I'm 21. Momma died a few weeks earlier and it was up to me to take care of Saul and Sarah my 18 year old, twin siblings. Thankfully the house and car were paid for but I was struggling with everything else. The lawyer had assured me that I'd have regular checks coming, but it would take awhile. It didn't help that I couldn't cook and the twins were sick of sandwiches. Our neighbor Ms. Jean was always asking if we needed anything but I hadn't accepted because I had been trying to figure everything out on my own. So imagine my surprise when I returned home from the store to find the twins sitting at the table eating and Ms. Jean still at the stove.
"Hi, Sam. Hope you don't mind. I saw the twins outside and asked if they'd had dinner yet. They hadn't so I brought over a few leftovers, and I have a cake in the oven. I could teach you how to cook if you are interested."
"She's interested," Saul piped up. I nuzzled his golden locks.
"Well according to Saul I'm interested." I said.
"Good." Was all Ms. Jean said before sitting a plate of pork chops and biscuits in front of me. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until I started eating. The food was amazing. Ms. Jean had cooked for us a few times when momma had been in the hospital. She had always been a great neighbor.
I figured that Ms. Jean was around 40. She had flawless chocolate skin, perfectly straight white teeth, a bubble butt, and tear dropped shaped breast. She used to play traveling basketball but had moved back here to Tega Caye when her own mom had gotten sick and died a few years back. In fact she was lives in the house her mom owned. Ms. Jean was always dressed nice. Mostly she wore skirts, silk blouses and heels. I wasn't sure why since she didn't work that I knew of. I figured between her retirement and inheritance she was set for life.
I wish that was my story. If there was any inheritance I'd have to use it to take care of the twins. Our father was who knows where, he hadn't even returned for the funeral. My aunts and uncles lived about 15 minutes away, but they never came by. My moms baby sister called once a week, but that's it. I don't know how I'm going to handle trying to get the twins to school, homework and practices. It was a headache before mom died, but I don't want anything else taken from them. I would figure it out. I sighed out loud.
"Sam, what's wrong?" Ms. Jean asked. I could tell from her hazel eyes that she wasn't just asking, she genuinely wanted to know. The twins were still sitting at the table waiting on dessert, they glued their eyes on me as well. I just shook my head, scared of crying in front of them. Momma had warned me to be strong in front of them.
Somehow Ms. Jean understood the turmoil and had the twins go get ready for bed promising them cake when she called them down.
"Thank you for that, thank you for dinner, just thank you in general." I managed to get out before breaking down. Ms. Jean came over and held me close. She let me get it all out. When I started to calm down she cleaned my face.
"Sam, you aren't going to do this by yourself. In the morning I'm taking the twins to a basketball camp for the day. It lasts until six. I'll pick them up, feed them, and bring them back. I already have a list of your moms bills on my Mac. I'll have you come over once I drop the twins off at camp to go over the current statuses."
"You have my mom's bills?"
"Yes, your mom was my mom's special friend and once my mom died I started helping your mom out with a few bills here and there. Before she died she asked me to give you some space to try and figure everything out before stepping in. This is me stepping in."
I was speechless; it was just like my mom to have help standing by. If only I had asked for it. The cake was out of the oven and I could hear the twins upstairs. They had finished their baths.
"Go, get ready for bed and come back down when you are done. Send the twins down now." Ms. Jean said as if she'd been telling us all what to do our entire lives. I had opened my mouth to protest but I was given a stern look and she pointed up the stairs. I went and sent the twins down. By the time I finished getting ready for bed, I could hear Ms. Jean talking to the twins. I smiled. They needed a mother figure. Even though they would be nineteen in a few months they acted much younger because we had been sheltered all of our lives.
There was a note on the counter beside my slice of cake telling me to hand wash the dishes and tidy the kitchen. I hated washing dishes that's what the dishwasher was for, but I ate my cake and hand washed the dishes.
