Strange Love

“We have to do something about our 18 year old baby. I have college and you have work. We don’t have time to make sure our little is in a clean diaper and is breastfed daily. It is too much!” Said Tiff.

“I know it is an issue we need to find our baby a proper caretaker. But nobody has been willing to take care of him. Wait... have we tried that Glenview nonprofit childcare place? I think they will take in any child of any age.”

Tiff then responded exclaiming, “you know how crazy that place is said to be Matthew! Supposedly the mistress of the place is a drunk. But if nobody else will take him, we should see.”

A woman from Glenview answered the phone with a grouchy voice, “what do you want? Are you a new enrollee ? If so tell me how we can assess your child?”

The phone crackled as Tiff answered, “our 18 year old teen baby needs caring for and we can’t take care of him 24/7. Nobody else has taken him in so I was hoping…. “

The woman responded saying, “we will take care of your baby. He will love it here, and hopefully get along with the other little ones. Come over on Wednesday and things can be completed.”

With that the woman hung up the phone. Baby started crying so Tiff ran to get a clean diaper ready.

Glenview, North Carolina. The town was known for being plagued by drug wars and shootings. Noted as the most dangerous part of North Carolina, it was essentially the dark side of Durham. NC renamed because Durham did not want to share the same name as that part of the town. Meth Kitchens and druggies were not common and most businesses were boarded up and vandalized by thugs who had nothing better to do. The local high school had only one year ago dealt with a shooting where 5 students died after a Iraqi American yelled Allah Akbar and open fire with a Ak-47.

Amy was new to the area. A runaway from Chicago Illinois. She had lived in Glenview for about 3 years. With little money of her own, she had bought a boarded up one bedroom home that was fully paid off from a family of 2 who essentially left the town in fear of their lives for $1,200. This whole Durham thing had been a whole new world to her from her expensive rich life she had lived in luxury in a Chicago High Rise. But her job at Glenview Childcare had been enough to pay her expenses. The nightlife was crazy and she tended to lack self control. Her boyfriend was a tough one who had just got out of prison for dealing drugs. He had tattoos all over himself and had a sense of control, but  she felt like she had no way out. Day in and day out she drove her 1975 Ford Pinto, wondering if she would ever get free, no longer have to take care of babies she wished were her own.

That all changed the day that she heard of the arrival of a teen toddler named Evan. “ Mistress, I really want to take care of our new baby specifically. He is different than the other babies who are of different sizes. I want this job so bad. He sounds like such a sweet kid and of interesting character. Mistress, I know I have always kind of been a pain and a troublemaker in your eyes. But this baby, I think he is more someone I can take care of.“

Mistress responded saying “ We will be introduced to him tomorrow, then I will let him choose who he wants to be his caretaker. Oh yes, if you want to care for him yourself,you will have to be removed from the rest of the babies and use the old nursery that the church still owns but has not used in years. “

Amy was shocked but her stubborn self and pride and how much she wanted the task got the best of her. She came to Glenview for a new life and freedom. This building referred to was boarded up and needed repairs in so many levels. “ I will agree to these terms, Mistress. But, will you get the church to help pay for the fixing windows and such? “ Amy asked.

Mistress said “ No! And the inside is already furnished just in case you are wondering.”

Tiff went to Glenview Childcare with Baby Evan and his special teen toddler things and met 2 women at the door. One looked like a punk and the other looked old and not nice. “ So… Miss Tiff, me and my 18 year old schizophrenic lil punk ( Amy blushes with anger) here want to know which of us baby Evan would rather have. This punk her name is  Amy, she really thinks she can care for him properly while she has had issues managing the actual babies. If he chooses Amy, he will get heaven knows what type of type of treatment , but if you let me take care of him just like the other babies he will be in good hands.” Mistress said.

Held up anger went through Amy’s veins but she kept control and said “ I really want baby Evan! He just looks like someone I can truly care for. Mistress is not used to new things and I want to hold and protect your little one. Please. I heard he has Bipolar Disorder and Autism. I have longed for someone like me who also suffers from a disability. Let me care for him. Mistress doesn’t understand disabilities. I do. “

Tiff then asked her Little who he wanted, while hoping he would chose the older woman. But to Tiff’s dismay, Evan choose the punk girl.

“HOW DARE YOU!!” yelled Mistress, as Tiff left, she was in disbelief.

“Mistress, I know you did not expect this. He is my baby now. You said so. And no matter what you say I am NOT giving him up.”

Amy took me to her Pinto once Tiff was gone and said “ Evan, I may not be the brightest girl in the world and Mistress was right, I am a schizophrenic. I know you are a teen toddler but do you know how to live outside of babyhood? “

I responded with “ Yes Amy, I am a teen toddler. Thank you for rescuing me from that horrible sounding woman. I feel like you will become more than my nurse, but also my friend. I fear that wicked woman will encage me. Where are we going. Amy? “