The Target

Chapter Three - Not Your Charity

I felt like I was going to have a panic attack. She wasn't cute or adorable anymore. She wasn't playing with me or shooting me. She was crying for her mother and I had no idea how to stop her.

The fact that my hearing was sharper than anything didn't help. I could over hear her cry and it was driving me crazy.

I went and kneeled in front of her, "Leslie honey..."

"mommy... Mommy..." she threw a tantrum.

"okay look I understand that I'm a stranger but we can do this. We just need to communicate instead of crying you know. So talk to me. Tell me how you're feeling so we can try and solve this.." I said and she stopped crying and gave me a confused look.

I couldn't blame her for giving me that look. I spoke like I was with an adult in therapy. She was just a child crying for her mom. She probably needed candy to shut up, but I was not like that. I was talking to her like I was advicing her mother about her awful marriage or them neglecting their child.

"talk to me pumpkin.."

"pumpkin..." she said then hiccupped and I smiled, "umh.. You want pumpkin?"

She nodded her head and I sighed in relief and picked her up.

"okay let's go to the kitchen and I'll see if I can't cook you something."

She just looked at me. I took a small towel that was on her bed and wiped her face. I smiled after that, "See... You look very beautiful when you don't cry.. Promise me you won't cry.."

She frowned a bit, "I want mommy..."

I sighed, "I know me too... She's one Heck of a human being. But, she'll come back okay, so let's go make you some pumpkin in the mean time.. Okay?"

"okay.."

I caressed her cheek, "good girl.."

We then made our way downstairs to the kitchen. I put her on the chair that was definitely hers. It was the safest chair on the table to make sure that she doesn't fall. I sighed. Rich people.

I opened the fridge and looked around. It was so full and thank God there was pumpkin in there also. I took it out and everything I'll need to make pumpkin puree. My mother loved making me that when I was growing up. I hoped she likes it.

I kept singing for her as I was cooking and she'd laugh at me or at how stupid I sounded.

I got milk in a plastic cup and gave it to her, "here you go pumpkin.."

"milk .. My milk.." she said and I laughed when I realized what she meant, "okay smarty pants.. You are pumpkin okay... And yes this is milk.. Now be a good girl and drink it so that you will grow taller than mom."

She smiled and started drinking it. I finished up cooking and then gave her some when I was done. She looked at me a bit hesitantly and then back at the pumpkin in front of her.

I nodded my head," yes.. That's pumpkin.. You can taste it and tell me if it's horrible."

She looked at the food again and licked her lips and that's when I remembered that this was a baby and she probably didn't know how to feed herself. God I sucked at this.

I took her hand and put the spoon in it. Then I made her get food in the small bowel and drove it to her mouth. I made a car sound and she looked at me weirdly before opening her mouth. I smiled, "and the garage opened..." I pushed her hand in her mouth and she tasted the food then swallowed.

"and the car parked..." I said and gave her a stern look, "how does it taste..?"

"again.." she said and I smiled and repeated what I did.

I loved this about myself. I knew I could cook about anything.

I started working right from the academy and that taught me one thing. How to be independent and be able to cook for myself. I hated takeaways everyday and hated having food that was cooked by someone else. I'd miss mom's cooking and ended up learning how to cook. Phone calls with her turned to video calls and cooking lessons. She was willing to help and was so happy that I wanted to learn.

Before I knew it the food in front of her was finished and she was smiling. I looked at her, "are you full now?"

"wiii wiii..."

"umh.. What is that...?"

"wiii...wiii... I have to go.." she said looking a bit uncomfortable as if she wanted to cry again.

I couldn't. I couldn't deal with her crying again. I was going to quit.

"I didn't go to baby school so I'm really lost here.. Is there another word for that..?" I asked and she just frowned at me.

I sighed, "okay don't cry yet.. Hold that thought.." and took my phone to call the person I was having a hard time talking to.

'honey... Hey..'

"mom..."

'how are you..?'

"what is to wiii wiii..." I got straight to the point.

'to go to the bathroom... And only a baby would say that. Sandra...'

"oh God.. Thank you.. I have to go.."

'Sandra Joel what is going on..?'

