Dispatches From Hellpeckersville- Easy To Be Hard

I’m probably going to be getting a precious little boy to watch for a while. He’s nine months old and just as cute as can be. His mama is an old friend. She used to help babysit my boys when they were little, she was a good kid, really, I always thought so anyway. She lived with my niece for a while, due to a conflict with her mom I was told. I never nosed into the details, I’ve seen a lot of kids whose parents were too busy off living their lives to be there for them in the way they need, I just assumed it was something like that. Eventually my boys got older and she moved to Texas, but I kept in touch.

She moved back here a couple of years ago. She again briefly lived with my niece, then she didn’t. A little later I saw her on facebook with her belly growing big. I was happy for her, she looked every bit the glowing expectant mommy. When the baby pictures came it was joyous. She beamed with love for that beautiful boy, but it seemed to me there was something missing. Yes, she was with her baby’s daddy, but he was never in the pictures, and I didn’t see many family kind of posts coming up, I worried, and I was right to worry.

When she got in touch to ask me if I could help her out, maybe watch her boy for a few hours a day, I didn’t ask her any questions. She said she was right down the street staying with my great-niece. I said I had to clear it with Pop, but yes, yes I would be willing to help. Bring that little fella up here to meet us. Let’s see how he likes Aunt triv.

She brought him up yesterday, and yes he is a cutie pie. She was sitting here telling me how thankful she was that I would help her. I said, “Look, you were in a bad situation, you had to get out, that’s all I need to know.” She did tell me more, that her mom thought she should stay in that bad situation, not willing to help her, not willing to let her come home. That she was willing to do anything to get out and make things better for herself and her little man, work two jobs, whatever it takes. So we sat and tried to look for a place for them to live on craigslist, not a lot of prospects there. I wish I could help her out on that score, but I can’t.

But I will do what I can. On her way out I tried to tell her that she’ll get through this, that some folks do care about her. She turned around and said, “Only you and K****.” I went back inside and cried a little. What the hell is wrong with people? I don’t know her mom, but I can tell you this much, I never thought she was there for her, and it’s not like she was any more trouble than the typical teenager. And now? Wow, I don’t don’t even know what to say.

So, I’m hoping she gets that second job, and I get to watch her baby boy. That she finds that room to rent and is able to save the money to get where she needs to go. Because I have never found it easy to be hard.