The Long Week

The Long Week...a “Missy” Story (F/fmmf)

It was really, really late, and I knew I should have been asleep, but I just couldn’t. I was waiting for something. Someone, really. And then I heard it. Daddy’s footsteps on the stairs. I laid there quietly and waited. Then I heard my door being opened, and Daddy coming in.

First he went to Katie’s bed, leaned down, and kissed her forehead. He did the same to Debbie. Then he came over to my bed. I let him think I was asleep as he kissed my forehead, and pulled my covers up close to me. Then I said, “Daddy?” real quietly as to not wake the others.

He had started to walk away, but when he heard me, he came back. “Missy? You should be sleeping,” he said.

I reached my arms up for a hug. Daddy sat on the edge of my bed and leaned down and hugged me. It felt so good; I never wanted to let go.

“I missed you, Daddy,” I said, trying not to cry.

“I know, sweetie, this has been a long week for me, too.” He let go and laid me back down. He looked at me; it was fairly dark in the room, even though Debbie’s nightlight gave us some light. “You need to go back to sleep now; it’s very late.”

I nodded. I was sleepy, but I missed Daddy so much. He gave me one more kiss, said, “Goodnight, Missy, I’ll see you in the morning,” and walked out, closing the door to my room almost all the way.

It had been like this all week. Daddy was a arkateck. And that didn’t mean the same thing as Noah’s Ark with the animals. I know this ‘cuz I asked one day after Sunday School. Being a arkateck means making plans and drawing designs to make buildings. Like the Daddy on one of my favorite shows, Bewitched.ä

Mommy said Daddy was working on a special design for a client. It had to be just so, she said. And Daddy was putting in lotsa extra hours so he could make it real special for the client.

Every morning, Daddy would wake up with us, help Mommy make us all breakfast and drive us to school. Then he would go to work and not come home ‘til the night when we were all asleep. Mommy said sometimes he didn’t get home until after midnight. Now that’s late!

During the day I was okay. But that’s ‘cuz I was in school. Second grade. It’s better than first grade. We get to do more things and we’re not treated like babies.

And then when I get home, I do my homework and play with my brothers and sisters. That’s one nice thing about having a big family. There’s always someone around to play with.

On Friday, I was so ‘cited, ‘cuz I figgered it was the end of the week, and Daddy would be around all weekend. Well, I was wrong. The client hadn’t liked the plan too much and wanted Daddy to work on it more. I was so sad. And so were Mommy, and Katie, and Debbie, and Joey, and Billy.

We were used to having Daddy around with us, while we did errands, and played, and did stuff around the yard. It was so quiet without Daddy’s tools and equipment doing anything all weekend.

Mommy tried to keep us busy. She took us to a museum on Saturday. But we hadda leave at one point, ‘cuz Debbie touched something she wasn’t supposed to and the museum people kicked us out. Mommy was so embarrassed. When we got home, Mommy gave Debbie a spanking and made her go to her room for the rest of the day.

Then things were real quiet. Mommy was in a bad mood. I think she missed Daddy more than I did. And that’s a lot. Me and Katie tried to play quietly where we wouldn’t bother Mommy. Neither one of us wanted a spanking.

The boys kept out of sight, too. They stayed up in their treehouse the rest of the afternoon. And they wouldn’t let us come up. Normally I would have made a stink about it, but I didn’t wanna get too close to Mommy. She needed some alone time.

They were doing something up there, though. I don’t know what, but they kept coming in and getting different supplies and laughing and running out again. Me and Katie tried to sneak out and look, but we couldn’t see nothing. We even went up to Mommy and Daddy’s room and looked out the window, but didn’t see what they were doing. We finally gave up.

Mommy didn’t feel like cooking, so she gotted us a pizza. It was so good. She let Debbie come down and have pizza with us. She even let Debbie stay down for a while afterwards. Debbie was already sorry she had touched the bad thing in the museum. I think Mommy was being awful hard on her.

Sometime after dinner, Mommy gotted a phone call. A neighbor around the block was havin’ a ‘mergency and needed Mommy to come for a bit. Mommy looked at Billy and said, “Do you think you can watch your brother and the girls for a bit? Maybe half an hour? I’ll be right around the corner.”

Billy nodded. “I can do it, Mommy. I’m almost 11.”

Mommy turned to look at us. She said, “Debbie, you need to go back to your room. I want you in your pajamas. When I get back, you’re going straight to bed.”

