I had Tyler practically secured against my hip and had to be careful as I used my free arm to try and remove the earring I had no clue how he was so taken by. It was nothing fancy or noteworthy and I wore them with most of my outfits, they were professional and I didn't want to get into anything with anybody about my 'style' or hear a thing about how my 'image' put the company in jeopardy, despite how things were going great for me so far. I could never really know.
My nephew was interested in converting with me and that meant having to struggle with the person on the other side of the line. My morning hadn't started that great and the worst part wasn't my sister not being home yet or still being worried something terrible might have happened, no. It wasn't even the fact that I didn't want anything bad to happen to my nephews either and it wasn't the fact that I was more than upset that no one had attempted to call, to keep me at least updated or even checked up on Tyler, no.
The worst part was that I had downed a whole bottle of wine and maybe some and hadn't even been able to lead myself to bed, perhaps what was even worse was trying to convince myself that it had only been three glasses. I was a terrible babysitter, a terrible aunt, and was probably going to qualify as an alcoholic one of these days.
Sure, I felt the tears and wanted nothing more than to just give up and cry, it just never worked that way–I was a grown-up. What grown-ups did was wipe tears away and deal with things, so my options were very limited. I had to get rid of that bottle, the whiskey one was shoved in the cupboard I had found it of 'curiosity and I was going to bear it and pretend I hadn't done this while my nephew was sound asleep in his crib. I was going to lay off the alcohol for some time and would just have water, it was better than letting myself do this again or something worse.
I didn't want to find myself at an AA meeting and so it was settled for me–no more drinking. The water was great, anyway.
"Miss? Are you there?" The rough old man's voice sounded on the other line and reminded me of my other worry. Just why my morning was probably going to get worse.
I sighed, switching Tyler to my other hip and offering him a smile. What was almost a toothless grin met me as he giggled, big eyes lighting up as if they held the sun, moon, and the stars, it made me smile too.
Tyler was quite the beautiful boy, just like Travis, literally, especially with those pretty deep brown eyes and that adorable cleft chin. He was also distracting and so I had to remember the one person I didn't even dream of hearing from was on the other line of the phone trying to act all polite and everything despite how I was well aware of his way of dealing with tenants, especially me.
I had complained about them quite a lot before and never had he been so 'polite'. Perhaps there was that time when. . .oh no.
I let out a groan as a thought hit me and I did my best to hold it together.
I had Tyler with me and I had to keep him comfortable or I was going to have an even more horrible morning if I wasn't already with my landlord calling and everything.
"I'm still here." I turned to my nephew with a smile as he was beginning to get bored and irritated.
"Your pipe burst." The words coming out of his mouth were the last thing I wanted to hear despite how I had already guessed that he was to serve me some real news. I took a deep breath even and tried my best to not lose it, I hadn't had breakfast yet and I had no clue how I was to get to my job when I had a baby to look after.
The sweet yet slightly sharp morning light swept into the room quite comfortably, perhaps in mockery of my situation, and my headache kicked just then reminding me I had practically sedated myself with wine the night before. My hair wasn't tied yet and had done my best to dry it properly, but it was dripping all over the baggy pajama top I had over my wide dress pants. I was yet to dress properly and Tyler was yet to be dressed properly himself, I had only bathed and fed him. He was still in his jumper and his slightly chubby and long legs were out, the heel of one of his cute little feet was digging into the side of my hip as he demanded my attention. Blowing raspberries and clinging to my pajama top he started to want to wiggle his way out of my arms and he wasn't doing it quietly, that wasn't only it–I was late for work. And my landlord was still on the phone.
"My pipe? I don't get it. . .I've been here with my sister and–"
"Yeah. . .but it burst," he interrupted, quickly. By the sound of his tone, I was well aware there was no use in trying anything with him and that if things were damaged then they were and I was to pay for them myself.
