Looking back: SVD 4

Charles wakes and heads out to the garden. Obviously, he has a lot on his mind and doesn’t notice that he dressed in his work uniform on a day off! A few plants need replacing and by the time he is done, a bath is next on his list. “Charles, my good man, you positively reek!” After bathing, he cleans the tub and tackles a few other chores before taking a brief break. Brief … Zzzzz ….

~*~*~*~

A short while later …

Charles wakes and decides to peruse the paper. Several engagement announcements and a birth notice for the Keaton family are prominently displayed in the Community section of the Sunset Valley Times.

“Sunset Valley is experiencing a growth in population and might need more than one daycare if this trend continues.” Charles muses out loud. His musings move indoors as the rain starts to fall.

~*~*~*~

As soon as the rain lightens, Charles decides to make a few house calls. First on his list is the French/McIrish home but no one answers the door. “Oh, dear. I hope Sandi is adequately covered and won’t catch a cold as a result of their outing.”

~*~*~*~

His next stop is the Sekemoto home. Leighton greets him and lets Charles know that it was the heavy rain that kept him from dropping off Sam and nothing to do with poor service or lack of care on Charles’ part when asked. This response relieves most of Charles’ concerns. Seeing Sam happily playing drops another “worry stone” from his shoulders.

~*~*~*~

He takes a few minutes to properly greet Mrs. Sekemoto and play with little Sam before taking his leave.

~*~*~*~

He takes the longer, out of his way, route and drives past Sandi’s home on his way home but doesn’t stop when it’s evident that no one is home.Charles loads the dishwasher after enjoying a light supper then happens to notice the time. “After midnight? Charles, my boy, it is well past your bedtime!”

~*~*~*~

His sleep is interrupted by the ringing of the telephone. “No, I am certain! I do not want you to stop by since you’re in the neighborhood and give me an estimate on exterior siding. Good day!” click

~*~*~*~

Charles readies himself for the day and discovers that his mustache has filled in. He’s not sure if he likes the new look but opts to give it a quick trim and go about his day before deciding whether to keep it as is or not.

~*~*~*~

The daily paper informs him of the protest taking place on the steps of City Hall. Apparently, concerned citizens want the police department budget increased. Nothing in the article mentions whether crime is on the rise but Charles isn’t too concerned. Yet.

Charles decides that staying away from the park and City Hall today is his best option. He has no opinion on the matter and has no desire to get caught up in it.

~*~*~*~

The newspaper contains a coupon for an Introductory Cooking Class at the Bistro. Charles calls and is told a space is available in their afternoon session. It’s a little disconcerting seeing Judy Bunch because she wasn’t there for the class or a meal and was still hanging around when he exited with the other students.

Fortunately, she was engrossed with her book and he was able to head home without having to make his excuses.

~*~*~*~

Charles placed the copy of the Goopy Carbonara recipe on the refrigerator for quick reference and set all the ingredients he will need on the counter. Chop, chop. Season. Stir, stir. It smells and looks good but by the time he finishes preparing it, poor Charles is rather tired.

~*~*~*~

He places the food in the refrigerator, cleans the counter, stacks the dishes in the dishwasher and then … heads to bed.

~*~*~*~

The next day …

To say that Charles was a bit surprised at receiving a gift in the mail is an understatement. Mrs. Sekemoto, Sam’s grandmother!, wrote: “I was thinking about you and thought you might like this. Call me!” The poster of the grinning shark under the boat fills him with chills. “Not appropriate for children and certainly not appropriate for her to be sending to me!”

~*~*~*~

To take his mind off this particularly odd matter, he decides to go meet some of his neighbors. No one is home at either the Frio house or the Wan-Goddard house (pictured).

~*~*~*~

Ms. Ursine is home and Charles does his best to be polite and hold his tongue when he sees her daughter lying on the floor. He makes a mental note to look into the availability of a good quality but inexpensive crib that can be purchased and sent over as a baby gift.

~*~*~*~

He also takes the time to chat with Ms. McIrish who picked up Sandi the other day and is reassured that it was inclement weather that kept them from coming to the daycare the next day. He is also reassured when he notices how quickly the new mom takes care of her baby’s needs.

~*~*~*~

Charles arrives home a few hours later to the sounds of a ringing telephone. Mr. Bachelor called to chat about various topics, including the possibility of after-school homework help.

~*~*~*~

He has every intention of making progress with his new Rodiek biography but it isn’t long before Charles sets the book down, places his glasses atop it and crawls under the covers.

Let’s see how Charles fares in SV Daycare 6