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house all day, Iâd go crazy. So I decided to go to work instead of Mom. Apart from giving me something to do, Iâd get paid.
Also itâs Wednesday, and every second Wednesday she cleaned for the Coopers, which is where I told Jack to write. Mom didnât go last week, which meant they were expecting her today. I figured if I went there Iâd be able to tell them in person that I gave Jack their address, and I could ask them for a stamp.
The Coopers live in a big old house in Westmount. Theyâre very quiet. They had a daughter who died. Her picture is over the fireplace. They arenât too interested in anything and thereâs never much to clean at their place. It wasnât the first time I was going instead of Mom. I took her place whenever she was sick or had a migraine.
Theyâre nice old people, tall and skinny. People who are that nice make you feel bad. Dr. Cooper worked in Africa, but heâs retired now.
Theyâve always helped us out. They paid our phone bill because you canât pay without a bank account. Mom gave them the money and they looked after it. They also offered to apply for benefits for her, but shesaid no. She didnât want anything to do with the government.
There was a bit of snow this morning, but it turned into rain and fog before I got to the Coopers. I like fog.
I got there at around 11. They told me to help myself to whatever I wanted for lunch. I told them I gave Jack their address because we might be moving, and I asked if they had a stamp. They took the letter and promised to mail it. They asked how Mom was. I said she was taking a day off.
They always go out on cleaning day to visit some old friends. After they left, I made myself three kinds of sandwiches â cold chicken and lettuce, peanut butter and margarine, peanut butter and jam. The bread was the kind you slice yourself.
Then I found a bag of old sprouting potatoes. They were OK once I peeled them. I boiled a few and mashed them with margarine. Then I had spiral cinnamon cookies that were pretty stale, and chocolate milk. I really like chocolate milk. Iâd drink it five times a day if I could afford it.
After I ate I cleaned the house cleaner than itâs ever been in its entire life. I moved these old big sofas and cleaned behind and under them and I got on a stepladder and cleaned the light fixtures. They were really dusty. Then I did all the windows and windowsills, though I couldnât do the outside. Wonder Woman, thatâs me.
I stayed a lot longer than I was supposed to, and I wasstill working away for two hours after they got back. They were surprised, I think. They gave me a big tip, $40 on top of the $60, and they said they hope Mom gets well soon.
Dr. Cooper said, âShe must be extremely proud of you.â I let him have his illusion.
Iâm wiped out from lifting sofas and moving beds. I hope I wonât have those dreams tonight. Iâll think about your planet, Xanoth, and the vegetable gardens and the pink and blue skies and cute sheep. Did you have fun at the outdoor dance with the crystal lights on the trees and the rainbow stars against the dark sky? Did your sister Lulu set the date for her wedding? I wonder where she and Om will go on their honeymoon, and how many children theyâll have. I love how it doesnât hurt to give birth on your planet. The babies just slip out, and instead of crying when they come out, they laugh.
Yours forever,
Fern
Thursday
November 22
Hi Xanoth,
I should explain that I canât tell anyone about Mom because of the rent. Julian, the guy who called 911, asked how she was doing. I said we switched hospitals, just in case he gets it into his mind to check up on me. He asked which hospital, but I pretended not to hear. Iâm good at going deaf on people.
The thing is, if they find out Momâs dead theyâll kick me out of here right away. Theyâve been dying to kick us out because they
Also itâs Wednesday, and every second Wednesday she cleaned for the Coopers, which is where I told Jack to write. Mom didnât go last week, which meant they were expecting her today. I figured if I went there Iâd be able to tell them in person that I gave Jack their address, and I could ask them for a stamp.
The Coopers live in a big old house in Westmount. Theyâre very quiet. They had a daughter who died. Her picture is over the fireplace. They arenât too interested in anything and thereâs never much to clean at their place. It wasnât the first time I was going instead of Mom. I took her place whenever she was sick or had a migraine.
Theyâre nice old people, tall and skinny. People who are that nice make you feel bad. Dr. Cooper worked in Africa, but heâs retired now.
Theyâve always helped us out. They paid our phone bill because you canât pay without a bank account. Mom gave them the money and they looked after it. They also offered to apply for benefits for her, but shesaid no. She didnât want anything to do with the government.
There was a bit of snow this morning, but it turned into rain and fog before I got to the Coopers. I like fog.
I got there at around 11. They told me to help myself to whatever I wanted for lunch. I told them I gave Jack their address because we might be moving, and I asked if they had a stamp. They took the letter and promised to mail it. They asked how Mom was. I said she was taking a day off.
They always go out on cleaning day to visit some old friends. After they left, I made myself three kinds of sandwiches â cold chicken and lettuce, peanut butter and margarine, peanut butter and jam. The bread was the kind you slice yourself.
Then I found a bag of old sprouting potatoes. They were OK once I peeled them. I boiled a few and mashed them with margarine. Then I had spiral cinnamon cookies that were pretty stale, and chocolate milk. I really like chocolate milk. Iâd drink it five times a day if I could afford it.
After I ate I cleaned the house cleaner than itâs ever been in its entire life. I moved these old big sofas and cleaned behind and under them and I got on a stepladder and cleaned the light fixtures. They were really dusty. Then I did all the windows and windowsills, though I couldnât do the outside. Wonder Woman, thatâs me.
I stayed a lot longer than I was supposed to, and I wasstill working away for two hours after they got back. They were surprised, I think. They gave me a big tip, $40 on top of the $60, and they said they hope Mom gets well soon.
Dr. Cooper said, âShe must be extremely proud of you.â I let him have his illusion.
Iâm wiped out from lifting sofas and moving beds. I hope I wonât have those dreams tonight. Iâll think about your planet, Xanoth, and the vegetable gardens and the pink and blue skies and cute sheep. Did you have fun at the outdoor dance with the crystal lights on the trees and the rainbow stars against the dark sky? Did your sister Lulu set the date for her wedding? I wonder where she and Om will go on their honeymoon, and how many children theyâll have. I love how it doesnât hurt to give birth on your planet. The babies just slip out, and instead of crying when they come out, they laugh.
Yours forever,
Fern
Thursday
November 22
Hi Xanoth,
I should explain that I canât tell anyone about Mom because of the rent. Julian, the guy who called 911, asked how she was doing. I said we switched hospitals, just in case he gets it into his mind to check up on me. He asked which hospital, but I pretended not to hear. Iâm good at going deaf on people.
The thing is, if they find out Momâs dead theyâll kick me out of here right away. Theyâve been dying to kick us out because they
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