*****
Katelyn woke up the next morning to the sounds of kids crying. She stuffed a pillow over her head, but could still hear them. The situation crept into her mind: Brianna was sleeping at a friend’s house; her dad left last night and hopefully wouldn’t be allowed back in after her talk with her mom; and her mom probably didn’t get to sleep until one or two. Katelyn was on kid duty.
Katelyn sighed and pulled herself off the warm bed. Her eyes hurt and she spent a minute rubbing them. It only made them worse. Her throat was dry and stung. She headed out to the living room to find the cries coming from Kayla on the couch. Colton was already awake and had an overflowing bowl of cereal in his hands. He was watching cartoons and ignoring Kayla with no problem.
“Kayla,” Katelyn couldn’t hide her irritation. “What’s wrong?”
“Colton said my mommy’s not coming back, that she left forever,” she said between sniffle interruptions, then she went back into her full cry.
Katelyn went to her and picked her up, but the weight was more than she expected, so she landed on the couch beside her. “No she didn’t, baby. No she didn’t.” She pushed the flattened hair out of Kayla’s face. “She loves you very much. She’ll be home soon.” Kayla started to quiet, and Katelyn finished her off. “Hey? Hey? How ‘bout we call her this morning and sing her a song?” Kayla’s face calmed and she nodded.
“Colton, go eat that at the table.” Katelyn grabbed the remote from under him and shut the TV off. She grabbed his bowl and a small amount spilled onto the carpet as he pulled against her. “Now!” she shouted.
Katelyn went to the kitchen to get something to drink and saw the time glowing from the microwave clock. 8:07. “Shit,” she muttered under her breath. Three minutes wasn’t going to be enough to get to school on time. The car was still broken. She thought about waking her mom for a ride, but didn’t. Her mom had looked so tired the night before. Besides, Katelyn didn’t feel like going to school. She hadn’t studied for the two midterm tests scheduled for today.
Maybe mom will call me in for the morning classes, she thought, and dismissed her worry. The time might be enough to get something done with her car.
Tiptoeing down the hall, she went into her room to get her phone and returned to the kitchen. Colton was back in front of the TV, lying on the floor this time. Kayla had filled the couch with her dolls and there was no room for him.
After five rings, the call went to Tim’s voice mail. “Hey, you must not be awake yet or maybe you’re at work. Call me as soon as you get this. I don’t know what to do with the car. Bye. Love ya.”
Another hour later, after watching a cartoon, getting Kayla breakfast, and checking online notices, Katelyn left Tim another voicemail. “Hey, did you get my last message? I need your help. Call me, okay. Love ya.”
Katelyn showered, woke Sierra up, made the kids change out of the clothes they wore the day before, and started a load of laundry. When she came up from the basement, her mom was in the kitchen. “Why aren’t you at school?” Her voice was loaded with sleep and heavy with smoker’s lung.
Katelyn pleaded her case. They argued. Her mom didn’t come around to her side. “You’re going to school,” she declared in her “final decision” voice. It wasn’t quite a yell, but it was the warning voice.
Her mom filled a coffee cup and turned her back on Katelyn, walking to her customary seat at the table. She hacked with a nagging cough.
“I’m not goin’.” Katelyn stuck her chin in the air and braced for the fight.
Her mom looked up at her. Their eyes locked. Katelyn thought she saw a moment of sympathy, or maybe it was pleading, but her mom’s voice was firm. “You’ll get your butt to school.”
Katelyn narrowed her eyes to a squinting glare. “Mom,” she started, but didn’t trust her words to come out without swearing. That would be the last straw before a true blowout.
“I’m taking Sierra over to Ames in about ten minutes. I’ll drop you off. Sierra’s already late for school. You should have woke me up.”
Katelyn stomped down the hall in disgust.
In her room, she tried Tim again. Voicemail after two rings. Katelyn wondered if he was avoiding her now, sending her calls directly to voice mail on purpose. She went back out to the kitchen and grabbed the phone book. Her mom eyed her as she finished her first cigarette, but didn’t say anything.
Katelyn was used to looking something up by searching the internet, so finding the shop Tim worked at took a few minutes. A few thin pages ripped with the force of her turns.
“University Garage and Tire, this is Jake. How may I help you?” The tone of Jake’s voice did not match the polite intention of the greeting. Katelyn hesitated, not wanting to get Tim in trouble, but she continued.
“Is Tim Felske there?”
The line was quiet except for the background shop noises for a moment. “No. May I help you today?”
A sigh of her own impatience escaped and she found a better question. “Does he work today? I mean, will he be in, like, is he scheduled to work today?”
“Jake” on the other end seemed to figure out she wasn’t a customer and his voice lost any attempt to be polite. “Look, he isn’t here and he hasn’t shown up all week.”
“What?”
“Tim is no longer employed here, Sweetie, so don’t be calling looking for him.” The line went dead.
Pick-me-up Page 39
