Ann Martin - Dawn And The Impossible Three

"My mom and dad are divorced," I explained.

"So are ours," said Buddy.

"I know."

Suzi had been helping Marnie build a tower of paper cups. She looked up with interest. "I wonder how long divorce lasts," she said.

"It's forever," I replied, surprised.

"That's what Mommy said, but. . . ."

"But you keep hoping your dad will come back?"

"Yeah," said Buddy and Suzi at the same time.

"Me, too," I said, "except I know he won't."

"Do you miss your dad?" asked Buddy.

"Very much."

"Me, too."

Buddy moved over until he was sitting next to me. I put my arm around him. Then I held my other arm out to Suzi, but instead of joining us, she jumped to her feet.

"You. Are. A. Liar!" she cried, pointing her finger at me. "A liar," Then she ran out of the playroom and upstairs.

"What did I say?" I asked Buddy.

Buddy frowned. "I think it was the part about daddies not coming back. She really thinks ours is going to come home for good one day."

"Hmm," I said. "Well, we'll leave her alone for a while."

Buddy turned on a cartoon show and settled down to watch. After a while I decided to take Mamie upstairs to change her diaper. Marnie shared a room with Suzi, but Suzi wasn't in the room. The door to the bathroom was closed, however.

As I was finishing up with Marnie, the bathroom door opened a crack. Suzi peeked through. "Dawn?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"I-I had an accident." Suzi scrunched up her face and began to cry.

"Hey, that's okay," I said. "Accidents happen." I put Marnie in her crib, and stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind me.

"I wet my pants," Suzi moaned.

"It's really all right," I told her. I grabbed some paper towels and mopped up the puddle on the tile floor.

"Do we have to tell Mommy?" asked Suzi.

"Not if you don't want to. Here, we'll rinse out your pants and your underwear, and get you some clean pants. Then you'll be all set."

By the time Suzi and Marnie and I were on our way downstairs, Suzi was smiling again. A few minutes later, Mrs. Barrett came home. I wish I'd had a camera so I could have recorded the look on her face when she saw the clean house.

"You're a wonder, Dawn!" she exclaimed.

"She's the best baby-sitter we ever had," said Buddy.

"She's our favorite," Suzi chimed in.

"I hope you'll come back," said Mrs. Barrett as she paid me.

"Any time," I told her cheerfully.

If I had only known then how often "any time" was going to be, I might not have spoken so quickly.

Chapter 6.

Kristy is so lucky. I wish Andrew and Karen were going to be ray little stepsister and stepbrother. I baby-sat for them once and they were lots of fun and really cute, even if Andrew is kind of shy and Karen talks too much.

I asked Kristy lots of questions about her afternoon there because I was trying extra hard to be friendly to her. Kristy always opens up where Andrew and Karen are concerned. This is what she told me.

As soon as Mr. Brewer left, Karen pulled Kristy into the living room and said, "Let's play 'Let's All Come In/ Please."

"Okay," said Kristy, "but I don't think we really have enough people. Wouldn't the game be better with four?"

"Let's All Come In" is a game Karen invented herself. Karen just turned six and she's very smart. She started out in kindergarten last fall and was skipped into first grade after Christmas. She didn't have a bit of trouble, and now she reads like crazy and can add and subtract almost as fast as I can.

Her game is about the guests who come to a big, fancy, old-fashioned hotel. Karen always makes Kristy (or the oldest person) the bell captain. Then she and Andrew and her friends take turns entering the lobby as hotel workers

or exotic guests — wealthy old women in furs, sea captains, famous people. Karen and Andrew have an amazing collection of "dress-up" clothes, so they can put on a good costume for just about every character. And Mr. Brewer's living room is perfect for a lobby.

As I've mentioned, Mr. Brewer is rich and his house is a mansion. It's full of expensive things, but he hasn't turned it into a museum. What I mean is that Karen and Andrew are allowed in the living room, the dining room, the study, etc., even though there are antiques and breakables everywhere. As far as I know, they're always careful. Maybe it's because they know their father trusts them.

Anyway, Mr. Brewer's living room is gigantic — big enough for a grand piano, and even a little tree, which stands in a brass tub near the fireplace. There are three couches, five armchairs, a long glass coffee table, several end tables, and a crystal chandelier. Instead of carpeting, Mr. Brewer has put small Oriental rugs down and keeps the wooden floor polished. The room does look a little like a hotel lobby, if you squint your eyes and use your imagination, which Kristy and Karen and even Andrew (although he's not quite four) can do just fine.

"I know who the fourth person for our game

could be," Karen told Kristy that Saturday afternoon.

"Who?"

"Hannie Papadakis."

Hannie is one of Karen's new first-grade friends. She lives across the street and two mansions down from the Brewers. Kristy had met Hannie a couple of times and liked her.

"Okay/' said Kristy. "Let's call her. You invite her over, but I'll have to talk to her mother or father."

(A good baby-sitter always includes parents in plans for younger children. Kristy knew that Mr. and Mrs. Papadakis might not want Hannie going to a house with a baby-sitter in charge instead of a parent.)

But Mr. Papadakis said it was fine for Hannie to come over, and a few minutes later, Hannie was ringing the Brewers' front bell.

Karen and Andrew ran to answer it.

"See who's there before you open the door," Kristy cautioned them. (You can't be too careful.)

Karen peered out the left window, Andrew peered out the right. "It's Hannie!" they called at the same time.

"Okay, let her in."

Karen hauled open the door and led Hannie into the living room. "Are you ready for 'Let's

All Come In'?" Karen asked her excitedly. "That's what we're playing today." Sometimes Karen can be bossy. I'm surprised she and Kristy get along so well.

"I'm all ready," replied Hannie, who has played often. "First I'm going to be Mrs. Noswimple."

"Okay," said Karen. "Kristy, you go behind the desk. Andrew, you be the bellhop."

As the youngest, Andrew often gets stuck with parts like elevator operator or bellhop, or less important characters such as somebody's little boy. Once, Karen made him play a pet cocker spaniel.

Kristy sat on the floor behind the coffee table. Karen had placed a pencil, a composition book, and a bell in front of her.

"Hannie, come put on your Mrs. Noswimple outfit. Andrew, get your cap and jacket."

The kids ran up the stairs to the playroom on the second floor. A few minutes later, they ran back down. Andrew was wearing a red cap and a blue jacket decorated with gold braid. Hannie was wearing a skirt that reached to the floor; large, sparkly high heels with no toes; a fur stole; and a hat with a veil. In one hand, she carried a pair of spectacles attached to a diamond-studded stick. Behind her, Karen was dressed as Mrs. Mysterious, all in black,

including a black eye patch and a black fright wig.

"Places, you guys!" Karen directed.

Andrew ran to stand next to Kristy's "desk," Karen waited in the foyer since guests only come into the hotel one at a time, and Hannie made her entrance.

She walked into the hotel lobby as grandly as was possible, considering she was clumping around in shoes that were six sizes too big for her. "Helloo," she called in a high, thin voice.

"Good day," replied Kristy. "Won't you come in, Mrs. Noswimple. How nice to see you."