"mom I have to take someone to wii wii right now.. We will talk.."

'how will we do that if you are avoiding my calls..'

"mommy..." Leslie said and she frowned more. God she was going to cry.

"Leslie pumpkin. I'll take you to wiii wii okay.. Just don't cry... Please...." then I sighed, "mom.. I have to go.." I hung up before she could complain.

I quickly unbuttoned Leslie on her safe chair and picked her up then we ran upstairs to her bedroom since I saw a bathroom there. I put her there and she did the 'wiii wiii' as she calls it.

After that she went and laid on her met, "I want mommy.."

I laid next to her and gave her the doll that she gave me earlier, "I want mommy too.. We've been together for 3 hours. 3 hours pumpkin and I can feel it. This is harder than I thought.."

She laughed and I smiled, "you are so adorable.. And your mom wants to give you the world but not herself."

She just kept on smiling.

"okay... I'm going to shoot you and you have to sleep.."

"okay.." she said and I laughed before showing her my fake hand gun. I shot her, "poof...".. And she closed her eyes while she was still smiling.

I watched her quietly as the smile that was on her face faded slowly and she started breathing steadily.

I could not believe it. She was sleeping. Wooooow. She actually fell for that? Woow..

I sat up and took the deepest breath I have ever taken and let it all out. Okay, taking care of a baby was not a child's play. It was sooo easy in the mind but hard in actuality.

I saluted mothers. I truly did.

I slowly got up and put a blanket over her small body then made my way to the kitchen to clean it since I left it dirty.

It didn't take me long to clean the place and I ended up cooking lasagna.

I smiled and went to check on her. She was still sleeping there. I went back downstairs and dished up for myself then enjoyed the food.

My phone started raining and I jumped a bit before answering, "umh.. Sandra speaking."

'Sandra it's Martha.. I'm calling to check on how you guys are doing.. I'm so sorry I left you earlier.'

I shook my head as if she could see me, "it's no problem Mrs Pillow... We are okay.. She ate and is now sleeping. I was just cleaning up the kitchen because I used it. I hope you don't mind."

'oh no I don't.'

"and I hope it's okay that I cooked. When she fell asleep I just couldn't sit around, so I prepared something."

'you didn't have to do that but thank you so much. I'll be with you in an hour okay. I'm just wrapping up here so that I'll finish showing you around the house and set some rules..'

Rules.. God I hope I didn't do anything wrong.

" yes Mrs Pillow.. See you then.. Bye.."

She hung up and I finished up cleaning and washed the dishes I used.

In an hour she was here indeed but she wasn't alone. Next to her walked her husband. And watching them walk in together like that gave me time to examine them.

They looked so good together and I could perfectly tell that Leslie took after her mother. They spoke a bit and I noticed that Mr Pillow was on his phone texting.

I quickly got up when they were about to reach me.

"hey Mr and Mrs Pillow.."

"God you gave me a fright... Who are you?" Robert Pillow said not even giving me a second look. The first glance he gave me made me feel like I was some dirty lost thing.

"she's the new babysitter Robert.. You were supposed to be here in the morning for that.." his wife butted in and he sighed and now looked at me. This look made me feel naked coz I could feel his eyes scan my whole body. He shook his head, "isn't she a bit older for that? Shouldn't she concentrate on a real career other than be here babysitting.."

Woow.. What was wrong with older people babysitting?

"Robert please don't be rude.."

"and where is Leslie if she's babysitting her by sitting here."

"sleeping upstairs.. I had no idea that I had to sit and watch her while she sleeps.. But Mrs Pillow was about to set some rules so from now onwards I'll know what I should do and shouldn't.." I responded.

"you should change a career.. This one doesn't suit you.."

"smells pretty good in here.." his wife said changing the subject and I sighed not even in the mood, "I cooked."

"you didn't have to do that.. Who's going to eat that..." her husband asked and I was so shocked at how such a rude person could marry such a beautiful nice woman. And the way he talked was like he didn't even see her.

"yeah I'll take them with me.."

"we are not your charity.. That's our..."

"Robert...!!" Martha said sternly and I heard someone cry upstairs.