Even if this was just an issue, perhaps, caused by the fact that he barely showed his face unless he wanted to rent and I didn't have the will to argue with him on this one, not when I was late for work and had brushed my teeth so much this morning that my gums had bled, let alone the fact that my nephew just about had enough–he wanted to be put down if I wasn't going to pay any attention. Babies were a job and I pitied my sister, and I would have never been a good mother for sure. I frowned at my thoughts and carefully settled Tyler on the floor and picked up the wine bottle, hurrying as I went to dump it in the trash while doing my very best to keep an eye on Tyler. My nephew was quite a handful and curious at that. I rushed to him before he could pounce for my purse and he instead went for one of the scatter cushions and of course, with the tightest of grips and all the strength he could muster, he held on to the edge of the coach and brought himself to his feet, with his knees wobbling and everything.
I sighed before I even said a word. "What happened?"
"Your pipe burst and half of the kitchen area is a mess. . .the whole place really," the old man stated, slightly rougher than he had begun. "You need to get someone to get check it."
"You got into my apartment without–"
"Still my building." I wanted to tell him what was on my mind and really what had been bothering me for months but two things stopped me here. One, he was older than me and that didn't seem right. Two, right before my eyes, as God was my witness, my nephew was taking his first steps and that wasn't a good thing–his mother wasn't here. Tyler looked so proud as he turned my way but he quickly lost his balance and landed on his butt, clearly unhappy about his landing or failing to further his steps–he burst into tears. I had no idea what the old man was saying as a ten-month-year-old baby was learning a few things he was to forget a moment after about life and I had to step in, picking him up from the floor.
"Sorry. What was that?" I had to get back on the pipe thing.
Tyler wasn't happy however and so he did what babies did–he cried even more. I wanted to cry too and pull my hair out, but instead, I rocked my nephew back and forth and paced around the living room barefoot, trying to comfort him. "Should I come down there?"
"I worked the pipe as best as I can, but you might need to get a guy down here," he said further, speaking as if he had done me a favor. How long had I been complaining about that pipe? It had needed changing a while back when I had first moved in. Why was it now my problem? Everything to do with the maintenance of that apartment had been my problem. My things were probably soaking or my furniture was ruined or I was just exaggerating because I was going to pay a lot of money and my landlord was probably happy about that. Perhaps, I was to pay him to get this guy who was to 'fix the pipes and was going to play me there. I had to get this guy myself.
"I will. . .but I gotta get to my job," I told, letting out a sigh as Tyler finally settled down having distracted himself with my curls.
"You've got to fix this," he argued, clearly irritated.
I just hoped, for my own sake, selfishly, that the water had not leaked to the apartment below me and that I wouldn't have to pay an amount of money I wouldn't be able to afford.
"I ain't waitin' for that long." I rolled my eyes at that. How did he expect me to get there? I still had a job to attend to and a nephew I had no clue what I was to do with. I pretty much liked him lesser than I did and I was just about too close to handing it to him, but Tyler wasn't going to take well to that.
"I can't leave Tyler here by himself or skip–"
"It ain't my problem," he dismissed, hastily. "The apartment needs workin' and they ain't my pipes, their yours."
I wanted to correct him on that one but we still had the lease agreement and I didn't need the old man calling the cops on me. I guess I was at an average height and could even look taller with certain clothes and like but this particular morning I felt small and quite significant in comparison to my predicament and with my baggy pajama top over the pants I was to wear for the job I was late for I felt, even more, worse–stupid. I didn't know where it was coming from but it was there and it made me so aware that I was braless and barefoot on the soft carpet.
"How about we discuss everything during my lunch. . .break? I can call you or–"
"They're your pipes," he said, quickly. I was starting to get a little irritated with him saying that as if I wasn't aware of whose apartment had always had an issue with leaking pipes he had done his best to coyly downplay.
Another call interrupted my attempts at being 'polite. If I had thought that my morning was going wrong then the name plastered on my screen was there to correct me in my assumptions. "I will call you as soon as I'm free." I had to act quickly and accept the coming call with quite a haste in my movements. I held Tyler comfortably, I didn't need him making any noise or being fussy–I was already in trouble.
I cringed as his calm words met my ears. "No decaf today?"
I wanted to cry, out of frustration and embarrassment and a little at the fact that Tyler had just yanked at my curls.
I had to keep it together.