At some point Ms. Jean had come into the kitchen and was watching me. I felt self conscious since I was only wearing a short tank and boy shorts. I hated wearing pjs, they always made me sweat. But here I was with my ass partially hanging out in front of my neighbor. Not that I had much of an ass or tits that's why everyone calls me Sam instead of Samantha.
"Sam, fix me some coffee. I'll have 3 lumps of sugar, a piece of peppermint, and 1 tablespoon of half and half. That's how I always take my coffee." She had placed a handful of peppermints on the table in front of her. I didn't say anything. I just made the coffee. Once it was finished. I unwrapped her peppermint and grabbed two mugs.
"Just one mug, I'm having coffee, you're having milk."
"I don't drink" but I never got to say milk. My butt cheek was stinging. Ms. Jean had taken off her heel and popped my ass with it. I gave her a menacing look but I didn't say a word.
"My coffee." Ms. Jean said before sitting back down.
I quickly fixed her coffee and myself a small cup of milk.
She sipped her coffee. I sipped my nasty milk. Neither of us spoke. I could see anger flashing in her hazel eyes. I could feel the heat on my ass. My mother had never struck me. I finished my milk and sat the cup on the counter waiting for Ms. Jean to finish her coffee. I was ready for her to leave for the night.
"I see that you are insolent, but that's fine. We have time to work on that. Now get a full glass of milk and drink it."
Not wanting a repeat of earlier. I got a glass from the cabinet and filled it with milk. I closed my eyes and drank it. She laughed. I sulked.
"Now go get in the bed."
"I'll need to lock the house."
"No need for you to do that. I have my own key. I'll lock up. Now go to bed or do you need another swat?"
I scurried off to my room, but not to bed. I closed and locked my door before reaching for my iPad. I pulled up Tik Tok and started laughing at the videos. I was on my fourth one when my door opened.
"What the hell? Why are you in my room. I thought you were gone."
"Lower your voice before you wake your siblings. I told you to go to bed. I mean now."
"I'm not sleepy."
"I didn't ask you if you were. Get in the bed now."
I climbed into bed scared of being hit. Once I got in, Ms. Jean pulled the covers up, kissed my forehead and whispered she loved me before warning me about getting up. It took about thirty minutes before I heard Ms. Jean leave. I'm not sure why she had keys to the house or my room. It was kind of strange but something in the back of my mind found it familiar.
I wanted to get up, but was scared to get out of the bed. I wanted my iPad but Ms. Jean had taken it. So I tried to force myself to think about why Ms. Jean had keys to my house. It took almost two hours before I remembered that Ms. Sarah, Ms. Jeans's mom and who my sister was named after, would lock our house when I was younger. Ms. Sarah would come over every night and tuck us into bed before locking the house. She did this up until she had gotten sick. When she was sick my mom would stay some nights over there. She would leave me with the twins and go watch Ms. Sarah. The next morning she would be back in enough time to wake us for school and feed us.
My mom worked as a sub at the school, I'm sure she didn't make enough to buy our 4 bedroom, 3 and a half bath house. Funny, I never thought of those things before. I wonder how my mom came to own this house. Maybe Ms. Jean knew? I was restless all nigh. I kept thinking about my mom, my bills, Ms. Sarah, and Ms. Jean. In a distance I heard an alarm? I hadn't set one. I looked at my clock it was only 6:15.
I groaned and turned over but the twins burst into the room. Ms. Jean had told them to get up when the alarm went off and to get dressed or she wouldn't take them to camp. They informed me my job was to fix them a snack and pack a bag with their changing clothes.
I laid back down. That would be my first mistake of the day. Sarah grabbed my flip flop and popped me across the thighs with it. I jumped up ready to spank her when Saul jumped in front of her.
"Sam, Ms. Jean put Sarah in charge. She told her to spank you if you didn't get up. She also said that if you hit Sarah that you would be in big trouble."
"She put a kid in charge of me?"
"Ms. Jean said that her momma was in charge of our momma, and that Ms. Jean was in charge of us, but when Ms. Jean wasn't here that both you and I were to listen to Sarah. Sarah is in charge because she is named after Ms. Sarah."