enola_ray-of-sunshine

A RAY OF SUNSHINE by Enola

PART 1

“There is my little niece too this afternoon. You know, my brother-in-law doesn’t want her to spend too much time with my mum. I wonder why!” Ruth gave a short laugh when she mentioned her mother. “So I told him he could take Erica here. Hope it’s no problem.”
“Don’t worry Ruth,” replied Stacey, “I have babysat three kids other times, it’ll be alright.”
“I’d really want that everything gone well,” said Ruth turning sad all of a sudden, “but Erica is quite moody and sensitive. She cries very often and she doesn’t like strangers.”
Stacey didn’t know what to say. “It’s understandable. A child so young needs its mum. I’ll do my best to make her feel good.”
“Thank you Stacey, I know you will. Gotta go now. See you at 4 o’clock then. Bye.”
“Bye Ruth, see you later.”

Stacey Taylor was a 27-year-old assistant in a posh women’s clothes shop in Kensington who in her time off work raised her scanty wages babysitting children from three years of age upwards. She used to babysit Ruth’s colleague’s daughter and when they had moved abroad Ruth got her number and called her several times when her kids’ babysitter Holly couldn’t look after them. Brian and Robbie, Ruth’s sons aged seven and four, liked Stacey a lot since she was always willing to play and watch telly with them differently from Holly who, being a university student, was used to study when she babysat them.

She had never had the pleasure to meet Erica’s mum, Ruth’s younger sister Amber, who had died seven months ago leaving her husband James and their five-year-old little girl heartbroken. She remembered when Ruth had told her about it. Her sister had never had serious health problems, then she started suffering from severe migraines and one day at work she had collapsed onto the floor unconscious. Once in hospital doctors had informed them that the cause was rupture of an aneurysm. They had immediately operated on her but something went wrong and she had gone into a coma. Unfortunately, her brain had suffered serious damages and a week later she had died. Amber was her only sister and Ruth was missing her like mad, but she knew that everything was so much worse for James and the child. Stacey was worried. Surely looking after Erica wasn’t going to be any easy.

When she entered the lounge at Ruth’s house, the children were sitting on the floor watching ‘The Lord of the Rings’. Brian and Robbie said hi while their little cousin kept silent. Ruth paused the DVD and called her niece asking to come closer. “Erica, this is Stacey.”
“Hi Erica,” smiled Stacey squatting down, “I’m pleased to meet you.”
The little girl said nothing and wrapped her small arms around her aunt. She had long straight dark brown hair that fell over her back and lovely chubby pink cheeks. Her eyes were brown, two deep big brown eyes whose sadness would touch the hardest of the people.
“I’ve got to go now,” said Ruth stroking her niece’s soft long hair. Erica tightened her arms around her aunt and burst into tears begging her not to go. “Oh darling, I have to,” said Ruth softly going down on her knees. She hugged her niece and went on speaking, “Everything’s going to be alright honey.”

“Erica don’t cry,” said the eldest of her little cousins petting her hair, “Stacey is very nice. ‘The Lord of the Rings’ is her favourite film and she likes playing with us. Stop crying.”
It was very sweet the way Brian talked to his little cousin. Erica gave up crying and wiped her face with her tiny hands leaving her aunt go. Ruth kissed her niece several times and left. Stacey held out her hand and Erica grabbed it making her smiling. Stacey sat on the floor between the little boys and let the little girl sat on her thigh, so she wrapped her arms around her.
“What’s your favourite character?” asked Stacey,
“Gollum,” replied the little girl speaking softly. “Yours?”
“Well, mine’s definitely Aragorn.”

A couple of hours later the bell rang and Stacey went to open the door. It was a short dark-haired man in black trousers and dark blue jacket.
“Hi. I’m James, Erica’s dad,” he said shyly in a low voice.
“Hello. I’m Stacey. Please come in,” she smiled. He said thank you glancing at her and stepped in. “The children are watching ‘The Lord of the Rings’.”
“Something new for a change!” he commented ironically. He walked in the lounge and greeted the kids who all said hi back. He knelt down and kissed his child’s forehead. “How are you sweetie?”
“Fine,” she whispered.
“Say bye to Brian and Robbie. We have to go.”
“I’m watching ‘The Lord of the Rings’.”
“I’m sorry honey. The taxi’s waiting. You’ll finish to watch it at home.”
“Okay.”

Erica said bye to her little cousins and her father helped her to wear her coat. Stacey walked them to the door, then bent forward to kiss the child who surprisingly wrapped her arms around her neck kissing her back on the cheek. Both her dad and Stacey didn’t expect it.
“Thanks for looking after Erica,” he said trying to smile. His daughter had definitely his eyes; the same colour, the same deepness, the same touching melancholy. “Has she been good?”
“She cried a bit before Ruth left but Brian managed to calm her down. Apart from that, she’s been adorable.”

Once in the cab James put an arm around his child and pulled her closer. The kiss she had given to Stacey had took him by surprise. She had always been an affectionate child but after her mum’s death she had changed. She didn’t want anyone apart from her dad, her aunt, her little cousins and their babysitter Holly. For this reason when Ruth had told him that another babysitter would look after the children he had got worried.
“Did you enjoy yourself?”
“Yes, Stacey is very nice.”
“As nice as Holly?”
“No, more.”
“Stacey’s nicer than Holly?”
“Yes.”
“Ah!”

As soon as the doctor left, Ruth picked up the phone and called her brother-in-law to inform him that Brian had caught measles, so he couldn’t take Erica there tomorrow as the two of them had planned a few days ago.
“I’m sorry for Brian,” said James, “please, give him a big hug for me and Erica.”
“Thanks, I will. What are you going to do now?”
“I think I have no choice but call your mother,” answered he not at all enthusiastically.
“Hang on a sec, why don’t you call Stacey?”
“Stacey?”
“Don’t you remember? She babysat the children a couple of weeks ago when Holly had to sit an exam.”
“Oh yeah, now I remember. Ahem, don’t know if it’d be a good idea.”
“Why not? Erica asked about her the other day. She said she’s very nice and let me add that I agree with her. I think you should call her James. Just a minute, I’ll give you her number. Call and give her a chance. I’m sure everything will be okay.”

James put down the phone and went to his child’s room where she was busy playing with her dolls. He sat on the bed next to her. “I’ve just got a phone call from aunt Ruth. Unfortunately, Brian’s caught measles.”
“It means that I can’t go there tomorrow,” said the little girl looking at her dad with her gorgeous brown eyes,
“Unfortunately you can’t darling,” he replied smiling sweetly and stroking her soft hair.
“You’ll ask granny Harriet to come here?”
“I think so. Aunt Ruth gave me Stacey’s number so –”
“Really? Oh please dad, call her!” said Erica aloud preventing her dad from going on speaking, “Please, please!”
James couldn’t help but smile at his daughter’s insistent request. “Ok honey, I will. But she might be busy tomorrow.”
“But maybe she isn’t,” she said kneeling on bed, so she threw her arms around her father’s neck and added, “Please daddy, call her at once.”

Erica was good-humoured the next morning. For the first time in months, she had a rich breakfast and was quite talkative. She asked her dad how long she would stay with Stacey that afternoon, so during the morning she would think about the things they would do together. James couldn’t believe his ears and eyes. She sounded enthusiastic and looked a very serene child. He hoped with all his heart that he had finally found the right person who looked after his little girl, someone sweet and patient who could cheer up Erica with her company.

“There’s a post-it with my mobile number on the fridge,” said James to Stacey, “in case you need to call me. She’s already had a snack so she shouldn’t be hungry before dinner. Milk and orange juice are in the fridge. I think I’ve told you everything. Any questions?”
“Erm, none. Everything is rather clear, thank you.”
“Good. I should be back by 6.30.” He picked up Erica and held her in his arm. “Be good honey.” So he planted a kiss on her cheek. “I love you.”
“I will daddy,” she smiled giving him back a big kiss. “I love you too.”

As soon as he went out leaving his daughter with Stacey, Erica took her babysitter’s hand and led her upstairs to her bedroom.
“Oh my! How many dolls and teddies do you have? Never seen that many all together!” Stacey looked around, dolls and teddies, small and big, were everywhere: over a spare bed, over several shelves, over one chest of drawers and over the floor.
Erica shrugged and replied, “I don’t know. I have never counted them.”
“Can we play with your dolls a bit? I like them so much!” grinned Stacey happily.

