Change

Chapter Four

10 hours. One week and that was all I had served of my community service, and I was already tired of being there. If you think about it, and I mean really think about it, working there was an unusually cruel punishment. After a few days off from the dust sticking to the inside of my lungs, I became aware of how much I hated it. (And how allergic I am to dust, too.) The only thing that kept me showing up was the fact I could get in a lot of trouble with the police if I didn't show, unless I became one of those teenage runaways, and Katie. Katie was the only girl who would come within arms reach of me, and I enjoyed her company. She did exactly what I asked, no talking back and no complaining. Well actually, she didn't really talk at all.   

She had only spoken to me a few times. I hadn't realized what an impact I was making on her, because Karen said every day she would wake up and ask if I was coming to clean that day. Today's shift was only an hour long, so I think I will be able to survive. Once I walk in the door, Katie spots me, walks away from her little group, and follows me to the room we were now going to work on cleaning up.

"She's happy you're here," Karen whispered to me. The new room was even worse than the other one. This had a scruffy floor, with wood sticking out of it, just asking someone to step on it. Katie didn't have shoes on, and I warned her to watch out. She nods obediently, looking down and concentrating on where the wood was, and was not sticking off the floor. When her eyes met mine, they asked what her job was today. I pondered what I could allow her to do.

"How about today you sweep?" I suggest. I gave her the smallest broom there was, and her eyes lit up. She nods happily, as if I just offered her the best toy in the world. She aimlessly bushed the bristles along the wooden floor as I scraped some hideous water-stained-wallpaper off of the walls. The underneath of it revealed blue paint. It was actually a nice color, calming and pretty. I turned back to Katie. "Isn't this color pretty, Katie?" Her head moves in a nod, the only gesture she has really given me today.

After about 45 minutes of sweeping and scraping, I hear a tiny sound of distraught. Katie was standing, looking down at her foot, which now had a splinter. "Katie!" I say. She jumps a little. I walk towards her and she moves in the opposite direction, panic in her eyes. "Come here, let me help you."

A few tiny tears form and glide down her cheeks. She sniffs and shakes her head. "Katie, I can get the splinter out. She covers her ears, and it hits me. I raised my voice a little. It must have frightened her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell. I won't yell again, just let me help you with the splinter." I kneel next to her, and gently take her tiny ankle in my large hand. Its red and looks like it must hurt. She whimpers a little when I pull it out. "There you are, little one. Good as new."

Katie stands right next to me for the remaining minutes. Before I leave she tugs on my pant leg, and gently whispers up, "Back tomorrow?" I nod.

"I'll be back tomorrow."