For Keeps (Aggie's Inheritance)

by Havig, Chautona

  “Oh, no.” The woman’s sigh came through the phone clearly. “And the odds of Aggie avoiding them are also pretty slim. Tell her that Luke and I will be there to help right after church. She should try to stay away from the children as much as possible, but at this point, she’s been exposed, and there’s no getting around that.”

  Just as Libby and Luke stepped into the house, Kenzie stumbled downstairs with the most comical-looking face Libby had seen since Luke’s bout with the pox when he was back in elementary school. “Oh, sweetie. Do you feel icky?”

  Aggie heard the question from the kitchen and stepped into the dining room. One look at Kenzie’s face and all hope that she’d avoid a household epidemic dissolved. The school problem would have to be resolved, but she found it too overwhelming to consider--yet. “Oh, Kenzie. I’m so sorry.”

  The child ran and threw herself into Aggie’s arms before anyone could stop her. “I feel awful, Aunt Aggie. Just awful. Can you make them go away?”

  Libby gently peeled the girl from her aunt’s arms and led her to the stairs. “Let’s get you a bath, and then I’ll put the same lotion on your face that I put on Cari and Lorna. It’ll help.”

  Luke hunkered down on his heels and pulled a package of washable markers from a Wal-Mart bag. “I bought markers. Once you’re all cleaned up and have your spots covered, I’ll help you connect the dots and make pictures.”

  “Thanks, Luke. That’d be like getting my face painted.” Somewhat cheered, Kenzie disappeared up the stairs while the twins clamored for pictures on their arms and faces.

  Aggie made sandwiches and sent the other children outside to enjoy them and a Popsicle, while Libby and Tina tended the afflicted children. As she worked, her mind whirled with ideas for how to handle school. Would they allow any of the exposed children to attend classes? What if they didn’t? How many weeks of school would they have to miss? As it was, Kenzie would definitely miss the entire first week. She couldn’t even go get the child’s schoolwork without potentially exposing other children to the disease. Tina would have to go. The following week would be even worse. Tina would be gone, and it was too much to ask Libby or Luke to drive to Brunswick every day.

  She wanted to sing. Every part of her soul craved the comfort of hymns, but she was beyond tired. The twins had been awake several times in the night, and Ian, whom she’d assumed awoke from the noise, had slept fitfully himself. While loading the dishwasher, she hummed a bit, fired off a dozen P-mails, and tried to remember every comforting scripture she’d ever memorized.

  Unfortunately, her patience level was not refueled quickly enough. After the third time she snapped at a child, Luke put down his markers and went to talk to her. “Aggie? Do you feel all right?”

  “I’m just tired.”

  “And a bit out of sorts. Laird was just trying to help.”

  She gripped the counter as if it’d anchor her enough not to lose her temper again. “He still managed to ignore my instructions to stay out of the kitchen.”

  “He wasn’t in here when you gave those instructions. You sent him outside with the trash before you told the others to stay out.”

  Realizing Luke was right did little to improve Aggie’s disposition. “He could have told me--”

  “I think that’s what the, ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t hear--‘ was all about.”

  “So I’m an evil aunt who is mean to her kids. I can take it. It’s not like I’ve not heard it before.”

  Taken aback, Luke stared at Aggie in shock. That kind of sarcasm was out of character for her. “Come on, Mibs. Why don’t you go upstairs and take a nap. You’re not yourself.”

  At first, she resisted. That part of her that was determined not to let the latest crisis dictate her actions wanted to protest, but after a few gentle rebukes from Luke and his mother, Aggie climbed the stairs, her legs feeling like jelly, and crawled into her bed. Within minutes, she was sound asleep.

  Downstairs, the children were fretful and listless. With the four youngest children covered in spots, the older children avoided the sickroom side of the house, choosing to go upstairs for the bathroom in hopes to avoid germs. Tavish and Vannie spent their time reading, while Ellie and Laird played with the puppies and tossed water balloons at each other from time to time. Whenever they got thirsty, they snuck in the back door, guzzled a drink, and raced back outside.