Debbie knew better than to protest, although I could tell that’s what she really wanted to do. Then Mommy looked at me and Katie. “You’re to listen to your brother. You hear me? Anyone that doesn’t will get a spanking when I get back.”

“Yes, Mommy,” said Katie. “Yes, ma’am,” I said.

Before Mommy even left, I said to Katie, “Come on, let’s go watch our new video.” She nodded and we went into the den.

Mommy left Billy the number of where she would be and ran out of the house. Me and Katie watched our video, and Debbie was up in our room, still being punished.

Left alone, Billy was totally psyched. He said, “Come on, Joey, let’s go work in the treehouse.” “Yeah,” Joey said.

I heard what they said and peeked out of the den. “You’re not aposed to go outside after dark, Billy,” I said.

Billy glared at me. “Mind your own beeswax, you little brat. And you better not tell Mommy, neither.”

I thought about this. Hmmm, maybe I could get him to do something for me. “Why shouldn’t I? You sposed to watch me and Katie.”

Billy looked at Joey and seemed to think about this. “Okay, Missy, whatdya want?” he asked.

I looked at Katie and conferred for a minute. “What do we want?” I whispered. Katie whispered back.

“We wanna know what you’ve been doing up there all day!” I exclaimed.

Joey said, “Forget it! Think of something else!”

Billy said, “Yeah, don’t you want candy or ice cream or something?”

I nodded. “Yeah, candy AND ice cream. And then we won’t tell Mommy!”

Joey looked up at Billy, I guess wondering if Billy had either of those things to give us. Billy just stared at me and said, “Okay, follow me.”

Katie and I followed the boys into the kitchen. Billy opened the freezer and stuck his hand way in the back and pulled out two ice pops. “I was saving these, but you two can have ‘em.”

I looked at the ices and my eyes popped out. “Wow, thanks!” I said, taking the pops, and handing one to Katie.

Then we watched Billy pull a stool over to the cabinet, stand on it, and reach behind the baking soda for a bag of tootsie rolls. He threw them on the kitchen table. “Here. Have a ball with these!”

I grabbed the bag and looked up at my big brother. I wondered how he knew they were there, and if so, what else was hiding in our kitchen.

“Now you two go and watch your video. When you hear Mommy coming, maybe you can flick the lights, so we know to come in. That’ll be your part of the deal. Fair?” Billy asked.

Katie nodded, so I did, too.

We went back to our video and sucked on our ice pops. We kinda left the wrappers on the den table, and started to work on the tootsie rolls. After I ate about five, (they were the big ones) I started getting a tummyache. I guess Katie did too, cuz she put back the one she had in her hand.

“I eated too many toosy rolls,” Katie said. I nodded. “Me, too.”

We sat there for a few minutes. I still wondered what the boys were doing up in the treehouse: so top secret. I also started missing Daddy so much. I missed Mommy, too, but it wasn’t the same. I had seen her all day.

I went over and turned off the video. “I don’t feel like watching no more, Katie,” I said. “I miss Daddy.”

Katie nodded and said, “Me too. I wish he wuz home.”

We kinda wandered around the house for a bit. It was so quiet and lonely. I sat in the front window and looked out, hoping Daddy would walk right in. But he didn’t.

I started to get an idea. I turned to Katie and said, “Katie? What do people do when they’s missing someone?”

Katie shrugged. “I dunno, Missy,” she said.

My eyes lit up. “They look for ‘em, or they call someone else to find ‘em.”

Katie looked at me with a quizzical look on her face. “What you doing, Missy?” she asked, as I reached for the phone.

“I’m gonna call someone to find Daddy,” I explained, picking it up and dialing three easy numbers: 9-1-1.

The operator answered and said, “Do you have an emergency?”

I nodded and said, “Yes, I want my daddy.”

“Are you home alone?” she asked.

“Uh, well my sisters are here, and my brothers are in the treehouse.”

The lady got nervous. “Where’s your mother, little girl?”

“She had a mergency,” I said, “and hadda leave.”

The operator asked me if I knew my address. I was so excited. We had just had to memorize it for school and I knew both my address and phone number by heart. Katie smiled as I dictated both over the phone. She was proud of me for ‘membering.

“Okay, hold on, we’re sending someone right over. Don’t hang up the phone,” she told me.

“Okay,” I said.

