Kiss Me Slowly

Fourteen: Babysitting

Katia’s mind was numbingly tired. The little boy’s excited figure ran across the room, sliding on the parquetted floor. His squeals rang through Katia’s mind making her flinch and giving her pounding headache yet another thing to feast on.

Groaning in frustration, she lifted herself off the floor where she’d ended up after receiving the boy’s plastic chair to the head. She was pretty sure she’d have passed out if Henry had just stopped screaming for even one little second. But no, he hadn’t. Passing out would've been a blessing.

“Henry!” she yelled, over the shrieks. “Henry, you’re gonna wake up your sister!”

The devil’s little sister was asleep upstairs like the good little angel that she was. She’d listened to Katia’s demands when she’d told her it was time for bed and had quickly hopped in and fallen asleep despite her older brother’s screams.

Katia couldn’t help but wonder each time she came to babysit this monster, how his sister had turned out so good, and him so evil. Every time she pondered, but never came to a reasonable answer other than he was adopted.

The screams ended for a fraction of a second as Katia’s previous words registered in Henry's mind. Her thoughts immediately bounced to the thought that maybe, just maybe, Henry would listen to her.

Oh, how naïve she was.

“Does it look like I care?” And he was back to screaming. Katia banged her head against the counter in defeat.

“Would. You. Just. Shut the Hell, up!” she yelled, constantly banging her head as she said each word. Her sentence set the boy in a trance. He’d suddenly stopped screaming and throwing his toys around and had decided to stare at her, mouth open, instead. Katia furrowed her eyebrows. Did he finally decide to listen?

Henry murmured, “You said a bad word.” Katia’s eyes grew wide in horror. Oh no. “Katia said a naughty word…” Henry kept talking, a grin slowly spreading across his face. As he spoke, Katia quickly shook her head at his smiling face.

“No, no, Katia didn’t say anything. Katia said nothing. Katia wouldn’t say a naughty word. No. No! Don’t say it! Don’t say it, Henry! I’m pleading you, please don’t say it!”

The boy stood oblivious to her pleads.

“Hell.”

The word hit Katia in the chest. Oh, please no. God no.

“Hell, hell hell-ell-ell-ell!” The boy ran around the room repeating the word and laughing with an evil smile on his face. Katia ran across the waxed floor to him but he easily slipped out of her grasp.

“Henry, please. Don’t say that word, it’s a bad word.”

But he wouldn’t listen to her. All he would do was run around repeating the word louder each time. Katia mentally kicked herself for being so careless around Henry as she chased him in vain.

“Henry, listen to me!”

“Why would I listen to you when you say bad words?”

He had a point.

“Okay, okay I give up, you win,” she yelled in defeat. That set the little boy cheering. “If! If we can set a deal.”

The little boy stopped his screams and looked intently at her.

“But I won!” he said with a pout. Katia's eyes burned with enough anger to let the boy go back on his words. "I'm listening," he added.

Katia took a deep breath and let herself fall on the couch. This was going to be a long night.