maybe you and Jemima could stay in my room. That might be better.”

  “Okay.”

  “Give us ten minutes,” Sally said as she tugged Jemima back to her room. “I’ll knock on your door.”

  Lena nodded then went back to her room. What was she thinking? What was she getting herself into? She sat down on the chair and shook her head. Here she could barely take care of herself and suddenly she was offering to help someone else. It seemed that old habits really did die hard.

  In less than ten minutes she heard a knock. When she opened the door, Sally stood there looking much better. “Is it okay if I tell Bonnie that you told me about the job?” she asked Lena as she brushed some lint off of her blazer. “Kind of like a recommendation?”

  “It’s fine with me, but I doubt it’ll help much. I really don’t know Bonnie.”

  Sally peered over Lena’s shoulder into her room. “Wow, it’s nice and clean in here. Didn’t you bring anything?”

  “I didn’t really have anything to bring.”

  Sally frowned. “Well, come on over to my room. It’s a mess, but at least Jemima has a few things to play with in there.”

  Lena locked her door and followed Sally into a room that looked just like hers except for an extra rollaway bed and the fact that it really was messy. And smelly like dirty laundry.

  “Welcome to the palace,” Sally said. “Make sure you lock the door after I leave.” She did a quick check in the foggy mirror above the dresser then hurried out. Jemima locked the door behind her.

  Lena picked the discarded green sweats off the chair and sat down. “Looks like you and your mom need to find a Laundromat.”

  “We can’t afford to wash our clothes,” Jemima said as she picked up a dirty sock then tossed it toward the closet.

  “Well, maybe your mom will get that job.”

  “I hope so. I’m hungry.”

  “Did you eat today?”

  “Just cereal. No milk.”

  “Oh. You know, you could wash a few clothes in the bathroom sink,” Lena suggested. “Like socks and underwear. That way you’d have something clean to wear.”

  “Wash clothes in the bathroom sink?” Jemima looked at Lena like she’d suggested she wash them in a mud puddle.

  “I’ve done it before,” Lena said. “It’s not hard.”

  Jemima still looked skeptical.

  Lena leaned over and picked up several child-size socks, a couple of T-shirts, some printed underpants, a pair of white tights, and a pink cotton turtleneck. “Come with me and I’ll show you.”

  “We have to lock the door,” Jemima reminded her.

  “Oh, that’s right.” Lena frowned. “I forgot.”

  “But I have my own key,” Jemima said. “Now don’t look and I’ll get it from my secret hiding place.”

  Lena turned her back, and Jemima locked the door and followed her to the bathroom. Lena put a stopper in the old sink then turned on the tap. “It helps to use hot water,” she explained as she dropped the socks and underwear into the half-filled sink then pushed up her sleeves. She picked up the bar of soap and one sock and began lathering it up and rinsing it until finally it looked almost perfectly clean. She held it up. “See?”

  Jemima nodded. “Can I do one?”

  “Sure.” Feeling a bit like Tom Sawyer whitewashing the fence, Lena handed her the soap and stepped back. Soon Jemima was washing her own socks. Lena left the bathroom door open in case another tenant needed to use the facilities. She stood nearby Jemima, coaching her through the rest of the items, showing her how to rinse the soap out with the tap water and how to wring the clothes. Finally, when everything was washed, they emptied the sink and wiped off droplets of water with a rag Lena found in the cleaning closet.

  “But how will we dry them?” Jemima asked as Lena piled the damp items together to take back to the room.

  “We’ll think of something,” Lena said. Before long she’d rigged up a drying station with the chair and hangers arranged over the heating vent in the floor. “They should be dry by this evening,” she predicted.

  Jemima smiled. “That was fun.”

  Lena smiled back. “It was fun, wasn’t it? We were like pioneers.”

  “What’s a pioneer?”

  “People in the olden days. They didn’t have washers or dryers or electricity. They had to do everything by hand. It was hard work.”

  “I think it sounds like fun.”

  Just then a key turned in the door and Sally burst in with a big smile on her face. “I got the job!”

  Jemima ran to her mom and hugged her. “And I washed clothes.”

  Sally looked doubtful. “What?”

  “Lena showed me how to wash clothes in the bathroom sink. Like pirates.”

  “Like pioneers,” Lena corrected her.

  “Yeah, that’s what I meant.” Jemima pointed to their drying station. “Lena said they’ll be dry by tonight.”

  Sally nodded. “Wow, that’s a good idea. Maybe I can wash some things too.”

  “I’ll show you how, Mommy.”

  Lena smiled as she reached for the door. “Congratulations on the job.”

  “Bonnie wants me to start right away,” she said quickly. “Saturday is their busiest night. And Sunday will be busy too. Do you think you could babysit Jemima some more?”

  Lena glanced at Jemima and the little girl nodded eagerly.

  “If you’re sure you trust me.”

  “Hey, you helped me get a job and you taught Jemima how to do laundry. That’s more than my own mom ever did for me.”

  “Then I’m happy to watch Jemima for you.”