  After an hour or so, Luke’s patience was growing thin. The children’s behavior had disintegrated into whines and demands for anything they thought they could finagle out of Libby. At last, he pulled his mother aside to work out a solution. “Mom, I know they’re miserable, but honestly, I think they’re getting away with murder.” He glanced at Kenzie who sat with arms crossed, shaking her head at Cari’s latest “suggestion.” “I can’t help but think that if we don’t put a stop to it, Aggie is going to have even more work on her hands when they’re well again.”

  Though a little amused at the forethought Luke had for Aggie’s children, Libby nodded in agreement. “You’re right. I’ll put a pallet on the floor of Tina’s room, and we’ll let them know that anyone who is unpleasant will have to lay alone in there with nothing to entertain them.”

  “Be prepared. Cari will pitch a fit and be the first one incarcerated.”

  “I imagine so.”

  Within ten minutes, Luke’s prediction came true. Cari, unimpressed by the latest video offering, demanded to watch something else. “I don’t wike this one! I want to watch the wetters movie!”

  “Sorry, Cari. It’s Kenzie’s turn to choose a movie, and she chose this one. You’ll have to wait your turn.”

  Despite Libby’s stern reminder, the girl increased her protest. Kicking and wailing, she pushed Kenzie who began crying as well.

  “Stop your fussing, Cari, or I will put you in the other room. It’s time to settle down.”

  “No! I want the wetters! Kenzie is selfish. Make her put on the wetters!”

  “Ok, come on. It’s off to the other room for you.” Luke lifted the kicking, screaming girl into his arms and carried her from the library and into Tina’s room.

  “I don’t wike you anymore, Wuke. You’s mean!”

  Any hope that the solitary confinement option would curtail Cari’s fury dissipated as her defiance increased. The decibel level on her wails grew to the unbearable, and he had to stand guard to ensure the child didn’t leave or damage anything in her fit of anger. Libby peeked her head in the door, ready to help, but Luke waved his hand behind his back as if to say, “I’ve got this. Please go.”

  As the drama increased, the noise made it to Aggie’s room where she awakened from her nap. The weary young woman dragged herself from her bed and shuffled down the stairs. With the noise as her guide, she arrived at the guest room door, and even the children in the library quit moving and fussing when they heard one loud word. “Stop.”

  Impressed by her effectiveness, Luke stepped from the room and closed the door. Minutes later, the wails and pounding returned. He glanced at his mother for direction, but Libby shook her head and beckoned him to join them in the library. As he turned to leave, the muffled sound of Aggie’s voice as she spoke to Cari reached him. The screams and stomps soon gave way to soft cries and then silence.

  Several minutes later, Aggie led a repentant Cari out of the guest room and into the library. The chagrined little girl dragged her feet across the floor until she stood before Luke, her spotty little face the picture of dejection. She tapped his knee and whispered, “Wuke, I’s sorry. I was ugly, and I’s ‘posed to be pwetty. You fowgive me?” Luke’s heart melted as the child threw her arms around him, sniffling. “I’ll obey next time. I pwomise.”

  “Of course, I forgive you, Cari. Why don’t you sit with me, and we’ll find some more pictures on your arms?”

  Luke glanced up at Aggie and gave her a thumbs up. The young woman nodded and then shuffled to the couch. Just as she laid down again, her cell phone rang. Luke watched as a frown appeared on her face and sh
e shook her head. “He never came, William. We just thought maybe Geraldine called him from the station or something. Where could he be?”

  Tuesday, September 2nd

  The driveway looked empty without the imposing white van taking up most of the side section. As she waited for Libby to return, Aggie’s stomach was in knots. She considered it a personal failure that her children might not be able to start school on time. Kenzie still had several miserable pox that had not yet scabbed, and the others were walking chicken pox bombs.

  At last, just as Aggie was ready to go crazy and call Luke, the van pulled into the driveway and four children piled out of the vehicle and dragged up the steps. Laird burst through the doors, flung his backpack on the floor, and flexed his fingers. “A whole week! We get off at least one whole week!”