But when the doorbell rang a few minutes later, I got so excited that I hung up the phone and raced to the door. Debbie came running down. “Wat’s goin’ on, Missy?” she asked.

“Daddy’s coming,” I said, excitedly. I reached for the front door and Debbie stopped me.

“You not open the door, Missy,” she said. “You’s not ‘llowed.”

“It’s Daddy, Debbie!” I said, pulling the door open.

But it wasn’t Daddy. It was a policeman. “Hi,” he said, in a friendly voice.

“Hi,” I said back. I looked behind him but I did not see Daddy. I heard sirens, though, and then saw an ambulance and a firetruck pull up.

The next things happened so fast; I’m not sure what order they happened in. But suddenly, Mommy was there, Billy and Joey had run in, and there were like a million people standing in our living room. The phone rang, and it was the operator. Mommy just stared at the five of us.

I had a feeling someone was in big trouble. In fact, I had a feeling it might be me.

It took a while, but Mommy assured the police and the operator and the fire department that everything was all right. They all left, annoyed, but glad that no one was hurt. Mommy sat us down in the living room and stared at us.

“Okay, who’s going to be the first to tell me what is GOING ON IN HERE?” she asked, her voice rising by the time she got to the end of the question.

Katie started to cry. I just looked at my little sister. “It wasn’t Katie, Mommy; I called 9-1-1.”

Billy stared at me. “YOU WHAT!?” he asked.

Mommy turned to stare at me and shouted, “YOU WHAT!?”

I started to cry then, too. “I was looking for Daddy. I was hoping they could find him.”

Katie held on to me, and we cried together. Debbie just looked at the two of us and then up at Mommy. “I not do nuffin, Mommy, I wuz upstairs.”

“Good,” Mommy said, sitting down. “Go back upstairs, Debbie. Mommy will be up to tuck you in, in a few minutes.”

“K,” Debbie said, giving me one last look and then running up the stairs.

“Katie, you go up, too. I want to talk to Missy and the boys.”

Katie looked at me. I let go and nodded. “Go on,” I said. She gave me one last hug and ran up after Debbie.

Mommy looked at Billy then and said, “Where were you that you didn’t know what Missy was doing?”

Billy looked at Joey and then at me. “Umm, I was, I mean, we were...”

“The truth, William, NOW!” Mommy scolded.

I didn’t say nothing. I knew I was already in very big trouble, and also I had promised the boys I wouldn’t tell.

Mommy looked at Joey. “Joseph? Maybe you could tell me?”

Joey looked at Billy and then at Mommy. “We were, uh, we were in the treehouse, Mommy!” he said, starting to cry.

I shook my head. Joey was such a wimp. I bet Billy was so mad at him. But when Mommy looked at Billy and asked if that was true, he nodded.

Mommy sighed. “I want you boys to go up to your room and put your pajamas on. You are both in very big trouble.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Billy said. “Yes, Mommy,” said Joey.

I looked around. I didn’t have to; I knew I was the only one left.

Mommy just looked at me and didn’t say anything for a long time. Finally she asked, very quietly, “What were you thinking, Melissa?”

I told her my theory about finding Daddy. I was crying while I telled her, though, cuz I think she was real mad. I didn’t think that what I did was real bad, and I think she sensed that.

“Go up to your room, put your pajamas on, and then go wait for me in MY room,” Mommy told me. “I need to have a talk with your brothers, but then I will be in.”

I nodded and stood up. “I’m sorry, Mommy,” I said.

“Go on!” Mommy said sternly. I ran up to my room to get ready and do what she told me.

~~~~~~~~~~~

After tucking in Katie and Debbie, Mommy went into the boys’ room. She sat down on Joey’s bed and just looked at Billy. “What did I ask you to do when I had to go around the block?”

Billy looked down and mumbled, “Watch the girls.”

“Excuse me?” Mommy asked. “I didn’t hear you.”

“You asked me to watch the girls,” Billy repeated.

“Yes, I did, and did you do that?”

“No, ma’am.”

“What did you do instead?”

“Me and Joey went into the treehouse,” Billy admitted.

Mommy sighed. She turned then to Joey, and included him in her next question. “Are you boys supposed to go outside when it’s dark? Are you allowed in the treehouse at night?”

Joey shook his head. Billy shook his head and said, “No, ma’am.”

“No, you’re not. Billy, I want you to stand in the corner while I deal with your brother.”

When Billy didn’t move, Mommy turned him around and smacked his behind once. “Go on.”

Billy went to the corner. Mommy pulled Joey over her lap and gave him a dozen quick smacks to his bare bottom and reminded him not to do it again. Joey cried softly and Mommy hugged him.

“Okay, you’re forgiven, just remember not to do it again. Go stand in the corner. William, come here.”

The boys traded places. Billy came over to Mommy and just stood there.

“I am very upset with you, William Mark. Mrs. Rosenthal around the corner had a real emergency, and I thought I could count on you to watch the kids for a little bit. I wasn’t gone very long, not even an hour. And the minute my back was turned, you and your brother went outside to the treehouse where you know you’re not allowed, and left a 4, 5, and 7 year old in the house alone. God only knows what COULD have happened!”

Billy was crying and looking at the floor. He felt pretty bad. He didn’t think about what might have happened. He had just wanted to work on the project in the treehouse.

Mommy lifted his chin so that he was looking straight at her. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to be very strict with you, young man. This can never happen again. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, Mommy,” Billy sobbed. He didn’t feel so grown-up now. He felt like he was Katie’s age.

Mommy reached down and pulled Billy’s pajama bottoms and underwear down to his ankles and then pulled him over her lap. She started to spank his bare bottom with just her hand. She gave him the same dozen spanks that she had given Joey. She stopped.

Billy was crying and looked up at Mommy. She said, “That would have been it, if you had just done what Joey did, and went outside after dark. But...” Mommy began, picking up the hairbrush that she had brought it with her. “This is for not watching your sisters when you told me you could.”

{Whack!} {Whack!} {Whack!} went the hairbrush on Billy’s bare bottom. He cried out and kicked with each smack. In the corner, Joey covered his ears. He was feeling badly for his brother.

{Whack!} {Whack!} {Whack!} {Whack!} {Whack!} {Whack!} {Whack!}

Mommy continued to spank Billy, on both cheeks, including his sit spot, ‘til he was hysterical. Then she put the brush down and rubbed his bottom. She let him cry for a minute over her lap, then gently helped him to his feet. She reached down and slowly and carefully pulled up his underwear and his pajama bottoms.

Billy hugged Mommy tight and sobbed into her chest. “I’m sorry, Mommy,” he cried. She pulled him up into her lap and rubbed his back and his sore bottom. “There, there, honey, it’s all over now. Mommy forgives you.”

Mommy held Billy for a long time, until he had calmed down. She called Joey out of the corner, and the three of them sat cuddling for a little bit. She looked at Billy and made sure all his tears had dried up.

“I want you boys to wash up, brush your teeth, and use the toilet. When I’m finished speaking to Missy, I’ll come in and make sure you’re all tucked in. Okay?”

Both boys nodded. Mommy stood up, brush in hand, and headed towards her bedroom, where I was waiting.

~~~~~~~~

Mommy came in. I was already brushed and washed, and laying on Mommy and Daddy’s bed. She sat down on the edge of the bed, and pulled me in close. Mommy sighed. “What were you thinking, young lady? You know you’re not supposed to call 911 unless someone’s life is in danger. Don’t you?”

I looked away. I guess I knew that. I just wanted to see Daddy so bad that I didn’t think about it ‘til Mommy was scolding me.

Mommy continued, “You know while you did that...someone could have been trying to get through who was hurt badly, but couldn’t get help because you were playing games.”

I didn’t think about it as playing games. But that made sense and made me feel worse. “Mommy? Are you mad at me?”

Mommy nodded. “I am pretty upset, Melissa Erin. You know what 911 is for; it is not for calling to find your father. Daddy is busy working in his office. He is trying to get his design perfect for this client. He will be home when he is through working for the night.”

I said, “Yes, ma’am,” ‘cuz I knew that was what she wanted to hear. But I still thought that the police could have found Daddy and brought him back home to me.

I looked up at Mommy with my puppy dog eyes and pleaded, “Please don't spank me, Mommy, I sorry.”

It didn’t work, though, ‘cuz she said, “I’m sorry, young lady, but what you did could have put someone else’s life in danger.”

She picked me up then and put me down on the floor next to her. She reached down and pulled my panties down, and slid my nightie up. Then she lifted me over her knee.

I cried, “No, please, Mommy! I sorry!”