  Sally actually hugged Lena. “Thank you! I’ll work until closing – that’s nine. And if I’m lucky I’ll bring home some tips!”

  As quickly as she came, she left, and it was just Lena and Jemima again. “What should we do now?” Jemima asked.

  Lena looked around the still messy room. “How about if we clean this place up to surprise your mom when she comes back? We can be pioneer women again.”

  They worked for about an hour, but Jemima was starting to get tired and Lena remembered that the child hadn’t eaten much today. “How about if we get cleaned up and go have some lunch at the Red Hen Café?”

  “Where Mommy’s working?” Jemima asked with wide eyes.

  “Yes, but we won’t bother her at work, okay? She needs to do a good job so that Bonnie will want her to keep working there.”

  “I won’t bother her,” Jemima promised.

  Lena looked at Jemima’s messy hair and dirty shirt. “But we should get cleaned
up, don’t you think? We want to make a good impression on your mom’s new boss. Maybe you should take a shower and wash your hair.”

  “We don’t have any shampoo.”

  “Well, I have some.” Lena remembered the little packet of personal items that Mrs. Stanfield had given her. They went to Lena’s room for shampoo and a clean towel, and then Lena stood outside the bathroom door, waiting while Jemima showered.

  An old man came out of his room with a towel draped over his shoulder and a shaving kit in one hand. “Who are you?” he asked.

  “I’m Lena. Room 13.”

  “I’m Larry Levine. Down the hall.” He nodded at the closed bathroom door and rubbed his chin. “Is someone in there?”

  “Yes, Jemima’s taking a shower.”

  “You a friend of Sally’s?” he asked.

  “Yes. We just met, but I’m watching Jemima. Sally got a job today.”

  “She got a job today?” He looked surprised. “Why, she’s been trying for more than two weeks to get one.”

  Lena explained about the Red Hen Café and Larry seemed genuinely pleased. “Good for Sally. I know she’s been flat broke.” He lowered his voice. “I even gave her some money for food a couple days ago. But I can’t afford to take care of them two. I barely get enough social security to take care of myself.”

  “I’m done,” Jemima announced as she emerged from the bathroom wearing one of her mom’s shirts like a bathrobe. That had been Lena’s idea.

  “Okay, now we better find you something that’s somewhat clean to put on.” Lena smiled at Larry. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Levine.”

  “Oh, you can call me Larry. Everyone else does.”

  Back in the room, Lena told Jemima that they were going to play treasure hunt and the first one to find the cleanest clothes for Jemima to wear to the Red Hen Café would win.

  “What’s the prize?” Jemima asked as she went through the various piles of clothing.

  “I’m not sure, but I know it’ll be good,” Lena promised.

  “How about this?” Jemima held up a brown corduroy jumper.

  “Not bad,” Lena said as she shook it out. “But you need something to go under it.” She spied a white turtleneck that had a stain right on the front. “How about this?” she asked Jemima.

  “It’s dirty.” She pointed to the spot.

  “But that won’t show under the jumper. And the sleeves and collar look pretty clean.”

  “You’re right!” Jemima exclaimed. “Are you like magic or something?”

  Lena laughed. “How about socks?”

  Jemima ran over to the drying station. “Hey, these tights are dry already.”

  Before long Jemima was neatly dressed, and Lena brushed out her hair and braided it into two neat pigtails. Jemima looked like a completely different girl than when they’d met earlier this afternoon.

  “Ready to go?” Lena asked. Soon they both had their coats on and their rooms locked, and they were on their way.

  “This is the funnest day I’ve ever had,” Jemima said as she slipped her hand into Lena’s.

  “The funnest day ever?” Lena asked, even though she knew funnest was bad grammar.

  “It’s the funnest day I’ve had in a long, long, long time.”

  “Me too,” Lena said with a smile. “And that’s the truth.”

  “What about my prize?” Jemima asked as they were crossing the street to the café.

  “After lunch,” Lena told her. “I’m hungry.”

  “Me too.”

  If Sally was surprised to see them, she didn’t show it. “Right this way,” she said as she led them to a booth near the back. “How’s it going?”

  “I’m having the funnest day ever,” Jemima said again.

  “You and me both.” Sally patted the pocket in her red skirt, part of her uniform. “And I even got tips already.”

  Jemima grinned as she slid onto the red vinyl seat of the booth. “I’m really, really hungry.”

  Sally winked. “You came to the right place. And you’re timing’s good too – just between lunch and dinner. Not too busy.”

  Lena and Jemima both decided to have cheeseburgers and fries and to split a chocolate milkshake. Although Lena knew this wasn’t really part of her frugal budget plan, she knew it was what she needed to do. She added up the amount in her head, as well as a ten percent tip, and it came to $15.85, so she rounded it up to sixteen dollars, which meant that her cash had dwindled down to a meager forty-three dollars. Still, there seemed little she could do about it right now.

  “All done?” Sally said as she came over and began to clear the table.

  “Do you have the check?” Lena asked.

