Bargaining Power

Bargaining Power
a short story by Diana Weeks

The summer before my 12th birthday, my working parents deemed me old enough to watch after Buddy, my eight-year-old brother. A job I couldn't turn down. It was an order. Plus cleaning the house and starting supper. My lazy annual vacation was over before it started.

A new second hand car, Mother called "The Big Oh" cinched the belt on our 1950 budget. A reporter pal of Dad's was moving to Chicago to be an editor at the Tribune. Dad pleaded saying his friend was practically giving it to us. "We simply pick up the payments."

Mother shook her head meaning "NO". She spoke through clinched teeth. "What about Rita?" her voice getting softer.

"She can get another job easy". Dad came to Mom and hugged her. “We don't need a maid anymore. The kids are old enough to do all the chores." Then he left for work.

Mother had hired Rita, when she went to work at the bomber plant, during the war and had kept Rita after VJ day, when she became a buyer for a department store.

I argued that I had joined the reading club, but Mom promised me a three dollar and fifty cent increase in my weekly two-dollar allowance. Five fifty, WOW, with no "healthy" school lunch to use it up.

The first day on duty, I heard Buddy up as soon as they left at seven. "Go back to bed," I told him when he brought his cereal in to eat sitting on the end of my bed.

"Lloyd's going to be here in a minute," he told me checking his Timex. "We're going to go watch them feed the alligators at the zoo."

"You know you're not allowed to leave the neighborhood” I declared”.

He sighed. "I guess we could stay here if you'll get up and play Monopoly with us". He went toward the closet to drag out the game I hated.

I sat up. "If you cooperate, I could take you to a movie Saturday afternoons and we could see a double feature with two cartoons and a serial."

He tipped the bowl to his mouth and drank the rest of the milk. “I'll be back to help you pick up and peel the potatoes for supper... I'll stay completely out of your way. And the baby zebra might be born today”. He grinned his widest grin… to show off the blank space in his mouth… where I think baby teeth had been pried out… for tooth fairy money.

Hummmmm, I thought. ..And said "It's a long walk to the zoo."

"That's all right”…Buddy said whispering. “We take a shortcut through the new… sewer pipeline the city put in…in the wrong place. It goes all the way to the park”…ends in the creek near the Farris Wheel.

Humm, hummmmm, hum. "How can I enjoy lolling around in bed reading with you in danger?"

"No, Sister, Sister it's safer than walking on the sidewalk”. Buddy announced…in Bud Abbot’s voice. “Nobody's using it. Dad said the contractor that made the mistake got fired. You don't have to worry about me getting sun blistered, having to cross busy streets or falling down on a railroad track."

"No, just being drown in sewer water."

"It's not connected to anything."

"What about rain water?"

"It’s not going to rain! The trainer guy will let us watch them feed all the animals’ everyday…that’s the only way to get to know them”.

"Are you going to be a veterinarian?"

"No, a lion tamer, then I want to buy my own circus... pleeeease".

I mulled over and held up three fingers… "Will you take the oath?"

Buddy raised his right hand, “One. I won't get hurt. Number two...I won't get caught. Three: I'll always beat them home…Scouts honor" He saluted smartly and ran to play. I went back to sleep. Buddy kept his word. We had a fine summer, until he stole my diary.


THE END
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED