Change of Scenery-chapter 11
by SamPast and Huggedlots
Copyright (c) 1999

 

The next few days passed quickly for Maggie and Heather. Coming home from school on Thursday, Maggie saw a big box next to their mailbox.

"What do you think it is, Mom?" she asked.

"I don't know, sweetie. Let's get it upstairs and open it. Maggie wrestled it into the elevator. It was almost bigger than she was, but pretty light. Opening the box, she found two teddy bears, and a note.

It read: "These are to give you each lots of hugs and for you to hug and remember that I AM COMING HOME SOON. I love and miss both my girls. Take care of each other, and be good. Love Bob."

On each bear's neck was a ribbon with their names on it, so they could tell which bear was whose.

"Ohhhh Mom, no one has EVER done anything like this for me before," Maggie squealed.

"I know, sweetie. You need to hold that bear and remember that when you hug it, you can trust your feelings. Okay?" Heather suggested.

"Okay," Maggie giggled and said, "You too, Mom."

Heather started to tickle Maggie and chased her around the apartment.

Both Maggie and Heather were missing Bob terribly, but were glad that he had called each and every night like he said he would. Unfortunately, he had to stay in Chicago the full two weeks, and wouldn't be back until the following Friday. Part of it was that he was renting a U-haul, and driving it and his car to New York.

Bob had decided that he didn't need a moving company; that he could do it himself. Maggie was really disappointed, and wanted him home earlier. She pouted, and yelled at her bear, and was truly getting out of hand. Heather finally, having had enough, put her to bed early with a warning to change her attitude.

The next day at school, Maggie's attitude was worse, and she was spoiling for a fight to release some of her anger, although she didn't really understand that was what she was doing.

Seeing some boys playing ball, she decided to go over and get into the game. Kevin, one of the bigger bully types was there. Maggie walked up and demanded to play.

"Get lost! You're a girl!" Kevin told her.

"Well, I may be, but I bet I can beat YOU!" Maggie told him, and stuck out her tongue.

"Yeah Right!" Kevin replied.

Maggie tried to grab the ball, and Kevin played "keep away" with it. Being taller and heavier, he had the advantage. But all of Maggie's pent up emotions came to the surface as she challenged him, and she told him to give it to her. Kevin started to laugh at her, and tease her, and Maggie charged him, knocking him flat with her head to his stomach. Kevin, stunned for a second, got really mad, and grabbed her hair.

Rolling around on the blacktop, a crowd started to form. Someone who knew who Maggie was friends with, ran to get Jennifer and Robin. They came running to see what was up.

Jennifer shouted, "Oh, my god, Maggie! What are you doing? Quick, Robin, get a teacher!"

Robin ran to get the playground aide. She looked around to see if her uncle-the principal, was anywhere in sight, but he wasn't. He didn't often come out at lunchtime. The playground aide came over and tried to pull them apart.

"What are you two doing? Stop it this instant!" she yelled.

Finally, with the help of some of the boys, she was able to pull them apart. Kevin was hurt. He realized this as soon as he stopped going after Maggie. Two boys took him to the nurse. The aide looked around. There weren't too many aides at school that day.

"And you!" she said to Maggie, "are going to the office, but you'll have to wait until I line the kids up."

"We'll take her!" Jenn volunteered.

The aide looked at Jennifer and Robin. "You know where the office is?" They both nodded. The aide said, "Okay, take her to see Mr. Levine and tell him I'll be up in ten minutes to tell him what happened."

"Okay," Robin said. Then to Maggie, who was still steaming mad, said, "C'mon!"

Maggie shrugged out of Robin's grip and shouted, "All right, who's next?"

"Maggie!" Jennifer yelled. "C'mon. You're already in a lot of trouble!"

Jenn and Robin finally persuaded Maggie to take their hands. As they led her to the office, Jennifer said, "Maggie, what has gotten into you? What possessed you to try to take on Kevin?"

"Yeah, what are you, crazy?" Robin asked. Both twins had long since thought Maggie was a little nuts.

"I don't know. I was feeling really mad, I guess!" Maggie said.

"I guess SO," Jenn said. "You know who you're going to see, don't you?"

They were right outside the main office at that point. Maggie looked at the name on the door and said, "Yeah, Mr. Levine, the principal."

"Yeah, but, you know who he is, right?" Jenn asked.

Maggie thought back to a nice fall day, in early October. She was over playing at Robin and Jenn's. "Okay, we're going to our cousin's house, and we have a surprise for you there. But it's a big secret. And you can never tell anyone. Okay?" Maggie had said okay, but she was really surprised when they ended up at the principal's house. "Wow!" Maggie had said, "The principal is your uncle? How could that be?" "Well," Robin had said, "Aunt Joan is Mommy's sister!" Maggie had thought at the time, technically he wasn't really their uncle because Lisa wasn't really their mother, but she had kept her mouth shut. She was kind of glad that this was who she was going to see right now.

They went into the office. The secretary told the twins to take Maggie right in. They went into their uncle's private office. He was sitting with Mark and Jason, the two boys that had brought Kevin to the nurse.

When the twins walked in with Maggie, Jason jumped up and said, "That's her! That's the girl!"

Mr. Levine stood up. "Robin, Jennifer, what are you doing here?" he asked.

Jennifer answered, "Um, we brought Maggie in. The teacher said she'd come up in ten minutes to tell you what happened. She had to line the other kids up."

"I see. Okay, well thank you for bringing Maggie. She'll see you later," their uncle told them. Robin and Jennifer squeezed Maggie's arm and whispered, "Good luck!" before they left the office.

Mr. Levine pointed to the couch and said to Maggie, "Sit there. And don't move!"

Maggie obeyed. She was starting to get scared. It wasn't like it was the first time in her young life that she was ever sent to the principal's office. But, in the past, when either her grandmother or her mom had picked her up, never a word was spoken about it. But now, in her new life, she knew she would be in big trouble.

Mr. Levine continued to interview the boys about what happened. He called the nurse to check on Kevin, and even had other kids who were out on the yard come in to tell what they saw. They all said Maggie had started the fight. Mr. Levine spoke to Kevin himself, who admitted he teased Maggie a little, but she had started the fight.

The school aide came up and honestly told him she didn't see how it started. She did tell him, though, that even after she had finally pulled them apart, Maggie wanted to continue fighting, even so far as to ask who else was ready to fight her.

Mr. Levine raised his eyebrows at that last statement and looked at Maggie. Maggie had sat there quiet through all the interviews. "Is that true, young lady?" he asked her.

Maggie nodded. "Yes, sir."

Mr. Levine spoke quietly to the school aide. "Thank you. You can leave now," he told her. He turned to Maggie and asked her to come to his desk.

She got off the couch and went and stood by him. She looked at his stern face and began to cry. As she was shaking, a note fell out of her pocket. She didn't even notice it. Jack picked it up and read it. He put it on his desk.

"Okay, young lady, have a seat," he motioned to one of the chairs sitting opposite his desk. "Would you like to tell me what's going on with you?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know what you mean, sir," Maggie said politely.

"Come on, Maggie. Hang with me here. You know who I am?" he asked.

"Yeah, you're Mr. Levine, the principal," she said.

"And?" he asked.

Maggie looked around, even though she knew the door was closed and there was no one else there. "The twins' uncle," she answered.

"Yes. And you have been a guest at my house several times, right?" he asked, then waited for her to nod. Then he continued, "And every time I've seen you play, you have never started a fight, have you?"

"No, sir," Maggie answered.

"Well, then, what happened? I don't understand why you would act the way you have today, Maggie," Jack said sternly.

Maggie took a deep breath. "I can't explain it either, sir. I just felt very mad."

"Well, you know you're in a whole lot of trouble, don't you? Kevin was sent home today. His mother has to take him to the doctor for his stomach. How does that make you feel?" Jack asked.

Maggie looked down. "Bad."

Jack pointed at the couch. "I want you to go back over there and sit down. I have to call your mother, and I have a few other calls to make. I'm going to call your teacher and have her send some work down for you. Unfortunately, you won't be in school for a few days. Do you know why?"

Maggie was shocked. "You're suspending me?" she asked.

"Yes. That's what happens to children who fight at this school," Jack explained.

Maggie walked over to the couch. Jack went to make his phone calls. A few minutes later, a girl from Maggie's class came by with her homework. Jack told her to start working on it. He had made sure the teacher gave her enough for a few days.

After a little while, the phone rang. Jack answered. When he realized who it was, he smiled. "Maggie, telephone call for you," he said offering her the phone.

"For me? Is it my mom?" Maggie asked.

Jack said, "Take the phone and find out."

Into the phone, Maggie said, "Hello? UNCLE BOB? How did you know to call me here?"

On the other end of the phone, Bob answered, "I got a call that you were in a bit of trouble and might want to talk to me. Is that true?"

Maggie started to cry. "Yes, sir," she sobbed.

Bob softened his voice and said gently, "Sweetie, tell me what happened."

Maggie told Bob how she had been angry and had started a fight on the playground with a big boy named Kevin. "I don't know why I did it, Uncle Bob. I was just feeling mad." Maggie continued to cry.

Bob sighed. "Sweetie, why were you feeling mad? Do you know?"

"I'm not sure!" Maggie wailed.

"Well, I think I have an idea why," he said.

Maggie said, "You do? Why?"

Bob suggested, "Is it because you want me to come back soon?"

Maggie thought about it. "Maybe."

"Well, what did I tell you to do if you were missing me?" Bob asked.

"Call you. I have your number right here," Maggie said as she reached into her pocket. But there was nothing there. She looked around. Finally, she looked up at the principal. He held the paper with the number on it out to her. She took it and put it back into her pocket. Maggie smiled at Jack. She realized what he had done.

"Honey? Are you still there?" Bob asked.

"Yes, yes I'm here. I miss you so much, Uncle Bob," Maggie whined.

Bob said, "I know, Maggie, but I'll be back before you know it. And we'll do something fun together, just me and you. What do you think about that?"

Maggie smiled. "Just you and me? Not Mommy? She'll be sad."

"Okay, then the three of us, how's that?" Bob asked.

"Okay," Maggie said.

"But, you have to promise me you'll stay out of trouble from now until then. Do you think you can do that?" Bob requested.

"I will try," Maggie said, "but I wish you were here right now."

"No, you don't," Bob teased.

"Why not?" Maggie asked.

Bob laughed. "Because if I was there right now, I would blister your behind."

Maggie laughed, too. "Oh," was all she said.

Maggie said good-bye to Bob and hung up the phone. "Thank you," she said to Jack.

"You're welcome. But you're still suspended. And I don't want to see you in my office for fighting again. Do you understand me, young lady?" Jack asked.

"Yes, sir," Maggie answered.

Maggie went back to her work. A little later, Heather knocked on the door. When Maggie saw her mom's face, she started to get scared again. She knew she was really in for it.

"Good afternoon, Ms. C-" Jack started to say.

"Please call me Heather," Heather said. They shook hands.

Jack filled Heather in on the events that happened. Heather looked at Maggie and frowned. Maggie looked down at the floor. When Jack told Heather that Maggie was being suspended for the next two days, she was shocked.

She grabbed the chair and sat down hard. "Suspended? What am I going to do? I can't take off work to stay with her. It was hard enough getting out this afternoon," Heather whined.

"Heather, look, you know me. You're practically family, but I have a job to do here. What would it show the other kids if I let her come back tomorrow?" Jack reasoned.

"I know she has to be punished!" Heather admitted. "But, couldn't you give her an in-school suspension?"

"I'm sorry, not in this case, I can't. Look, if you really get stuck, call me tonight. Here's my home number!" Jack handed her a business card. "If you can't take off, and you have no one to leave her with, my wife will watch her at our house. Okay? That's the best I can do."

Jack truly felt bad for this young mother. He knew that her boyfriend was out of town, and the only people she was really close to were Charlie and Lisa, and they both had to work. He had spoken briefly to Bob when he had had his wife call him in Chicago. He had a feeling that Maggie's problems stemmed from all that business. He had heard enough about this family from Charlie and Lisa.

Heather stood up and shook Jack's hand. "Thank you very much. I'm sorry Maggie caused you all this trouble. You can be sure she will be properly punished. I'm going to try to find someone else to watch her tomorrow, but if not, thank you for your offer. I know you did that because I'm friends with your sister- and brother-in-law and I thank you for that. Good-bye." She turned to her daughter and said, "Come along, Maggie!"

Reluctantly, Maggie grabbed her things and followed her mother out the door. In the short car ride home, all Heather said was, "YOU ARE IN A LOT OF TROUBLE, YOUNG LADY!"

"Yes, Mommy," Maggie uttered.

When they got home, Heather told Maggie to put her books down and meet her in her bedroom. Maggie went into her mom's bedroom and started to cry when she saw Heather holding the hairbrush.

Maggie whined, "No, Mommy! I'm sorry!"

"No, I don't think you are, Maggie, but you will be. What on earth possessed you to start a fight today on the playground? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" Heather shouted.

"I guess I wasn't thinking," Maggie cried.

"Apparently not," Heather announced. "And I had to take off work to come get you at school. And now you're being suspended. I can't believe it, Maggie! Now get over here!"

Heather was in no mood to lecture her naughty daughter. She just wanted Maggie to know how angry and disappointed in her, she was. She pulled Maggie's pants and panties down and pulled her across her lap. She used her hand and smacked Maggie about two dozen times, rapidly. Then she picked up the hairbrush and whacked Maggie with it another two dozen times.

Maggie was hysterical by the first smack of the hairbrush. Maggie wondered where Heather learned to use that thing. She was crying uncontrollably by the time Heather put down the brush.

Actually threw the brush is more like it. "What am I doing?" Heather cried. She began to rub Maggie's bottom. "Are you okay, sweetie? I'm sorry I hit you so hard. I didn't realize how angry I was."

Maggie jumped up and hugged Heather hard. "It's okay, Mommy. I'm sorrrreeee! I'm sorry you had to leave your job. I'm sorry I started a fight. I won't do it again!"

Maggie continued to sob. Heather had started crying, too. When Maggie heard Heather cry, she cried harder. "Don't cry, Mommy. I'll be good. I'm sorry. I won't do it again!" she repeated.

The two of them held each other and cried for several minutes. Heather learned a hard lesson that it was better to wait until the anger subsided before you punished your child. She now knew for next time. And no one had to help her: not Charlie, not Bob. She had finally learned how to be a mother, by herself. And she felt really proud.

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

Dinner was a pretty quiet event. Maggie was still feeling badly about what she had done, and Heather was feeling incredibly guilty about how she had handled Maggie's problem. She realized that she hadn't dealt with it with love at all, or with any kind of caring discipline. What she had done was pure retribution, and it had not taught Maggie what was right or wrong.

Neither of them ate much, lost in their own thoughts. Finally Maggie said quietly, "Mom, please forgive me, please?" as tears silently fell down her cheeks.

Heather went over and hugged her hard, and said, "Sweetie, you are forgiven, it is me I can't forgive."

"Why mom?" Maggie asked gently. She had never seen her mother like this before.

"Maggs, I want you to understand that what you did today was wrong, but I also didn't listen to you, or ask for your explanation. I know you miss Uncle Bob. I do too, but we need to deal with that in a more constructive manner, and talk to each other, or if I am not around, to your friends."

"I know, Mom, Uncle Bob said that, too," Maggie admitted.

"He did? When?" Heather asked surprised.

"Mr. Levine somehow called him Mom, and he called back and we talked in the principal's office," Maggie told her.

Heather looked at her incredulously. "What did he say, sweetie?"

Maggie looked down, and then up at Heather, and smiled and told her all that he had said to her, including that if he were there, he would have blistered her bottom. "Sooo, Mommy, you only did what Uncle Bob would have done if HE were here. Right?" asked Maggie.

"No, Maggs. What I did wrong was not cooling off before spanking you. THAT is what I did wrong. But, I think we both learned a lesson here, right?" I learned that sometimes I need a cool down period before I discuss somethings with you, and you need to talk more when you get angry and feel out of control, right?" Heather asked wisely.

"Yes Mom, I promise," Maggie said.

Heather pondered, "Okay, well, I need to find somewhere for you to stay for the next two days."

Just then, the phone rang, and Maggie ran to get it. "Hello? HI Uncle Bob," Maggie smiled into the phone. "Thank you for calling today, Uncle Bob. Yes, umm, Mommy did spank me, but we talked it out, and I learned that I have to talk to her or you or a friend if I feel like that again, just like what you told me too, sir. Yes, I love you, too. Heres Mom."

Bob smiled a lot hearing Maggie's little voice on the phone. God, he missed that little imp. Heather got on the phone, and he could tell immediately that something was wrong. "Whats up, hon?" he asked.

"Ohh, nothing," Heather replied.

Bob said, "UH HUH, now let's try that again, young lady. What is wrong?"

Heather took a deep breath. "Well, Maggie got herself suspended for two days and I have no idea what to do with her. I have to work, and she can't stay here alone."

"Well," Bob said, "I have a crazy idea. How about putting her on a plane in the morning? I will pick her up. It's a direct flight, and then she can drive with me back to New York. It will give us some real quality time together to talk and get to know one another. And you won't have to worry about her being alone. I will make sure she does her work, and take good care of her. What do you say?"

"I say I am jealous! And, wouldn't that be rewarding her for bad behavior?" Heather inquired.

Bob said, "I don't think so, sweetie. I think she and I need some time to clear up some of her problems. And her insecurity about whether she is loved, and whether I will care about her as a person, rather than just as your daughter, that she comes with the package."

"What are you saying, Bob?" Heather asked.

"Just what I said, young lady," Bob replied with a smile.

"Hmmm, I think it is more than that, sir," Heather replied laughing.

Bob laughed and said, "Well, it may be, or not, YOU will just have to wait. Now what do you say about sending Maggie to me?"

"She has never flown alone, and we would have to get up real early to get to the airport and back to get me to work on time," Heather said, thinking aloud.

Bob suggested, "Why don't you call Charlie and let him take Maggie to the airport? I don't think he has to be in until noon on Thursdays."

"I don't know, Bob. I really have to think about this, and talk to Maggie. Can I do that and call you back in an hour?" Heather asked.

"Sure hon. If you feel too uncomfortable about this, then its okay," Bob said as he hung up.

Heather walked into her bedroom to think. Not knowing how to work through her feelings, she closed the door and called Lisa. Quickly filling in the gaps that the twins hadn't already told their mom, she asked Lisa for her opinion of what to do.

Lisa answered, "Well, I hate to say this to you, but you have to make your own decision."

"I know, I know," Heather sighed. "But I was hoping you could help."

"NOW, stop whining to me," Lisa warned. Let's look at the pros and cons. What are the drawbacks?"

Heather answered, "Well, for one thing, Maggie has never flown alone. And also, she's in trouble. She shouldn't go flying off, should she?"

"Hmmm, go on," Lisa told her.

"Well, it's a very long drive back, you know," Heather insisted.

"Uh HUH, keep going," Lisa ordered.

"Well, I want to go, too," Heather finally admitted.

"Good, now we are getting somewhere," Lisa replied. "Can you take the time off work?" "Well, nooo, I can't."

"Do you have a place to leave Maggie?"

"Well, no, not yet."

"Are you afraid Bob cant handle Maggie?"

"Of course not!"

"Do you think it is inappropriate in any way?"

"NOOOO, what a silly thing to say," said Heather. She was answering Lisa's questions as quickly as she asked them.

Lisa continued, "Okay, now let's look at the pros."

"Wellll," Heather started to think, "umm, Maggie would have a blast. She would really get to know Bob as a person, and not a fairy tale-made up one that she has been developing in her mind. Bob would be able to give her his sole attention, and help build her self esteem."

"Okay," Lisa said, "Soo which do you think is the more powerful argument?"

"Well, I still feel jealous," Heather pouted into the phone."

"Hmmm, do you need me to go get Charlie? I bet he could "discuss" your whiny behavior!" Lisa suggested.

"Ummm, no thanks," Heather laughed.

Lisa laughed, too. "So call the airlines, get a one way ticket, and call Bob with the flight arrangements. I am sure Charlie can take her in the morning, if you can't go."

Heather smiled, "Thanks, Lisa, okay, I will."

Heather walked into Maggie's bedroom, and sat on her bed. "Sweetie, I have something to discuss with you."

"What? Mom, did I do something else wrong?" Maggie asked worried.

"Nooo, of course not, hon." Heather drew Maggie into her arms to hug her hard. "I talked to Uncle Bob and,"

Maggie interrupted her, "Is he very mad at me, Mom? Does he hate me?"

"Ohhh hon, just the opposite," Heather reassured her.

"What do you mean, Mom?" Maggie asked.

Heather hesitated. Then she said, "Well, how would you like to see Uncle Bob tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" Maggie frowned up at her mom. "But he said he had to pack the next two days, and then drive for two days to get here."

"Right, well Uncle Bob wants you to fly to him tomorrow morning, help him pack, and then drive back here with him. What do you say?"

"SAY? SAY? Oh MY God! Is he serious, MOM? Oh WOW, OHHHHHHHHH CAN I GO?" Maggie forgot all about her sore bottom, as she danced around the room.

"I will take that to mean you want to go then?" Heather laughed, watching Maggie.

"Ohhh, Mom, I can't believe he wants me," Maggie replied.

"Okay, let me call the airport and get a flight booked for you, and then we will call Uncle Bob together and tell him, okay?" Heather suggested.

The next morning, Maggie couldn't wait for Charlie to come get her and was up since dawn. Heather was nervous, but knew that this would be good for Maggie. Checking her list one more time, and giving Maggie her instructions again, Heather finally kissed her goodbye and let them go. Charlie whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, she will be back before you know it."

to be continued...

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