A short story for June

Recompensation
By Lydia Rule

I scooped up my 6 month old baby girl and rushed out the door. The clock inside my head kept ticking, angrily ticking. I had to be at the daycare by 6:00 a.m. in order to be at work at 6:30. And then, at 7:00 p.m. I would pick my daughter up, rush home, and finish up any last minute work reports from my home computer.
Each day seemed like the last. I snapped Angelina into her car seat. She giggled and squirmed, kicking her chubby legs in the air.

“That’s enough. Quite kicking, you have to stay in your car seat,” I said softly, wondering if I should text my boss and let him know that I was running late. I slid into the driver’s seat and started up the engine. For the moment, the busy traffic and the frustrating red lights caught my attention.

My cell phone buzzed in my suit jacket’s pocket. I ignored it. I would have to call the person back. It may be a client. I need to line up one more investor for this upcoming company project. If all goes well, I will probably get the promotion I’ve been asking for…

Angelina began thumping her pink teddy bear against the car seat. I’m doing this for you baby, I thought. Mommy doesn’t want you to have the same life I did. You are going to have what I didn’t have as a child--a nice house, plenty of toys, huge Christmas and birthday parties…

I made a left turn into the daycare. I scooped Angelina out of her seat and headed inside the bright, nanny yellow building. Angelina played with my hair, twisting it around her fingers. “Stop please,” I said, trying to untangle her little fingers. The daycare worker met me at the front and smiled. I handed Angelina to the worker.

In an instant, Angelina’s face was erased by a stream of tears. She began to scream and thrash in the worker’s arms. For a second, I wondered if I should stay. She looked so helpless and confused.

My cell phone vibrated again, driving away all thoughts of staying. I have to go. Angelina held out her arms towards me, her blue eyes filled with tears and her fuzzy brown hair clinging to her face.

My cell phone buzzed again. I turned away. I didn’t look back.

I answered my cell as I rushed back to my car. “Hello, this is Linnea from the Daytona Investment Corporation. How can I help you?”

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I had a small vacation planned for just me and Angelina. We went to the beach for a few days. I brought along some papers to complete while we were there. I also brought my laptop so I could sit out in the sun and answer customers’ e-mails at the same time. Multi-tasking was one of my strong points.

At three years old, Angelina didn’t seem to mind that I was working. She was just happy playing with the sand and sticking her toes in the water. She liked to pile the sand into a mound and then step on it. She would giggle and then start all over.

I found myself wishing that I could be a child again. Instead, I began to type a lengthy e-mail to my boss telling him about several key investments I felt the company should consider.
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“Happy Birthday Angelina” read the banners on the wall. Five glowing candles rested on a white frosted cake. I took pictures as Angelina blew them all out, her chubby cheeks glowing red from all the effort.

She unwrapped her first present—a sparkly pink and blue backpack.

“Is it a beefcase?” she asked.

“Do you mean a briefcase?” I asked.

She nodded. “Like the one you carry to work.”

“Well, kind of. It’s for when you go start school. You can put your homework in your backpack just like mommy puts all of her work papers in a briefcase.”

“Oh,” she said quietly. She reached for the next present and began to open it.

Angelina didn’t look at the backpack for the rest of the day. I found it stashed behind the couch after the party was over.
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Papers mound in my vision even now. I have become one with the stack of never-ending business letters, memos, to-do lists, work sheets, proposals… My hair is now as pale as a piece of paper. My arms are withered and thin, like a gnawed office pencil. My back is bent in the familiar shape of my favorite computer chair.

The funny thing is, I would give anything to go back to my workplace. I’d rather be anywhere but here, in this nursing home. Bright nanny yellow walls greet my every glance. Silence fills the empty space.

I close my eyes, wishing I could rest and yet wishing that I could get up and move around. A hollow sound reaches my ears. My eyes open and I sit up on the bed. A willowy form shadows my doorway.

“Mom,” comes the voice. My vision clears and I see Angelina. A black suit jacket covers her trendy red shirt, accompanied by a pair of stiletto heels and knee-length skirt.

“Just came to see how you are. Can’t stay long. I’m leaving for Hawaii in a few hours. I have to preside over the company conference there. Sorry I didn’t come see you last week, things were crazy.”

My mind shouted but my voice didn’t want to work. I’m so happy to see you! I tried to form the words but they didn’t come out as quickly as I had thought them. “I’m… happy… to see…” A cough erupted from my throat. I couldn’t finish the sentence.

Angelina’s phone rang. “Got to go,” she said cheerily, waving goodbye.

“Stay… for awhile,” I whispered.

But she didn’t hear me. Angelina turned and exited through the door. She didn’t look back.

I could hear her voice echoing down the nursing home halls:

“Hello, this is Angelina, Vice President of Harrington International. May I ask who is calling?”


Galatians 6:7a… for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.