May Zether turned 45 on Thursday, which explains her toying with the idea of a new hairdo. In truth, she was happy with her easy-care hair and had trepidation about changing to a style that required daily maintenance. She had enough to worry about each day without having to think about herself. She was feeling sort of lackluster lately. She needed to have the shine put back on the apple, she thought, which reminded her that she was still searching for a market that carried Jubilee kitchen wax. Finkenheimer's had stopped carrying it long ago. Jubilee was the secret ingredient in her three-step cleaning process. First: the abrasive-"Comet" for real deep cleaning and disinfecting. Next: the spray-"Fantastic" to pick up any fine powder left by the abrasive. Finally: the wax-"Jubilee" to make those surfaces shine like fresh-from-the-factory new. The kink in the garden hose was that May was down to her last drops of Jubilee and had already made a market to market pilgrimage without success. She needed her shine. As she started scrubbing that stubborn ring around the tub, you could faintly hear her singing "Shiny, shiny, right down behind me" in her sweetest,shiniest voice.
Junie had cultivated (without effort) a reputation in the neighborhood, not only as a short term caretaker of homes and pets, but also children. She was busy babysitting every Friday and Saturday night without fail; sometimes on weeknights. When babysitting, she took full refrigerator privileges, even if not officially extended, and might prepare a meal or snack for the children. She was always amazed that adults would leave their infant children with her or that she would be asked to supervise kids only one or two years younger than herself, based only on a reference from another neighborhood family. She was especially amazed because she was not a fun babysitter. She did not bring a box of activities with her. That would take some pre-planning on her part. She would not play the odd game of Parcheesi or Sorry. There was really nothing to recommend or set apart her services, except for availability. She was in it for the control of the television remote and free reign of the snack cabinet. That was it. She had not developed any liking or empathy for her little charges but that did not seem to be required. Dr. Yeardley's wife asked Junie if she could stay a week with the girls, starting Thursday, as she had an opportunity to attend a medical convention with the good doctor. Junie fairly leaped at the chance. She could stay up as late as she wanted. It was a school week so she would still have to get up early and make sure the girls got safely to school and did their homework and that she did her own homework and prepared their meals. Her head was drowning with the possibilities. To be away from Johnette and May (at least until she saw them at the Little League Snack Shack for her Monday shift) would be heavenly. Junie, if nothing else, is idealistic, capable, and industrious.
Junie had cultivated (without effort) a reputation in the neighborhood, not only as a short term caretaker of homes and pets, but also children. She was busy babysitting every Friday and Saturday night without fail; sometimes on weeknights. When babysitting, she took full refrigerator privileges, even if not officially extended, and might prepare a meal or snack for the children. She was always amazed that adults would leave their infant children with her or that she would be asked to supervise kids only one or two years younger than herself, based only on a reference from another neighborhood family. She was especially amazed because she was not a fun babysitter. She did not bring a box of activities with her. That would take some pre-planning on her part. She would not play the odd game of Parcheesi or Sorry. There was really nothing to recommend or set apart her services, except for availability. She was in it for the control of the television remote and free reign of the snack cabinet. That was it. She had not developed any liking or empathy for her little charges but that did not seem to be required. Dr. Yeardley's wife asked Junie if she could stay a week with the girls, starting Thursday, as she had an opportunity to attend a medical convention with the good doctor. Junie fairly leaped at the chance. She could stay up as late as she wanted. It was a school week so she would still have to get up early and make sure the girls got safely to school and did their homework and that she did her own homework and prepared their meals. Her head was drowning with the possibilities. To be away from Johnette and May (at least until she saw them at the Little League Snack Shack for her Monday shift) would be heavenly. Junie, if nothing else, is idealistic, capable, and industrious.
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