In the mean time, James had caught a taxi and arrived to ‘Hall or Nothing’ to meet up with Martin, his manager and close friend. They entered his office and he asked, “How’s Erica?”
“She’s ahem fine. She’s with a babysitter now.”
“Pardon? Babysitter you said?” asked Martin surprised.
“That’s just what I said. It’s strange that she’s not called yet,” commented James perplexed sitting down in front Martin’s desk
“I thought you would take her to Ruth’s.”
“That was my plan, but last night Ruth called and told me that Brian’s caught measles. The thought I had to call my mother-in-law made me sick. Then Ruth gave me Stacey’s number.”
“And Stacey is the babysitter’s name,”
“Yep it is. She babysat Ruth’s kids a couple of times, the last time Erica was there. When last night I told Erica that her aunt had given me Stacey’s number, she literally begged me to call her. Plus this morning she had all of her breakfast and couldn’t stop talking. I don’t know what to think. I’m astonished.”
“I think that it’s a great thing. It means that Erica likes her.”
“I don’t know,” said James shaking his head, “it’s all too good to be true.”

Stacey told Erica how much she enjoyed playing with dolls when she was young. She used to making her dolls nice dresses with pieces of cloth from her old clothes and showed the little girl how a simple handkerchief could turn into a stunning evening dress for one of her Barbie’s. Erica looked at her doll in disbelief and asked for more dresses. Stacey took out a small box from her handbag containing a needle and thread of different colours and told the child that she always had it with her for emergencies.

“Why don’t you call her?” said Martin seeing his friend worried. “So you know if everything is fine.”
“Yeah, I will.” James stood up and looked for Stacey’s number into his phone book.

“This is my phone,” said Stacey hearing her ‘My Sharona’ ring tone,
“I bet it’s daddy!”
“Hallo?”
“Ahem, Stacey? It’s James,” Stacey looked at Erica and gave her a huge smile. “It’s alright over there?” he asked,
“Yes, everything’s fine. Hang on, there’s someone who wants to talk to you.”
She heard a soft laugh. “Thank you.”
Stacey handed her phone to Erica. “Daddy daddy,” she said aloud all excited,
“Hi love, what are you doing?”
“We are playing with my dolls and Stacey is making some dresses for them. They are lovely.” She sounded happy and he could breath a sigh of relief.
“I’m so glad you’re having fun darling. I’ll be back soon.”
“Ok. Bye daddy. Kisses.”

Click.

“Erica? Honey? I can’t believe it!” exclaimed James watching Martin, “she hung up on me! She didn’t even give me the time to say that I love her!”
“I suppose she knows,” chuckled Martin, “I think you’ve found a babysitter at last! And now we can finally talk about work. Have you thought about what I told you last time on phone?”
James sat back and scratched his forehead. “I don’t know Martin.”
His manager took a folder and handed it to him. “These are the new lyrics Nicky faxed last week. Have a look at them James. I know what music means to you and I know how much it helped you in the past. I really think that some work is just what you need now.”

James knew that Martin was right. After his wife’s death he had given up composing so that he could dedicate all of his attentions to his daughter. Now, after nearly eight months, he felt the need to pick up his guitars and immerse himself in his music. Perhaps, thanks to Stacey’s help, he could do it.

“You have such beautiful hair,” smiled Stacey stroking Erica’s long dark hair, “can I arrange it in pigtails?”
The little girl shook her head.
“Why not? I’m sure you look gorgeous with them.”
“I don’t want pigtails!” she said aloud getting angry.
“Okay honey.”
Erica’s brown eyes filled with tears. “My mum loved brushing my hair. She always made me pigtails or bunches before going to school.”
“Aww, honey! I’m so sorry.” Stacey wrapped her arms around the little girl and held her tightly. Erica rested her head over her babysitter’s shoulder and wept softly for several minutes.
“You know, she was very pretty,” said Stacey looking at the picture of Erica’s mum on the bedside table. “You look like her a lot. I understand how you feel; I miss my mum too.”