  Vannie, looking as crestfallen as a child with coal in her stocking on Christmas, dragged herself up the steps and indoors. “I don’t even have a fever, but they won’t let me in. I’m going to be so behind!”

  Her older elementary charges, chattering with Libby, entered the house with hardly a comment and went straight upstairs, changed, and dashed out the back door. Libby shook her head. “I could have predicted the reactions perfectly. Vannie was near tears, begged for her assignments--you need to go get them Thursday--Laird cheered and didn’t think twice about the missed school, and Tavish and Ellie took it in stride.”

  “A whole week? Aren’t they concerned about the kids getting behind? What if someone breaks out?”

  “Both principals said that they could come back in a week if no more outbreaks happened. If anyone else breaks out, we have to call.” Libby patted Aggie’s shoulder. “He did ask me to thank you for not coming yourself. He thought that was very considerate since we don’t know if you’re contagious or not.”

  Before Aggie could answer, Tavish burst in through the kitchen, distraught. “The puppies are gone! Something bent the fence down and they’re gone!” The words were hardly out of his mouth, before he continued into the library and demanded to know what the younger children had done with the puppies.

  “Tavish!” Aggie followed him, grabbed his sleeve, and pulled him from the room. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “The puppies didn’t crush that fence by themselves. It could only happen if someone tried to climb it and bent the stakes over. They did it!”

  “I don’t see how, Tavish. I was right here in the living room watching for you guys to get home. I would have seen them.”

  “But--”

  “Wouldn’t it make more sense,” Libby began calmly, “to spend your time finding the puppies than looking for someone to blame?”

  A flush colored Tavish’s ears and neck. “Yeah, I guess.”

  What started as a simple search and rescue turned into an area-wide pup hunt. After half an hour of searching, Aggie called for reinforcements. Luke and William arrived at nearly the same time, both looking a little perturbed to see the other on the case. They combed every inch of ground, under the house, and even across the nearby highway, but to no avail. Tavish was beside himself, Aggie was worn out, and the men were both determined to be the hero of the hour.

  Libby, the only one detached enough from the situation, found the scene hilarious. After a few minutes of observing the battle of testosterone, she went to check on the girls, and moments later, peals of laughter sent everyone in hearing distance racing for the house. There, in the library, three guilty looking little girls each held a puppy in her lap, awaiting their sentencing.

  “We just wanted to play. Puppies can’t get chicken pox, can they?” Kenzie pleaded with her eyes for understanding.

  The men exchanged glances, each feeling ridiculous for the unspoken competition and even more silly when they realized no one won. William shuffled off to the cruiser, Luke offered to take Laird and Tavish to his renovation job a few streets over, and Aggie collapsed in relief that the puppies were safe. Just as she gathered enough energy to scold the girls for their prank, the phone rang.

  Tina jogged downstairs with Ian on one hip and the phone in her hand. “Someone calling about the puppies. They want one, and want to know when they can come by to see them.”

  As Aggie took the phone, she saw the disappointed look on Tavish’s face as he took a puppy from Kenzie’s arms and carried it outside to the enclosure. She’d planned to insist that all the animals found a home, but now she wasn’t so certain. Perhaps the boy needed a more congenial pet. The kitten, as adorable as it was, already showed a preference for playing in the house, lounging in the sun, and gentle strokes by mature hands that didn’t pull tales or legs at inopportune times.

  Once she disconnected the phone, she glanced at Libby. “What do you think? Should I let him keep one?”

  “Oh phooey!” Libby covered her mouth with her hand. “I almost won.”

  “Won what?”

  “Luke and I had a bet going on how long it’d take you to decide to keep one or two.”

  “And you said?” The bet sounded like the kind of thing Luke and Libby would do. Their relationship reminded Aggie of her relationship with her father.

  “I said soon after the third puppy left. I almost made it.”

  “What did Luke say?”

  “He said before the third one was gone. I think he was sweating bullets when the puppies went missing. If they didn’t find one, technically he’d lose.”

  “Well, that explains the intensity with which he looked anyway,” Aggie remarked. “I couldn’t believe how serious he took finding a few puppies!”

