“So,” Officer Krugle said, his eyes skimming my naked feet, as if that was the most important thing to take note of. “So,” he said again, as his gaze circumnavigated my appearance, then fixated on my wet hair. Feeling my steady glare, perhaps, he shifted, then rotated his long legs into a different position.
“Has this been a pleasant stay for you, Shama?” he asked.
I shot a glance at Mrs. Penn. Had I done something wrong? Were the two of them about to kick me out of both the house and town? How long would I have to prepare for my departure? How could I say goodbye to the boys?
I sank into the nearest chair. Had Mrs. Penn decided to assume my job of taking care of the boys? I hadn’t found time to teach Frances yet. I was going to do so after dinner, but Mrs. Penn and Officer Krugle didn’t know that. I closed my eyes and thought back over the last two days. Yes, I’d been negligent. I should have done the cooking. I should have cleaned the house. I’d been as lazy as Mr. Brown’s fat marmalade cat when she was lying in the path of a sunbeam.
“I’ll do better. I promise,” I said, hoping to redeem the situation. “I’m going to work with Frances on his reading after we eat, and I was just thinking about doing some heavy house cleaning. The porch probably needs sweeping, too.” I thought a moment, wondering what else I should add. Should I propose preparing the next meal?
I crossed my fingers, although I really didn’t believe in such superstitions. Still, anything was worth trying if it allowed me more time with Frances and Carlo.
“Stop that, Frank. Can’t you see that you’re scaring her?” Mrs. Penn said, her voice sharp with irritation. “Why do you do that?” she exclaimed, frowning at him.
He looked surprised by her attack, glanced at me again, his eyes once more examining my hair as if having wet hair was a crime.
I drew in a shallow breath, but the suspense of not knowing my fate had taken all the air out of the room. I tried to inhale again, as I searched Mrs. Penn’s face for explanation. Better to get it over with, I decided. If they were going to cut me off, it was best I knew right now. I’d already gotten so attached to the boys that leaving them was going to tear me in two. Better to know immediately so I could rip out the graft and move on.
The idea reminded me of a honeybee. Once it stung, its barbed stinger stuck. Nature told the poor insect to fly away, but doing so meant that its body was torn apart from the inside. The stinger remained, and the bee died. Luckily that wasn’t me. Frey and I would survive. It would only feel like my heart was being ripped away when I rode off, heading back into aloneness.
“No one is taking your place, Shama. We made an excellent decision in hiring you for the job,” Mrs. Penn told me with a reassuring nod and a smile that warmed her face.
“Breathe, young lady. Everything’s fine. We want you to stay. The boys need you, and so do Frank and I. You’re a cool draft of water that has made our days fresh and exciting. Please, don’t even think of leaving us.”