DSP-- Maggie: Cradle Time Part 1

Maggie looked up at the school building. Summer really was over. It was the first day of school. Maggie was not looking forward to it. She had a wonderful summer. She and her new friend, Pam, had called and written many times since they left the Dude Ranch. Something wonderful always seemed to happen there. Last summer, she had met the twins, which led to her getting a daddy. And this summer, she had helped get Pam's parents back together. Sure, they all got into lots of trouble, but that always seemed to happen, Maggie thought.
Maggie looked up at the school again. The bell would be ringing soon. She had to get to class. This year, Maggie was in fifth grade, and she had the meanest teacher in the school, Mrs. Clarke. Actually, from what she heard, anyway. Maggie was hoping it was all a lot of rumors.
The bell rang and Maggie ran to get to her new classroom. She ran in and took the only available seat left.
"You must be Margaret," the teacher said.
Maggie looked up. Was she talking to me? "Um, yes, ma'am. But my friends call me Maggie."
"Well, I'm not your friend, so I'll call you Margaret. You're late, Margaret. That is not a good way to start off the school year," Mrs. Clarke pronounced.
Maggie gulped. Maybe the rumors were true. "Uh, yes, ma'am," she said.
"Very well, since it's the first day of school, I'll let it go. But if it happens again, you'll get a note sent home. Is that understood, Margaret?"
"Uh, yes, ma'am."
Maggie wished she was back home. Not that things were that wonderful there either. Now that her mom, Heather, was pregnant, things sure were different. Well, not really that much, except that her mom got up and was sick every morning. Maggie was getting tired of hearing the retching noises from her parents' bedroom every morning.
Maggie thought it was going to be a long nine months. Heather had found out she was pregnant over the summer, while they were away at the Dude Ranch. Maggie thought back to that day when she overheard her mom and her Aunt Lisa talking. Maggie had been so mad; she had run away. That was one of many times she had gotten into trouble.
"MARGARET!" her teacher's voice boomed.
Maggie was startled out of her reverie. "Huh? What?" Maggie asked. All the kids laughed. Maggie looked around. The teacher and all her classmates were staring at her. It took her awhile to get back into focus.
Meanwhile, Heather sat in her class at the university. Oh, why had she agreed to go back to school? She and Bob had argued over this. He felt now that she was pregnant, she could stop for a year. But Heather had insisted she would be fine. She would take classes until January, and then take a year off.
She had no idea how difficult it would be to get up every morning, and drag herself to classes. The past two weeks had been horrendous. She had had to drop Maggie off at daycare on her way to the university. Maggie resented it, Heather was sure. Maggie probably resented her, too. Heather knew that Maggie was not too thrilled that she was pregnant.
Heather knew she had to do better this semester. She had barely passed her classes last semester. She had finally showed her grades to Bob. He hadn't said much. She knew he was disappointed. Heather was disappointed in herself as well. But all Bob had said was, "It was your first time. You'll do better next term." Heather wasn't so sure.
Back in elementary school, it was lunchtime. Julia, Maggie's best friend, from fourth grade, was waving to her across the playground. Maggie ran into her arms. "Oh, I miss you so much," Maggie said. Unfortunately, they were in different classes this year.
"I miss you, too. At least we get to have lunch together," Julia said. "How's your teacher? Mine is so nice."
Maggie looked around. She had already made her teacher mad twice in one day. She whispered to Julia, "She's really mean. I hate her."
"Why?" Julia asked.
"She already embarrassed me twice. And she calls me Margaret. I hate that. Even my parents call me Maggie," Maggie paused. "Except when I'm in trouble."
Julia laughed. "It's only the first day, Maggs. It'll get better."
At that, Julia linked her arm around Maggie's waist and the two headed off for the swings. Maggie played with Julia all through recess. She was almost sorry to have to go back to her class.
In the afternoon, Mrs. Clarke gave out a handout of classroom rules. Ugh, Maggie hated rules! There were always rules. Rules at daycare, rules at home, rules at the dude ranch, rules at her cousins' house. Maggie daydreamed of a place where rules did not exist. It would be wonderful; no one telling you what to do. No one correcting you when you made a mistake. In fact, there wouldn't be any mistakes.
Maggie's thoughts of her dream place of no rules turned into thoughts of that morning. She had argued with her mother over whether to wear a sweater. Maggie didn't think she needed one, but Heather had insisted. Maggie had cried to her daddy, but he told her she had to do whatever her mother said.
Things at home had been very tense since summer ended. Aside from Heather's morning sickness, she had been very moody. Maggie never knew what to expect from her mother from one minute to the next. She was constantly getting into fights with her mother over minor things. She had asked Bob one morning about it.
"Daddy?"
"Yes, sweetie?" Bob asked.
"What's with Mommy? She's very cranky lately."
Bob swooped Maggie up and held her on his lap. "Well, honey, that's what happens to women when they are pregnant. Their hormones are out of whack."
"Well, I don't know what hormones are, Daddy. But Mommy is making me nervous. I feel like I can't say or do anything right around her."
Bob said, "Maggs, you just have to be on your best behavior and help Mommy out whenever she needs it, okay?"
"Okay, Daddy."
Hmmm, thinking back on it now, her daddy hadn't really been much help. Maggie would have to do some more thinking. And fast. Her little bottom had gotten smacked many times from her mommy the past few weeks, for really dumb things. It all had to do with rules.
Rules! Rules? Uh oh, Maggie looked up. Mrs. Clarke was staring at her again. Maggie looked away. She was embarrassed. It was only the first day of school, and already her teacher must think she was an idiot. Oh well, only 179 more days to go.
Things would get better. They had to get better.