A Grateful Heart (ONC 2023; manxman)✅

Chapter 5

Sharing one bathroom with all those people was insane. Someone was always yelling or pounding on the door. I could hear the clatter of dishes and their mother's voice telling them to hurry up, shut up, and come eat breakfast.

In this household, people typically took showers or baths in the evenings or weekends. In other words, daily showering wasn't a thing. Hot water never lasted more than two showers in a row.

"If you don't hurry up, I'm gonna pee in the bushes!" Teddy shouted, standing outside the bathroom door in his pajamas. Our eyes briefly met before I rushed up to the attic, the wooden stairs creaking beneath my feet.

"Oh no, you better not do that again!" I heard Mrs. McDonough's voice from the kitchen.

"I'm just sayin' I gotta pee, and I'm tired of being the last one to use the bathroom," Teddy said.

"Then get up earlier," Jimmy said. "And you're not the last one. Eric is. Hey, Eric! You up?" Jimmy obviously hadn't realized I'd been trying to get to the bathroom for the past half an hour.

"Waiting for the bathroom," I replied from the attic.

Since I was running late, I decided not to shave. I hated shaving, anyway, and didn't look forward to using a 1935 razor, afraid I'd end up with little nicks all over my face. I contemplated growing a beard while I was there. It wouldn't be the first time I attempted to grow one. Usually I shaved it all off before it amounted to anything.

So far, I'd managed to stay calm because I convinced myself this was a dream... a very, very long dream, and when I eventually woke up, I'd be well-rested. At least that was my hope.

Oatmeal was a popular breakfast item in the McDonough house, something I could tolerate. The coffee was brewed on the stove, with a rich, bitter aroma that filled the room. I couldn't wait to taste it. Mr. McDonough had already left for the day. Dorothy, too, had left, hoping the mill would have work for her today. Millie, Teddy, and Billy sat at the table eating their oatmeal. Teddy balanced a spoon on his nose, making Millie giggle. He was so silly, he made me laugh, too.

"Where's Jimmy?" I asked, sitting across from Teddy. Mrs. McDonough placed a bowl of oatmeal in front of me. I thanked her, which she didn't acknowledge.

"Who knows?" Teddy said with the spoon still stuck to his nose. "He always leaves at the butt crack of dawn."

"Watch your mouth, Theodore," Mrs. McDonough said. "Hurry up, kids, or you'll be late for school."

"Jimmy's makin' me walk you to school today, Mr. Gagnon," Teddy said. I doubt anyone could make Teddy do anything. And why did he call me Mr. Gagnon? No one could predict what Teddy would do or say.

"I think I can make it on my own... and call me Eric."

"Okay, Eric. I have clear instructions to walk you to the high school to make sure you get there," Teddy said as the spoon toppled from his nose and into his oatmeal, splattering it on his shirt. "Oh, crap. It's my fault."

"Yes, it's your fault for acting like a monkey," Mrs. McDonough said. "Get a rag and clean yourself up."

"I'm going," Teddy said, pushing himself away from the table. "Don't go anywhere, Eric."

Why would I go anywhere? There was nowhere for me to go.

By the time Teddy cleaned himself up, Millie and Billy had left. If we didn't hurry up, I'd miss my first class.

Why did I even give a shit? I kept asking myself these things, expecting answers.

I didn't have a bag or briefcase to store my notes and lesson plans, so I carried my books and papers in my arms. I'd forgotten my gloves at the house, so my hands shook from the cold.