  Libby gave Aggie an enigmatic look. “Couldn’t you?”

  ~*~*~*~

  “Miner. I think he looks like a coal miner--all black and dusty.” Tavish cuddled the pup under his chin and beamed up at his aunt. “Thank you so much. I’ll take good care of them; I promise.”

  Aggie glanced at her niece, as she encouraged the other puppy to wrestle with a stick. “What about that one?”

  “I want to name her Sammie.”

  “That’s a boy’s name,” Tavish protested.

  “No it’s not. Not if her real name would be Samantha if she was human. Sammie--with an I. E.” Ellie giggled at the unintentional somersault the puppy made. “She’s too much of a tomboy to have a more prissy name.”

  “Ok, then,” Aggie agreed, rubbing her hands. “We have names.” She glanced at the fence with the crumbled chicken wire. “We’ll have to get a real fence put in soon. That won’t hold the puppies much longer.”

  Still doubting her decision, Aggie strolled back to the house, entered the mudroom, and pulled the clean clothes from the dryer. The laundry, like most of the housework, had a tendency to get away from her, but she was determined to conquer the domestic beast. Of course, her plan had included fewer bodies at home to undo her hard work before she had a chance to finish. That idea would have to wait another week or two.

  Wails from Ian calling for “Gaggie” invaded the lower floor long before Tina brought him downstairs. At last, she arrived with the be-spotted baby, apologizing as she came. “I’m so sorry, Aggie, but he won’t settle down. He wants you.” She nearly stumbled as Ian made a lurch for Aggie’s arms. “Vannie volunteered, but I thought it was best not to risk it.”

  With the miserable boy snuggled against her chest, contentedly sucking on his thumb, Aggie shrugged. “I can’t avoid all of them all the time. I just can’t. The chances of me not getting them is so slim already--”

  “Well, I tried, but he just wants his mommy.” Tina sank into the nearest chair. “I don’t know how you do it. You’re amazing.”

  “I have a little more on the job experience. I’m sure you saw the lost puppy fiasco.”

  “How did they get those animals in there without you seeing them?”

  “They must have done it while I was in the bathroom getting them fresh washcloths. They were fast, though. Really fast. I still don’t see how they pulled that one off…”

  A little snort interrupted the
conversation. Aggie stood and reluctantly carried Ian up to his bed. The room was hardly recognizable with all of Tina’s things cluttering Tavish’s half of the room. Tavish had been sent to sleep with Laird until one of them broke out in the pox in the hopes that by isolating them from Ian, neither would.

  As she laid him down, Ian awoke and started to fuss, but a few pats on his back and he settled back down and returned to sleep. Relieved, Aggie continued up the stairs to her room, grabbed fresh clothes, and went for the shower. Every time she helped a child, held a child, or had any prolonged contact, she washed her hands thoroughly, but after a sleepy Ian drooled on her shirt, she decided a more thorough fumigation was in order.

  By the time she returned downstairs, Tina had the little ones involved in a game of duck, duck, goose, and Luke drove up into the yard with a truck full of fencing supplies. At the sight of a roll of chain link on Luke’s shoulder, she diverted her path to the library in favor of seeing what he was planning. “Hey, I don’t remember ordering a fence!”

  “But Mom did, and I never argue with Mom.”

  “Why,” Aggie began, sounding like her old self for the first time in days, “do I have a feeling that this has not always been true?”

  “Well…”

  “Just as I suspected.”

  Luke nudged her with his free elbow and then spun in place. “So, where do you want this happy doggie home?”

  A dog run hadn’t been a consideration until that morning. Uninspired by the view of her yard, Aggie shrugged. “Got any suggestions for me?”

  “Well, if you were ever going to have a garden, you’d want to avoid there,” he pointed to the exact place Tavish had placed the makeshift enclosure, “that’s a perfect spot for a garden. I’d probably put it over by the carport. That tree would give them shade in summer, then again, if you put it near the front of the house, they could go under the porch for coolness.”

  “Yeah, but I hate to ruin the look of the house with a dog run.” She felt silly even as she said it. “Is that selfish?”