"I'll go check on Leslie.. Apologies for using your grocery Mr Pillow.. I'll pay back everything I used tomorrow." then I left them there..

"was that necessary?" I heard Martha ask and her husband sighed, "she cooked... Our food in our home.. Did you have her background checked.. And how could you hire her and not the first three you showed me."

I disappeared in Leslie's bedroom because I didn't want to hear much of what he was going to say. I didn't like him and I was going to kick his ass if he kept on treating me like this.

"hey pumpkin.."

She turned around and looked at me. I smiled, "it's Sandra.. Remember me?"

"mommy..."

"yeah she's downstairs... She's back.."

"pumpkin..." Leslie said and she came running to me and pulled my leg into a hug.

The door opened and I turned around to see her mother there, "hi Mrs Pillow.."

"please call me Martha.. I get that a lot when I'm at work..".. I didn't respond to that

Her daughter ran to her and hugged her, "mommy...."

"hey honey.. What did you do today.."

"pumpkin.. Pumpkin.."

I sighed not knowing what was said downstairs worried me a bit, was I going to be fired? I now regretted not listening to them. Maybe I should have used one of my abilities.

"umh.. Should I go?" I asked.

"not yet. I should finish up what we were doing earlier.. But before that I want to apologise for my husband. He's having a very bad day."

She made excuses for him. I watched her and she spoke like her husband didn't mean anything he said to me.

I laughed and she stopped talking," what? "

" next time you guy say you want a babysitter I think you should specify the age thing."

"nonsense.. You are beautiful and you were amazing with her.. And she ate pumpkin. She doesn't eat pumpkin.."

I furrowed my brows at her. Say what now? How did she know that her daughter ate pumpkin..? Was it her screaming pumpkin?

"umh.. We have cameras. I probably should have told you that. We have cameras in the kitchen...and outside.."

"we will install them everywhere now. I don't want anything of mine missing." her husband said walking in.

"daddyyyy.." the excitement in Leslie's voice made me a bit happy. Maybe he wasn't an ass to his daughter. She extended her hands to him so that he could take him but he didn't.

"hey honey... Look what daddy got you.." he said that taking out a box of a doll.

Another toy? Woow.

His phone started ringing and he put the toy on his wife's hand and responded, "Lucky I have been waiting for your call.. How is the thing coming along?" then he disappeared.

I turned to Martha and gave her a sad smile. If being a Billionaire meant you have to deal with such crappy husbands then I was good as a lesbian woman and not as a billionaire. They can keep their money.

I sighed though wanting to know what thing he was talking about, " let me go check the things I used in the kitchen so that I'll pay them back.."

"you don't have to do that. Your food is amazing.."

I furrowed my brows at her, "you ate it?"

"not yet.. I just tasted it. So forget what Robert said."

"he won't be impressed.. I thought I'd lose my job."

"you won't. Leslie likes you and it's all about her..."

"pumpkin.. Pumpkin.." Leslie said pointing at me and I shook my head, "no no no you got this all wrong..I'm not pumpkin.. You are.."

"no you are... " Leslie said making me laugh, "I can do this all night. But your father will probably fire me. So I have to go now.."

"could you come a little bit early tomorrow. So we can finish up a few things..my first meeting is at 9..And I'm really sorry again about Robert. Don't take anything he says at heart. I don't either.."

Again. Interesting detail there.

"I'll be here at 7 am sharp Mrs Pillow.."

"Martha.."

"Mrs Martha Pillow.."

She smiled. I waved at Leslie, "See you tomorrow pumpkin.."

She laid on her mom's shoulder, "See you tomorrow pumpkin.."

I got out and looked around. He was nowhere to be found. I looked on the floor, took a deep breath and my eyes slowly turned to Gold. I looked around and could see through the walls. I saw him downstairs in another room. I slowly made my way down the stairs. I growled a bit and my ears started shifting a little bit.

'no... I said no.. Don't call me again. You heard what I said. Don't call me. I'll call you tomorrow and we will talk about this. I am with my wife and child. Bye..' I heard Robert say then he hung up.

I quickly went to the main door and headed out. I got inside my car and tried to calm down until I was fully back to being human.

I sighed. Who was he talking to and why didn't he want them to call him at home?