James looked at his daughter in amazement. Her hair was arranged in pigtails and she looked blissful as she showed him all of the dresses Stacey had made for her dolls. When the babysitter was ready to leave, the child hugged her tightly and gave her a huge kiss on the cheek to thank her once again for the lovely dresses. James walked Stacey downstairs and gave her the money that, as he said, she had deserved it all.
“Thank you so much Stacey, for everything. Erica looks so happy when with you. I’ve lost count of the babysitters I’ve changed ‘cos she did nothing but cry as soon as I left her alone with one of them. But with you it’s different, she really likes you and I think that’s simply great.”
Stacey giggled blushing. “I don’t know what to say. I really don’t know why she likes me so much, but I can say that looking after her is a real pleasure. When I met her at Ruth’s she looked so miserable and when she burst out crying because she didn’t want her aunt to leave I felt like crying too. I’m so glad she’s alright with me. I like the thought that I manage to make her smile and laugh.”
“As I said, it’s great. She’s also allowed you to arrange her hair in pigtails. Since Amber’s death she didn’t want anyone to do it, not even Ruth.”
“She told me,” said Stacey softly.
“I’ll never thank you enough for all that you’re doing, really.”
“So there’s a chance you’ll call me again to babysit her?”
“I definitely will, don’t doubt that!”

Erica jumped all around the kitchen when three days later her dad said that Stacey would babysit her again in the afternoon.
“Can you tell me why you like her so much?” asked James sitting his little daughter on his lap.
“Because she’s nice. She likes playing with my dolls, she likes ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and because she also misses her mum.”
“Oh, did her mum die too?”
“No, she said that they have argue and they don’t speak to each other anymore. She was about to cry when she told me. And she doesn’t have a dad; she doesn’t even know his name because her mum has never told her. I am very lucky because I have the best dad of the world.”
James smiled widely and held his little girl in his arm kissing her hair. “Thank you darling. I’m very lucky too ‘cos I have the best daughter of the whole universe. Don’t really know how I’d do without you.”

When Stacey got in the afternoon Erica asked if she felt like watching ‘The Two Towers’ and her babysitter was happy to.
“Oh Aragorn, my hero!” sighed Stacey at some point during the film. “He’s so brave, so loyal and so gorgeous! Don’t you think?”
Erica chuckled. “Yes, my daddy is Aragorn. He is my hero. He is brave, loyal and gorgeous. Brian and Robbie are Pippin and Merry, auntie Ruth is Queen Galadriel, grandpa Monty is Gandalf and granny Harriet is Saruman.”
“Oh my god! How come your grandma is Saruman?”
“Because she is bad.”
“Why you say so? I’m sure she isn’t.”
“She is. Daddy doesn’t like her. They argue every time they meet.”
“What about Legolas and Gimli?”
“Uncle Nicky is Legolas and uncle Sean is Gimli. They are daddy’s best friends and uncle Sean is also his cousin. They look like Legolas and Gimli a lot.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Uncle Nicky is tall and thin and uncle Sean is short and a bit fat.”
“And who could I be?”
The child thought about it for a moment then said, “You can be Frodo. I’m sorry, you can’t be Lady Arwen because mummy was her.”
“I think Frodo is okay,” sniggered Stacey.
“Good,” smiled Erica, “I’ll call you Froda then.”

Whilst watching the film, Erica talked to Stacey a lot about her dad. She told her babysitter that he was a musician and that he sang and played guitar in a band with ‘uncle Sean and uncle Nicky’. She loved hearing him singing because, according to her, he had the most beautiful voice. He was teaching her to play the piano and, although it was quite difficult, she was enjoying it since her dad was an excellent teacher.
“Can you play any instrument Stacey?”
“Yes, I can play the violin.”
“The violin? How nice! Can you teach me?”

Stacey glanced worryingly at her watched every five seconds. James was going to get back home and she was sure he was going to tell her off. He had warned her to be careful whilst making dresses for Erica’s dolls. She had to be careful Erica didn’t play with scissors because she could cut herself with them.

When he arrived he went and hugged his little girl giving her a big kiss on the forehead. “How are you doing honey?”
“Daddy I have to tell you something but promise you don’t get angry,” she said sounding very worried.
James looked at her and at Stacey with anxious eyes, “What’s happened?”
“Promise first. Promise you don’t get angry at Stacey.”
“Okay,” sighed James not at all convinced.
Erica showed him her finger covered with a plaster. “I’ve cut my finger with scissors,” she said softly, “but it’s not Stacey’s fault. She told me not to touch them but I did all the same. I’m sorry daddy, I promise I don’t do it again.”
“It’s okay sweetie. Does it hurt?” he said holding her small hand in his,
The little girl shook her head, “No, Stacey kissed the pain away.”
“Say bye to Stacey now,” said her dad smiling at her whilst stroking her long dark hair.
Erica went close to her babysitter and hugged her. “Bye Froda!”
“Bye Eowyn!”

