Switching Lives

Wag the Dog

I woke up to the sound of wailing. I never understood why it was called wailing until that second because it sounds like a whale dying. I cover my head with a pillow and when that doesn't work I throw off my covers and go to the bathroom. I forgot that the paint stuff was there and almost knocked it over. Cursing to myself I make my way to the sink and clean myself up.

"Margo! Margo!" Eli comes into the bathroom yelling.

"Hmm?" I say with my mouth full of water.

"Allison is crying!" I spit the water out.

"What am I supposed to do about it? Where is Mom?"

"She and Dad left. They had to go run some errands?" Do they not have a maid. Leave it to mom to disappoint yet another daughter. I roll my eyes and exut the bathroom following Eli to Allison's room.

When he opened the door the screaming became louder and Eli had to yell for me to hear him.

"What do I do?" I yell at him picking her up out of the crib.

"Let me have her!" He yells back. I squat down giving her to him and he paces around the room while slightly bouncing. She calmed down a little but not by much.

"Here. Give her to me." I put her back in the crib and check her diaper. It's disgustingly full and I find the diapers and wipes to change her. Her crying dies down even more but it's still there.

"Now what?" Eli asks. There's panic across his face and I try to make sure there isn't any on mine.

"Umm, well in health class the teacher said that if a baby was crying then its probably because of a dirty diaper, needs sleep, needs to burp, or..." I try to think but her crying isn't helping. Think Margo. Why else do babies cry?
"Hunger. Maybe she's hungry! Quick! Help me find the stuff for her bottle." We quickly find all of the ingredients and fill the bottle as the teacher had taught me. I pick Allison back up from the crib and sit in the rocking chair with her and the bottle. I rock back and forth slowly as she drinks. Eli sits in front of me watching quietly. Allison's eyelids start to close and after about twenty more minutes the bottle is empty and she is asleep in my arms. I gently stand back up and put her in her crib again. Eli and I tiptoe out of her room so she doesn't wake again.

"You're good at that." He whispers.

"Why are you whispering?" I ask whispering back. He shrugs.

"Well now what?" He asks as we make our way back to my room.

"Umm, well its only nine." I say checking my phone. "So I need some breakfast in my system." We both go downstairs and I raid the cabinets and fridge for some food. "So do you not have a maid or anything?" He nods.

"A ton actually but it's Saturday. And since mom and dad are usually here the maids don't work until later in the day. I guess they forgot about that." I find some bread and decide to make toast. When the toast is done I take it out and put butter and jelly on it. After a while Eli goes upstairs to his room to entertain himself and I finish off my toast. The door opens and there's talking. I grab my plate and take it to the sink to rinse it off as the voice gets closer and closer. Mom walks into the kitchen talking on the phone and sets her stuff down.

"I don't care how busy you are. Call him in the next two hours and get the information I need or your fired." With that she hangs up. "Hi sweetie. I didn't expect you to be up so early."

"Well I probably wouldn't have if there was actually an adult here to take of Allison. Where were you?"

"I had to take care of something at work."

"And you didn't bother to make sure there was someone here to take care of your kids."

"The maid is here-"