BABYSITTER

𝑇𝑜𝑟𝑜

I watched these two play the video game. They laughed and giggled, trying to win each other. Staring at the little boy, I was reminded of my younger self, it wasn't all thrilling but Kenny made it worth it.

"Where are you going? Are you done playing?" The little boy inquired when I stood to my feet and made a move to leave them. I arched a brow at him, confused. I wasn't playing with him in the first place. I wonder if he sees this other guy, prolly he doesn't. That guy is just my hallucinations, I bet no one can see him except me.

"Was I?"

He lowered his eyes to the ps remote on the centre table. I don't remember picking that up or playing with him. And if I utter a word of not being the one who played with him, he will see me as a crazy person. "I'm tired. Maybe next time."

"Will you come with me to see my mom? I want her to see who saved her that night," he smiled at me and paused the game. He dropped his remote and looked expectantly at me.

Though I don't know what he was talking about, every day I whack my brain or visualize what or who I saw that night as me doing that but it never matched. A completely different person did that and I see he and his Nino won't keep shut about it.

I wanted to decline, I don't want to get attached to anyone from here. I just wanted to gather my thoughts, and figure out what is happening to me and why I'm being accused of a crime I knew nothing of. But the look in his eyes made me do otherwise. I slowly nodded my head.

"Yayyy," he jumped up from the sofa and leapt toward me. He threw his tiny arms around my thighs. His behaviour warmed my heart, you know wasn't this little fella giving me pep talks on what law is and what the law demands. Kids are hilarious and cute at the same time.

