FIND THE FACE

By Tessa Harvey 



    A teacher's aide came around the corner, hurriedly, clutching her son's hand. It was obvious he had been crying. The T.A. held a small plastic bag.
    "George had a small accident," she explained. "We had some spare shorts." 
Sandi knelt down, holding out her arms. She had been right to come down. George clutched her tightly, his little arms sweaty and hot. The teacher's aide (Miss Dobson?) handed over the soggy, pungent smelling bag and scurried away. 
    No doubt on this momentous first day, many children needed reuniting with parents or guardians as quickly as possible.
    The baby in her womb protested against George's tight closeness, with a few kicks and he giggled through his tears. "Thomas kicked me!" "Yes, he did," she laughed too. Come on, let's go home. Fowler is waiting for you."
    Happy at the thought of his puppy waiting for him, the little boy almost pulled her along. Later, after his tea of chopped up chicken and warm noodles, George was allowed a small chocolate treat.
    After the dishes, Sandi fetched him for his bath, disentangling him from his puppy. "Toilet first!" she warned, smiling, remembering yesterday's little yellow puddles in the bath. "It wasn't me," George had protested.
 Happily, he played with his plastic boats. "Mum," he cried, "the Titanic sunk!" "Yay," she answered, not paying enough attention.
    The little boy curled over, laughing. "You don't say 'yay', it's meant to be a dis, dis..." "Disaster, sorry son."
    It was hot, so she just left a sheet on the bed. "Can we play 'Hide the Face?'" He disappeared underneath the rumpled sheet. "Ready!" 
Slowly she reached down. "Ow, the crabs have got me." George giggled, "it's just my fingers."
    A few minutes later, Sandi turned on his glo-light. "Don't go! I'm scared," said a tiny voice. 
"But, it isn't dark yet!" "Yes, but the bad things come. We had spells today. It was scary. I wet my pants."
"Spells?" she queried, puzzled, and sat with him for a while until the small boy relaxed and fell asleep.
It was quite a while though before his mother slept.

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