“I know you’re angry at me and you have every right to,” said Stacey when James showed her to the door. Her voice trembled and she could hardly look at him. “But sometimes I can’t say no to her because I’m too afraid of making her cry.”
“I understand you, don’t worry. Nobody more than me knows how hard it is. I also try to content her as better as I can. Looking into her sad eyes for one second is enough to give in. Then, sometimes she can be as stubborn as a mule. She’s my daughter after all.” A sweet smile sprang across his tired beardy face.
“I promise I’ll be more careful.”
“I don’t doubt that. So you are ahem Froda.”
“Yeah, so it seems,” sniggered Stacey.

On Sunday James and Erica went to have lunch to Martin’s. Erica joined Martin’s children Jeremy and Bridget, so their fathers had a good chat. Martin affirmed that seeing Erica so cheerful was unbelievable. She didn’t look the same girl he had last seen a couple of weeks ago at all. James agreed with him and added that her mood got better and better day after day and she was literally over the moon when Stacey babysat her. He had even got a phone call from his child’s teacher informing him that Erica had started to play with her mates again.

“You can’t imagine what the two of them were doing yesterday when I got back,” said James. “They were dancing and jumping all around the living room with U2 to the max. Erica’s hair was all over her face and the funny thing was that they didn’t realise at once I was there so they kept on jumping like mad. Then Stacey turned over and startled when she saw me standing on the threshold.” James paused for a while and could hardly go on since couldn’t help laughing. “Then you should have seen her looking desperately for the remote control but she didn’t find it so she ran and switched the CD player off. But Erica kept on dancing until the music was off and when she saw me she grinned ‘hello daddy!’ Stacey poor thing was so embarrassed. She couldn’t manage to speak. She apologised saying that Erica had told her that they could listen to some music. I guess she was afraid that I might be angry.”
Martin had laughed while James was telling him all the story. “Then what happened?”
“Well, I stepped in without speaking a word and took the zapper which was on the coffee table under a magazine. I said ‘keep dancing girls, I’m going to take a shower’, so I switched the CD player on and Erica started to dance at once but Stacey didn’t. I think my presence embarrassed her.”

“She sounds to be very good with children.”
“Yeah, she is. What’s incredible is that she’s very good with Erica.”
“How old is she?”
“Ahem, dunno. 26, 27 or somethin’.”
“Oh, I thought she was younger…and what does she do apart from babysitting?”
“If I’m not wrong, Erica told me she works in some clothes shop in Kensington. By the way, last night when I put her to bed she told me that she wants to learn playing the violin. And you know why? ‘Cos Stacey can play it! Erica also said that Stacey can teach her and she’s absolutely thrilled at the thought of it. At that point I asked, ‘what about the piano?’ Guess what she replied? That she wants to learn both!”
Martin burst out laughing. “Well, for being only five your kid has a good mind to become a classical musician.”
“I wouldn’t mind, you know. I’m glad she likes music and she’s free to play whatever instrument she wants.”

“Is she pretty?”
“Um?”
“Stacey I mean.”
“What the hell does this have to do with Erica and what instrument she wants to play?”
Martin shrugged his shoulders. “Nothing. I was just asking. She’s very good with kids, she can play violin, so I was wondering if she’s also pretty. Is she?”
“I don’t know,” answered James shrugging his shoulders as well.
“You don’t know?” chuckled Martin, “how can’t you?”
“An ordinary girl.”
“Ordinary? What the fuck do you mean by that?”
“Ordinary. Two legs, two arms and so on. You know.”
“Oh James, come on!” protested Martin, “I’m asking the man now, not the father.”
James snorted in annoyance. “Why the hell you wanna know?”
“’Cos I’m curious to know what this super-babysitter’s like!”
James snorted again. “Dark curly hair, hazel eyes, a bit shorter than me. Excuse me but I don’t know what size in shoes she takes.”
“You still haven’t answered my question,” Martin went on provoking his friend with a smirk.
“Fuck off!”
“Tell me and I’ll leave you alone.”
“Yes, she is. Are you happy now?”
“Well…”
“Don’t you dare Martin! One more word and Erica and I shall leave.”

Part 2 >>>

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