"I need to change my clothes," I said and he nodded.

~~~~~~~~~

Moments later, we board a bus to the hospital his mom was admitted. He sat in a seat inside while I sat at the outer seat, my body serving as a shield to him. I wore a black outfit as usually because black is my favourite colour. It makes me feel alive plus the black nose mask covering my face. The little boy asked why I wore that when we left the house.

"Nothing, I just want to wear it. I don't like people seeing my face." I lied although half of what I said to him was the truth. Yes, I'm in a new country and city but I can't help being paranoid. This eerie feeling that he might be here, watching me. Waiting for the time to lurch at me. I wiggled my head, clearing out the undesirable thoughts. I turned to the kid beside me and saw how enthusiastic he was and lively at the same time.

Wonder if I was this happy and lively when I was his age. My whole childhood days were nothing but horror. "Can we stop here?" He asked, I was puzzled when he asked this. There was no sign of Cedar Sinai general hospital.

I had to use google Maps to figure out the way to the hospital. "You took her to the hospital that night, why use a google map?"

Ugh, kids and their inquisitive personality.

"I forgot," I replied. By the way, why do you want us to stop here?" I asked and followed the direction of his eyes out of the window, there he was looking at the flower shop, the outer was decorated with flowers.

"Can we get some flowers for my mother?" He turns to look at me. "She loves flowers a lot."

I nodded and smiled at him. We paid and got down from the bus, we made our way to the store and requested a banquet. "What kind of flowers does your mother like?"

He pointed to some flowers, carnation and tulip flowers. I told the seller to mix the two, blue, and purple carnation flowers and red and light orange tulip flowers. She did and wrapped them. The next place we stopped was the ice cream vendor.

"What flavour would you like?" I asked as I lowered my gaze to the kid who held my hand like his safety depends on it. He held the flowers in his other hand.

"Do you have mint chocolate ice cream?" He asked the salesman. The salesman nodded and fished out an ice cream cone from his vendor machine before placing the mint chocolate flavour on it. He handed it over the Daniel who let go of my hand to take it.

"Seems like you love mint chocolate more?" I asked as we left the ice cream vendor. "I bet it's not tasty."

"Yup, you are right," he looked up to meet my gaze and smiled. "It's not that tasty but I love it. It's the most polarizing flavour I have ever tasted."

I almost chuckled at his answer.

A few minutes passed and we stood in front of Cedar Sinai Hospital, the glass building hospital stood erected in the heart of Beverly Hills, CA. I couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of the hospital. Some architects and builders are good at their job. The exterior was decorated with green-shaped rectangular flowers and mini trees including the lights surrounding the buildings. I was lost at the sight before me when Daniel grabbed my hand.

I don't remember to have taken his mother here. "Come on," he urged me and dragged me inside the building. Just like the outside, the inside was thrice more beautiful, it was exquisitely made. And busy as well, I saw a bunch of people rushing or walking around. I saw an ambulance stop in front of the building and a troop of doctors rushed out of the hospital with stretches and V poles. Injured people were taken out of the ambulance and placed on stretches as the doctors hurried back into the hospital with them.

'There was an accident, a transport bus collided with a Suv saloon car.' I heard one say as they headed inside the hospital. 'The driver of the saloon car didn't survive. He was crushed beyond recognition.' I paid no attention to them as I walked to the receptionist's desk with Daniel.

"What can I do for you, Sir?"

I looked at Daniel, "what's your mom's name?"

"Joana Walker." I turned to the nurse and repeated what Daniel said. "We want to see her."

"Joana Walker," the nurse checked her register and traced a finger down the book before looking at me. "She's in room 304. Who are you to her? Her husband?"

"Nope," I quickly inserted. "I'm her son's.....em..."

'𝐵𝑎𝑏𝑦𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟, 𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑒,' I look over at Daniel who whispered at me.

"I'm her son's babysitter."

"Okay," the female nurse smiled at me. "It's room 304."

I signed in and left with Daniel to his mom's ward.

"Mommy!" Daniel let go of my hand immediately the moment we stepped into his mom's ward. He handed me the ice cream and rushed to his mom who was awake and reading a novel, kinda. He threw his tiny arms around her and hugged her tight.

"Daniel, you are here?" His mom asked and hugged him back. Seeing the scene before me, reminded me of my relationship with my mother. "Where is Nino, is she here?" His mother interrogated him and pulls away from his hug.

"No, she's not here. I came with this man." He whirled to me and introduced. "This is my mother and mother this is the man who saved you and Nino that night."

His mother lifted her eyes from him to meet mine. There was a moment of silence and I felt awkward as her eyes lingered on me. I don't even know what to say. "Hi, how are you doing?"

A sweet weak smile appeared on her face and she nodded. "Thank you. Daniel and Nino told me what you did. I appreciate. I don't know how to repay you for what you did."

"It's not a big deal, what's important is that you are alive and fine." I managed to put a smile on my face.

"Mom, we got this for you." Daniel handed her the flowers we bought on our way here. The smile on her face broadened at the sight of the flowers.

"Wow, thank you." She looked at the flowers and touched them. "They are my favourite, thank you, son." She prisoned them on an empty flower vase on the nightstand beside her bed. "Come here."

She opened her arms inviting her son. Daniel hugged her. "Thank you, you are the best thing that ever happened to me." She looked at me and mouthed the word "thank you."

I responded to her with a nod.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

𝑁𝑖𝑛𝑜

Tears sting my eyes as I intensified the pressure of my hands on my steering wheel. I tried to blink away the tears that cloud my vision but the more they build. Why do things have to be this way? Why must everything be give and take? Can't people offer help without requesting something for their gain? I raced down the roads as many thoughts attacked me from every angle.

I felt my body shudder as I recall the memory of what happened back there. I pulled my dress tightly to me and I felt filthy and guilty at the same time. I never wanted our meeting to turn out this way but he left me no choice and when I walked out of his office. I could see his workers' eyes on me.

I marched my brakes immediately, almost ran a kid Daniel's age but a girl over when she dashed out from a building into the roads. I stopped abruptly and hit my head lightly on the steering wheel. My heart raced and my breathing was sharp. Fear gripped me when I lifted my head to the windshield and saw no sign of the kid.

Frisson rode down my back as I opened my door and climbed down. I walked over to the front and saw her lowered to her knees. Her hands were placed against her ears with her eyes tightly shut. She must've been scared.