Chapter 2

I am standing on my back porch holding the baby and trying to feed him his bottle when a couple of my workers show up to clean the show barn. We are having our yearly sale in less than a month and I am not ready.

Amos, who is black as coal and about as old as my father comes up on the porch. He has heard my wife yelling for me to come in. She needs me. This is the third ‘emergency’ so far this morning and it is just now 7 am. Amos takes over feeding the baby and I rush in to change my wife’s diaper. In 15 minutes I am back.

“You need help,” says Amos.

“No shit, but I have looked around and I just cannot afford it right now. People are wanting a hundred dollars a day just to care for my wife for eight hours. No way can I pay that.”

He motions for me to sit down and he starts, “Dan you’ve known me since you were a kid so you know I would not steer you wrong. I have a niece. She’s a good kid. Went to nursing school, had a good job in a hospital but then got involved with a no good boyfriend. To make a long story short, the police busted him in her apartment with 2 keys of coke. She has always swore she knew nothing about it and she never did drugs. Well the judge did not believe her. The boyfriend got 20 years and she got five. She was out in 18 months but she cannot get a job in nursing anymore. She is living with me and works cleaning office buildings in town every night. She would be perfect for you.”

“Bring her over as soon as you can, I will give her a try.”

“I’ll give her a call. She should be getting home from work about now.”

He called and his wife said she was just walking in the door. She put her on the phone and he explained my situation. She was interested and when did I want to meet her. I told Amos to go get her.

He was back in about 45 minutes. I don’t know what I was expecting but it was not this. This girl is black, as black as Amos. Tall, about 5’9”. She weighs maybe 110 lbs. I am guessing 34-c breasts, a great ass sits on top of those long legs, and a very pretty face. Notice I describe the face last. I am a man.

She walks up to me and shakes my hand and in a very educated voice says, “Glad to meet you Lt. Dan. My name is Tina. Uncle Amos speaks very highly of you. Why don’t we go inside and you can introduce me to your wife.”

I am a little stunned. I don’t know what I was expecting but it was not this! What I had standing in front of me was a contestant in a Miss Black America beauty contest!

I take her into the house and introduce her to my wife. They seem to hit it off. Beth is telling her about the fall and being in the hospital. They were discussing what medicines she is taking when Tina turns to me and says, “If you need go, you can leave. I got this.” Thank god! I almost run out of the house as I hear the baby start to cry. He needs changing, again. I hear Tina say, “I’ll get him.”

At the barn I get busy preparing for the sale.

Lunch time comes and I headed up to the house. As I opened the back door I smell food. Tina has prepared lunch. She tells me to wash up and she will set me a place. I come out of the bathroom to find a plate of mashed potatoes, corn and two pork chops waiting on me. There is a pitcher of tea and a glass full of ice cubes, some lemon slices and a pan of corn bread.

Tina leaves the kitchen as I sit down and I asked her to sit and eat with me. She says no, it seems that Beth and her are eating in the bedroom while watching a movie. I ate then peeked in on the baby. It looks like he has been fed and bathed. He is sleeping peacefully. I hear the washing machine running. This is working out but we have not discussed her salary. I peeked in at her and Beth.

“We need to talk this afternoon before you go home.”

I expect Amos will be taking her home when he leaves this afternoon.

Quitting time is 4pm so I went up to the house about 3:30. Tina met me at the door and whispered for me to be quiet. She has just put the baby down for a nap and Beth is also asleep. We went into the kitchen and sat at the table. There was a fresh pot of coffee and she poured both of us a cup.

“Lt. Dan, you need more than a nurse to take care of Beth. You need a nanny for Brian and a housekeeper and a cook. All that cannot be done by one person in an 8 hour day. That is a 24/7 full time job. I would really like to do it but you will have to let me move into that extra bedroom. That means room and board and a $100 a...” I interrupt.

“The room and board I can live with but there is just no way can I pay $100 a day. That would come to $3,000 a month and I am sorry I just cannot afford that.”

“I was going to say $100 every two weeks, can you afford that?”

I stare at her.

“$200 a month? How about a $100 a week? I can afford that.”

“Deal” she stuck out her hand and I shook it.

“I’ll go home and pack a couple of suitcases and I will be back in the morning with Uncle Amos. There are some leftovers in the fridge for your supper.” Amos is waiting in his truck as she runs out the door.

That night I sat in the bedroom rocking the baby and watched a movie with Beth. When the movie was over I put the baby to bed and talked to Beth.

“I hired Tina today. She is going to move into the spare bedroom and take care of you and the baby full time starting tomorrow.”

“I knew you would. I like her and she is really good with Brian. She brought him in and put him in bed with me this afternoon, he went to sleep in my arms. She said we needed to bond. I think her and I will be good friends. Did you like her cooking?”

“Anything beats my cooking, so yeah, how about you?”

“Loved it. She asked me what you liked, even how you liked your tea. And she did two loads of laundry. We are lucky to have found her. And yes she told me all about her time in prison so I know everything.”