Point of View Series
by Kristen

Part 18 -- Pumpkin rinds (Wynonna's POV)

“You did what?”

Okay, this wasn’t going well at all. Mr.C had warned me she might react this way, and he had been right. That was why he had asked Ellie and me to wait in the hospital hallway while he went in and told Miss D. I could hear bits and pieces of the conversation and I knew Mr. C had his hands full.

“Mommy’s really mad, huh ‘Nona?” Ellie looked at me with a worried expression on her face and I wasn’t sure what to tell her. I mean, I understood why her mom was worried. A stripper isn’t normally the first choice for a nanny and a role model. For some reason though, Mr. C had decided to take a chance with me. Who knows? Maybe I was the only one brave enough, or make that dumb enough, to take the job.

Let’s face it, even I, a stripper; have heard stories about this family. I’ve read more than once in the papers about him, and I heard from a friend of mine that just a few days ago Miss D. showed up at the PCPD with their kids. Apparently, Ellie has quite a way with words, and her dog is in training as the new Terminator.

The part about Ellie is true. Talk about a trip! And they may want to have her tested. I just haven’t decided if the tests should be to determine her I.Q., or her ability to understand things, cause she’s either really observant, or really confused. Well, I had her alone and I might as well get the lowdown on the people I had agreed to work for.

“So Ellie, let’s talk.”

“What’cha wanna talk about ‘Nona?”

“Your parents. You know? What they’re like. Come on, gimme the scoop.”

Ellie’s eyes widened, and she shook her head seriously, brown curls dancing.

“Oh no, ‘Nona, we’re not allowed to have ice cream. Not even a scoop. Daddy says it’s bad for us.”

So it’s true then. This kid is a riot!

“Huh? Oh, no, Ellie, that’s not what I meant. I just wanted to know what your mom and dad are like.”

“Oh, okay. Well, let’s see.” She wrinkled her nose and thought for a minute. “Well, everybody thinks my daddy is in charge of our family, but you know what?” She leaned in and whispered in my ear. “It’s not true! Mommy is the boss. She is the one who tells us when to go to bed, she tells daddy what to do, she’s the one who tells us what we can watch on the t.v., she makes us take baths, she even is the one who tells daddy when they can wrestle!”

“Wrestle huh?” This was getting interesting.

“Yeah, mommy and daddy wrestle a lot, and mommy is the one who says when they can and when they can’t. Sometimes they fight, and mommy tells daddy that he can just forget about wrestling with her for awhile. They must have had a really big fight right ‘fore the babies were born, cause they aren’t wrestling for six whole weeks! What do you think they fought about ‘Nona?”

“Um, well, I don’t know Ellie. But I’m sure they’ll get over it.”

She shook her head seriously.

“Oh no ‘Nona, this was serious. And the doctor even took mommy’s side, cause he reminded daddy ‘bout it the last time they went to see him. Daddy says he thinks it’s not fair, and then I got ‘fused, cause mommy said she didn’t either. ‘Nona? If they are fighting, why would mommy be mad ‘bout not being able to wrestle?”

Clearly, this kid was a living example of too much knowledge being a bad thing. And clearly I was out of my league.

Thankfully I was spared from trying to explain sex ed. to a kid when Mr. C stuck his head out into the hallway and motioned us into the room. I stood up, squared my shoulders, and swallowed nervously. Then I looked down and smiled as Ellie winked at me.

“She’s not that scary ‘Nona. She just thinks she is. But me and daddy play along cause we don’t wanna hurt her feelings.”

Then she grabbed me by the hand and pulled me into the room. There was Miss D., sitting up in bed, trying to look friendly, but I’ve been around enough people to know when someone is acting. She was definitely not hip on this, and like I said, I didn’t blame her.

Mr. C stood next to her, a pained look on his face. It was obvious that he had received quite the tongue lashing, and not the kind that puts a spring in a guy’s step. Ellie face lit up, and she yelled out “mommy!” then ran over to climb up in bed next to her mother. As the little srout snuggled in next to her mother, I saw Miss D. relax a little, and plant a kiss on Ellie’s head. It was clear she was crazy about her daughter, and I was glad. Been around enough parents who didn’t look twice at their kids. This one got looked at plenty; that was obvious.