“Melissa, what you did was wrong, and you are going to be properly punished,” she scolded.

I cringed as the spanks came. There were a million of them, or so it felt. And they hurted, too.

I cried and yelled I was sorry for the millionth time but the spanks kept coming. And then I felt a different kind of spank. Mommy had picked up her hairbrush. I hated that stupid hairbrush; it hurt so much.

{SMACK} “911 is NOT {SMACK} for calling to find {SMACK} Daddy. {SMACK} You could have {SMACK} gotten someone {SMACK} who needed help {SMACK} into a more {SMACK} serious situation.” {SMACK}

I was crying hysterically now. I said, “Owwww, yes, ma’am, I’m sorrrrrrry!”

Mommy stopped spanking and said, “There will be no more using the phone without me or Daddy there, understood?”

I cried and said, “Yes.”

Mommy pulled up my panties then and lowered my nightie as she stood me up. She pulled me into her arms and hugged me. Then she said the magic words I wanted to hear.

“You’re forgiven, baby.”

I sobbed on her shoulder and told her I wouldn’t do it again. I think I said I was sorry again, too. There didn’t seem to be enough ways to say that, though. And I seemed to have to say it a lot.

Mommy wiped at my tears and rocked me. “I’m going to tell your daddy about this, understood?” she said.

I said, “Yes, Mommy.” I knew she would. I would have told him myself if she hadn’t, anyway.

I sniffled and Mommy held me. She said, “Okay, baby, it’s over, calm down.”

Mommy held me and cuddled me tight, until I was calm. I still felt bad. I knew what I had done was wrong. But at the time, it seemed to be the best possible thing. Mommy carried me to my room and tucked me into bed quietly. Katie and Debbie were sound asleep.

~~~~~~

A long time later, Daddy came home and found Mommy in the living room. She had her head in her hands and had a drink on the table next to her. Daddy was surprised. He put his briefcase down and went over to her.

“Christine? Are you okay?” he asked.

She heard his voice, stood up, and threw her arms around his neck. “Oh, David, thank god you’re home.”

Daddy hugged Mommy real tight. “Rough day, hon? Did the kids give you a hard time?”

Mommy just nodded. “Oh, David, it was awful. It was the longest day ever. And it has topped off the longest week ever. Are you finished with those plans?”

Daddy took Mommy’s hand and sat down with her on the couch. “I think I can put the finishing touches on it tomorrow to present to the client on Monday. I think he’ll be real satisfied.”

Mommy smiled, “Good.”

“Now tell me what happened. Who did you have to punish?”

Mommy sighed and said, “Well, Katie...”

But Daddy cut her off. “Katie?” He frowned. “What’d she do?”

Mommy held up her hand. “You didn’t let me finish, hon.” She took a sip of her drink, which turned out just to be orange juice. “Katie was the only one I DIDN’T have to spank.”

Daddy’s eyes grew wild. “WHAT?” he said, trying not to yell. “What on earth happened here today?”

Mommy went on to tell Daddy about what Debbie did at the museum, and how Mrs. Rosenthal had that emergency, and leaving the kids for a bit, with Billy in charge, and the boys going out to the treehouse. Daddy just stared at Mommy as she rambled on.

“And Missy?” he asked, almost afraid.

“She called 9-1-1,” Mommy stated simply.

Daddy rose then and just stared. “SHE DID WHAT?”

~~~~~

I came down then. I had been sitting on the top step listening. “I called 9-1-1, Daddy,” I said quietly.

Daddy whipped around and saw me standing there. Mommy stood up, too. “Melissa, what are you doing out of bed? It’s the middle of the night.”

I came over and put my arms up to Daddy, crying. He picked me up and held me tight. We all sat down on the couch. Daddy just held me while Mommy told him what I did and why.

He sighed. Then he turned me so that he could look into my eyes. “Do you know why what you did was wrong, Melissa?” he asked.

I nodded. “Yes, sir. ‘Cuz 9-1-1 is just for mergencies and someone coulda gotted real hurt. I sorry, Daddy.”

Daddy and Mommy exchanged a look. “It’s okay, sweetie. Mommy punished you and it’s all over now. As long as you don’t ever do it again.”

“I won’t, Daddy, I won’t,” I cried.

Daddy held me and rubbed my back until I fell asleep again. Then he carried me up to my room and tucked me back in.

He was glad that his design was almost finished. It had been a long week for him, too.

The end.