  Sally pulled out her pad, tore off the slip of paper, then quickly glanced over her shoulder as she discreetly wadded it up, stuffing it into her pocket. “Thanks,” she said. “You girls have a nice day.”

  Too stunned to respond, Lena stared at Sally as she finished clearing the table and walked away.

  “Can we go now?” Jemima seemed oblivious to what her mom had just done – which was probably for the best.

  “I, uh, I guess we can go.” Lena slowly stood, watching as Sally returned to the kitchen to pick up another order. Noticing Bonnie at the register, Lena went straight for her. “I’m sorry,” she said, “but I think I must’ve lost the check the waitress put on our table.” She fumbled with her purse as if looking for it. “I already tallied it up. Two cheeseburger baskets and one chocolate shake,” she said as she set the sixteen dollars on the counter. “Keep the change.” Lena noticed Sally watching them from the pass-through in the kitchen. She looked worried.

  “Thanks, honey.” Bonnie put the cash in the till as Sally emerged with three full plates. “And thanks for sending Sally my way,” Bonnie told Lena. “I think she’s gonna be a real peach.”

  “Oh, I’m sure she will be.” Lena locked eyes with Sally. “And I don’t think you’ll be the least bit sorry you hired her.” Lena turned back to Bonnie. “By the way, this is Jemima, Sally’s daughter.”

  “Well, aren’t you just the cutest little thing,” Bonnie leaned over and handed Jemima a red lollipop. “Sally, you didn’t tell me you had a little girl.”

  “Oh?” Sally looked caught off guard as she moved around the end of the counter with the plates. “I thought I mentioned it.”

  “Well, she’s adorable, and as long as she knows how to mind her manners like she did today, she’s welcome to visit here from time to time.”

  Lena waved to Sally. “See you later.”

  Sally shot Lena a grateful glance as she unloaded the plates in front of three elderly women who were chattering nonstop. “Yeah, later, Lena. Thanks!”

  CHAPTER

  5

  Lena really had no idea what to give Jemima for her surprise, but she told her happy little friend that maybe they’d find it somewhere in town and that it couldn’t cost too much. Fortunately, Jemima seemed to understand that money was scarce for a lot of people, not only her mom. So they walked along Main Street, admiring the Christmas decorations and looking in shop windows until Jemima begged to go into the pet shop.

  “But you understand we cannot possibly buy a pet of any kind,” Lena pointed out.

  “I just want to look at the kitties and puppies,” Jemima said. “Mommy lets me do that sometimes.”

  So they went to the back and looked at the puppies and kitties, which might’ve been dangerous to Lena’s budget except that there was no way she could afford any of them. As they were meandering back out, Jemima suddenly stopped and pointed to the large tank of goldfish. “Only twenty-five cents for a goldfish!” she exclaimed. “Can that be my prize, Lena? Please, please, please!”

  “Oh, I don’t think your mother would – ”

  “Please, please, please,” she begged. “I would take care of it.”

  Again Lena remembered the time she’d brought home the kitten . . . and how she’d never even attempted to beg or plead, but had simply given
in because that’s what she’d been trained to do.

  “Please, Lena. I will name her and take care of her and – ”

  “But a goldfish needs a bowl and food and . . .” Lena gripped the straps of her purse.

  “Goldfish are really pretty low maintenance,” a young man who was working in the fish area told her. “We’ve got these bowls on sale for only $2.49 and the fish food’s pretty cheap.”

  “But how do you care for a goldfish?”

  “Just feed it daily and change the water about once a week. It’s pretty simple.”

  Now Jemima was begging again.

  “Okay,” Lena said. “Pick one out, Jemima.” She’d already done the math in her head and the whole works was less than five dollars. Still, five dollars out of her steadily shrinking budget meant one less meal. Now she had only thirty-eight dollars and change left . . . and to last her how long? She had to stop spending like this.

  With the fish picked out and the food and bowl bagged up and paid for, the young man started to turn off the lights. “We’re closing now,” he told her. “By the way, make sure you don’t put the fish in chlorinated water.”

  “How do I avoid that?”

  “Just fill a pitcher with water and let it sit overnight, and the chlorine will be gone the next day.”

  She nodded as if this were quite simple. As if she had a pitcher for water in her spartan room. She took Jemima’s hand and they hurried back to the boardinghouse.

  “What’s in the bag?” Lucy asked as they came in.

  “A goldfish!” Jemima said.

  Lucy shook her head with a sour expression. “We have a no-pets policy.”

  “It’s only a fish,” Lena told her. “It’ll be confined to a bowl.”

  “But what if the bowl spills or breaks?”

  Lena frowned. “I’ll take responsibility for that.”

  “You will, will you?” Lucy looked skeptical.

  “I will.”

  Lucy rolled her eyes. “I’ll hold you to it, Lena.”

  “Yes, I’m sure you will.”

  “Okay, here’s the deal,” Lena said once they were upstairs and Jemima was unlocking the door. “You can keep the fish in your room only if your room is clean.”