I stood, there shifting nervously from one foot to the other, waiting for the family reunion to end, and finally Mr. C motioned me closer to the bed.

“Wynonna, this Alexis. Alexis, this is Wynonna.”

Clearly, this one had manners, cause as unsure as she looked; she still smiled at me and held out her hand.

“Wynonna, it’s nice to meet you.”

I took her hand and shook it briefly, trying not run out the door. It’s one thing to take your clothes off in front of a bunch of guys, it’s another to meet a lady like Miss D.

“Um, yeah, you too Miss Davis.”

I’m guessing Ellie was trying to help us find some common ground cause at that moment, she joined in the conversation.

“Hey mommy, guess what? ‘Nona waves at people like you do!”

“Ellie, what are you talking about honey?” Mr. C looked worried and I had a feeling I knew what she was talking about. Now I was worried too. This was not going to go over well.

“When me and Johnny opened the door today after ‘Nona knocked, she was waving her finger at the ‘struction guys across the hall. You know? Like you did at Uncle Jax the other day when you was having the babies.”

So, Miss D. was familiar with that gesture too. Who’da thought? Still, I grimaced and smiled weakly at her.

“Sorry Miss D. Ellie wasn’t supposed to see that. It’s just that a couple of those guys made some crude remarks and no matter what you might think about me, I don’t like that kind of talk. Ever.”

She sized me up and I could tell that she sort of liked what she saw. I’ll put up with a lot of crap from the guys at the club, but some things you just don’t say. To anyone. I think she could see that. And I hoped she could tell that I was crazy about this kid, and the others too.

“Yeah, mommy doesn’t like that kinda talk either ‘Nona, and she has to scold daddy a lot for it. Good thing mommy wasn’t home yesterday, huh daddy? You’da really gotten in trouble.”

Miss D glared at her hubby and then turned to Ellie. Mr. C looked a little nervous.

“Really Ellie? Tell mommy everything.”

I wondered if I needed to leave the room. I decided I did.

“Um, if you’ll excuse me, I need to find the ladies room. I’ll be right back.”

I high tailed it out of there as Ellie started telling her mom about some chick with a slip fetish. That’s nothing. Oh the stories I could tell.

I did my business and came back to find Ellie sitting in the hallway, swinging her legs back and forth.

“What’s up Ellie,” I asked as I plunked down next to her.

She rolled her eyes and looked at me.

“Mommy and daddy are talking again.”

I could tell she meant they were fighting. But she didn’t look upset. She looked confused,

“What’s wrong Ellie?”

“Well ‘Nona, I just don’t understand some stuff.”

“Like what Ellie?”

“Well mommy said you could stay, but she said the first time she saw me doing a pumpkin rind, you were outta there.”

“A what?”

“A pumpkin rind.”

What the hell, I mean heck, is that?”

She shrugged her shoulders.

“I don’t know. But daddy said you would never teach me that. That I don’t have the co-or-di-na-tion for it.”

She sounded the word out and I finally got it.

“She means a bump and grind Ellie, and I’ll tell your mom she has nothing to worry about on that front. Now what else?”

“Well, she said she liked you but she couldn’t believe daddy had actually hired a, and then she spelled out the word. And ‘Nona, I gotta say, I understand why she is worried.”

Uh oh, the kid can spell too? Then she continued.

“Cause ‘Nona, Chloe’ and Annie just are learning to walk and MJ still isn’t very good. Please don’t trip them too much, ok?”

Oh boy, I think I’m in way over my head here.

“Um, ok Ellie, I promise. Now, you ready to go back in there?”

She looked horrified and shook her head.

“Oh no ‘Nona, you never go in mommy and daddy’s room when the door is closed cause that means they’re wrestling.”

“Trust me Ellie, mommy just had babies. They are not wrestling.”

With that I opened the door and immediately wished I hadn’t. I looked down to see Ellie smiling at me with superiority.

“Told ya.”

Damn! And I thought the guys at the club were randy. Cause while it’s true they weren’t wrestling, he definitely had her pinned.

part 19