The Gift-Giver by Joyce Hansen Page A

company."
    I ain't got no friends noway—except for Amir, I said to myself.
    Then she said, "I made Baby's lunch. All you got to do is feed it to him." Her mouth was all pulled down. Her dimples didn't show. It's funny. I hate it when she's fussing and evil. But that's better than when she's sad and quiet.
    Look like soon as Mama left Mrs. Grant was at the door.
    "Everything okay, honey? I'll be back later to see how you doing."
    I made up the beds. Washed the dishes. Thought
about surprising Mama and starting dinner for her. Dusted the furniture. Mama was gonna be shocked at me.
    Baby woke up and I bathed him like I see Mama do. I peeped out the window a couple times. Mickey and them out there running wild.
    There was so much water on the floor after I washed the baby I had to scrub the bathroom when I finished. Then while I was doing that, Baby goes on Ma's dresser and puts cold cream all over his self. He had it in his hair, up his nose, in his ears, under his fingernails.
    "Boy," I screamed, "look at you!"
    Then he started crying. He's yelling and screaming. Then there's a knock on the door.
    "Doris, what's going on in there?"
    I opened the door.
    "It's okay, Mrs. Grant."
    "Why is he screaming?" She pushed her fat self through the door. "Have mercy! What's wrong with this child?"
    "He got into the cold cream."
    "Your mother left you here to watch him. How you let him do that?"
    "I was scrubbing the...."
    "Come on here, boy. You look like a little grease-ball. Let me put you in the tub."
    She grabbed him before I could say anything. But he screamed so loud she had to let him go. She stayed in the bathroom while I cleaned him off. Like I needed her to help me. I was glad when she left.
    I cleaned up the dresser. Ran behind Baby. Mama called three times and Daddy called twice. Then I fed
Baby his lunch. Gave him his bottle. And made myself a jelly sandwich. Then I scrubbed the kitchen floor. Of course, Baby played in the dirty water. That boy wouldn't take his nap. I was tired. No wonder Ma be evil when I get in from school. But the dumb thing was that after all that work I forgot to clean my own room.
    I could hear the boys playing stickball. And Mickey and them sound like they was jumping rope. Well, I had more important things to do now.
    I sat at the living room window. Baby was on my lap and he finally fell asleep. Amir walked by and looked up to the window.
    "What happened to you today?"
    "I had to take care of Baby for my mother."
    "Can you come out now?"
    "I could if I wanted to but I'm gonna wait for my mother to get home." I really wanted to go out on the stoop and talk to Amir. I missed the library and the walk with him. Being perfect was hard.
    She came in at six o'clock, looking scared. "Everything okay?"
    "Of course. Baby's sleeping." I waited for her to say something about how nice I had everything.
    "Did Mrs. Grant or Mrs. Johnson come in?"
    "Yes."
    "So you stayed in all day?"
    "Yes."
    She threw off her shoes. "Whew, girl, I'm tired. That woman has the funkiest house. Just 'cause they know a maid is coming they make sure you got some mess to clean."
    "Mama, don't you see how I got the house?"
    "Doris! It's beautiful, honey. Girl, you really surprised me." She hugged me for a long time. I know she ain't noticed the house till I told her, but she ain't hugged me like that since I was little like Baby.
    "Last week I couldn't trust you to braid your own hair right. What happened?"
    I shrugged my shoulders.
    "You can play outside after supper."
    "That's okay, Ma."
    "What's wrong? You been in the house all day."
    "Nothing's wrong. Taking care of Baby and the house just wore me out."
    She laughed for the rest of the evening about that. "Now you know how I feel."
    Daddy came in real late, about twelve o'clock. He looked tired and sad. I could tell my mother was trying to make him happy. She said, "Our baby girl took care of things wonderful. She got the house sparkling."
    "She's growing up," he said with his