Their New Beginning chapter 5

While Walter walked back home, Molly and John waked to the Philips’ house to babysit. They arrived at the house at 6 P.M. and the sound of crying, screaming children could be heard through the door. The Philips had three children, a seven year old named Thomas, a six and a half year old named Lisa, and a 5 month old baby girl named Emily. When John and Molly walked through the door the screaming was much louder, and the words, “Don’t go!” echoed within the walls. Mrs. Philips was wearing a nice red dress and carrying a crying baby Emily out of her bedroom with Lisa wrapped around her leg. Mr. Philips, wearing khaki dress pants and a nice blue shirt wasn’t spared from the crying either. He had Thomas wrapped around his leg as well. The crying from Lisa and Thomas all but stopped when they saw John by the door. Quick as a flash, Thomas and Lisa let go of their parents’ legs and rushed to hug him.
“Hi guys! How are you?” John said hugging Thomas and Lisa.
“Hi John, so glad you’re here.” Mrs. Philips said coming to meet him.
“Hi Mrs. Philips. I hope you don’t mind but I brought my friend Molly to help babysit.”
“Nice to meet you Molly. John is great with the children but they do get a little out of hand.” Mrs. Philips said rocking baby Emily back and forth in her arms. “John, the children have already eaten their dinner and they don’t need their baths tonight. And you do remember their bedtime is 8:30 right?” Mrs. Philips continued as she put Emily down and went into the kitchen to grab her purse off of the counter.
“Yes I do. Tell Mr. Philips I said hi.”
“I will. We’ll be back at 9:30; 10:00 at the latest.” Mrs. Philips said as she went out the door to the car that was sitting in the driveway with Mr. Philips behind the wheel. John shut the door and the Philips drove away.
The rest of the evening John played with Thomas in Thomas’s room; helping him build a train with parts from an Erecter set, while Molly sat at the kitchen table with Emily in her arms and Lisa coloring pictures with crayons at the table. Soon it was bedtime and John and Molly helped Thomas and Lisa change into their pajamas and get ready for bed. They both read a bedtime story to each of them and then closed their bedroom doors when they were done. The last one to be put to bed was Emily; who was being fussy. John tried his best to get Emily to sleep by rocking her gently but it didn’t work. Finally Molly gave it a try.
“Can I try?” asked Molly. John handed Emily over to Molly and she went to Emily’s room and stood in front of her crib. She rocked her gently back and forth and softly sang a song she knew by heart.
“Mister Bubbles, Mister Bubbles are you there? Are you there? Come and bring me lollies, come and bring me toffies. Teddy bears. Teddy bears.” Molly sang the song a few times to Emily till she was sound asleep. Molly gently her placed down in her crib, closed the door behind her quietly, and left it open just a crack just in case she woke up.
“Wow, how did you learn to do that?” Whispered John.
“Do what?” Molly whispered back.
“Get Emily to fall asleep like that. Every time she was fussy like that I’d be trying to calm her down for the next few hours or wait till the Philips come home.”
“I just sang a song that helped me fall asleep when I was little.” Said Molly.
Molly and John sat on the couch and turned on the television and started watching a random show.
“What’s a Mr. Bubbles?” Asked John.
“A what?” Said Molly; hoping he would drop the question.
“A Mr. Bubbles, that thing from the song you sang.”
“That. I don’t even think I know the words right. It could be about something else completely.”
“You’re lying. You know but won’t tell me.” Accused John. Molly thought for a second to try and come up with something.
“Fine, you want to know what a Mr. Bubbles is?”
“Yes.”
“It’s from a storybook about a knight in shining armor that goes off to save people and bring gifts to children.” Molly said making up every single word; but John didn’t know that.
“See, now was that so hard.”
“Yes because that story is very near and dear to my heart. My dad used to read me that story before his accident.” Molly said with tears welling up in her eyes; not because of the fake story but because Molly really liked John and didn’t want to lie to him but she had to in order to keep her promise to Tenenbaum.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” John scooted closer to Molly on the couch and gave her a hug.
“Thank you.” Molly said hugging him back.

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Molly and John continued to watch the T.V. until the Philips came back home from their night out at 9:30.
“Were there any problems when we were gone?” asked Mrs. Philips.
“No, everything was fine.” Answered John.
“Here you go John. It’s what we owe you.” Mr. Philips handed John seven dollars.
“And seven dollars for you Molly. For helping John with the kids.” Mrs. Philips gave Molly seven dollars also.
“Thank you Mrs. Philips.” Said Molly.
“John, do you and Molly need a ride home?” asked Mr. Philips.
“Yeah, we both need a ride.” Said John.
“Ok then, both of you go hop in the car and I’ll take you home.” Molly and John went outside to Mr. Philips car and hopped in with Molly in back and John riding shotgun.
“So where do you live Molly?” Mr. Philips asked as he backed out of the driveway.
“I live right on the coast. I’ll tell you when to turn.” Answered Molly.

When they had driven through downtown Mr. Philips tried to make conversation, to make the quiet in the car go away.
“So what does your dad do for a living?”
“He’s a welder for Mr. Ferguson.” Said Molly.
“And what’s your dad’s name?”
“Walter.” Answered Molly.
They parked out front of Molly’s house on the gravel road and she got out. She walked across the front yard and past the maple tree to the front door. Molly opened the door and that’s when Walter walked to the door from the living room. He gave Mr. Philips a wave and turned off the porch light he had kept on for Molly. Walter smiled as she told him about the kids and showed him the $5 she had earned.

He sent Molly to bed and he was answered by a groan from Molly. Walter watched Molly shuffle down the hall to her room before sitting back down in his chair in the living room. Now in her room and lying on her bed, Molly reached under her bed and took out a sketched book. She had gone to the art room at the high school and the art teacher let her have the sketch book. She thumbed through the sketch book, looking at the simple drawing she had drawn and with the pencil that was tucked inside the book she began to draw on a fresh, clean page.

She sketched the outline of an Alpha series Big Daddy; I was actually supposed to be a picture of Walter when he was one. Then she sketched the outline of herself when she was a little sister. Molly was erasing a line that wasn’t supposed to be in the background, but all it did was turn it in to a smudge. She looked how oddly shaped the smudge was and could almost see a face in it. She started sketching out the face and body hidden in the smudge until it turned into something she was afraid of…a splicer with its deformed face and body.
Molly was in the middle of sketching when Walter knocked on her door, to let her know it was time for bed.
“In a minuet dad!” She called over her shoulder. Walter started flicking her bedroom light on and off.
“Fine! I’ll go to sleep!” Molly said closing her sketch book and putting back under her bed. Walter laughed a little as he turned off her bedroom light and closed her door. He went off to bed, while Molly reached under her bed again and took out a flashlight as well. Molly eventually went to sleep an hour later after she finished up her sketches. And she didn’t have any nightmares that night, ever since she started drawing in her sketch book; she’s been able to sleep in peace.