I sit on small chair in the room where children play before home. My daughter, she almost finish her afternoon program. I look at bright picture on wall, a sun and some clouds. A woman come fast toward me. She carry big bag. Her face is very tight, like she very serious or maybe worried. She stop right in front me. My knee almost touch her bag. I feel surprise.
“Where is the new toy, the one with many soft parts for the toddlers?” she say. Her voice, it is quick and sharp. “My son, he need it for his quiet time today. They told me it was coming this morning.”
I blink one time. I not understand why she ask me this. My shirt, it is just a plain shirt, not like the workers wear. I not have name tag. I not look like I work here. “Oh, I am sorry,” I say. My voice is soft, a little confused. “I do not work here. I am just waiting for my child.”
She look at me then, her eyes big. Her mouth, it become a thin line. “What do you mean, you do not work here? You are standing right here! And you are in the room! Everyone who is here in the day, they work here, no?” She say this like I am very stupid person. Her hand, it go to her hip. I feel my stomach tighten, a small knot start to form inside me. This is not normal. I just want to wait quiet.
“No, no,” I try to explain. I make a small gesture with my hand. “I just come to pick up my daughter. Her name is Anya. She is in the pre-K group.”
The woman, she huff out air. A loud sound. “This is not good. I do not have time for this game. My boy, he has a very sensitive disposition. He needs routine. The soft toy, it helps him. Now, where is it? Do you keep them in the small cupboard over there?” She point to a cupboard near the wall. She take a step, like she going to open it herself.
I feel a rush of heat in my face. This is not right. I am not worker. I should not touch anything. “I cannot open that,” I say, a little louder this time. “It is not my place. I am not staff. I am a parent, just like you.”
“Stop with this nonsense!” she almost shout. Her volume increase very fast. “You are trying to avoid work! I know how you people are! Always trying to get out of helping. My child, he is important! This is a very good daycare, they promised me! Now, go and get the toy. It is the big one, like a grey cloud, with little bits of blue felt.”
My jaw begin to clench. I feel a headache starting behind my eyes. This situation, it is so unfair. I decide to find a real employee. “I will go and find someone who works here for you,” I say, and I stand up from the small chair. My knees feel a bit shaky. I start to walk toward the door of the room, to go to the main office, where the real workers are always present.
But the woman, she move very fast. She step in front of me, blocking my way to the door. Her movement is sudden. “NO! You are not going anywhere! You will help me right now! Or I will tell the director how rude you are being! How you refuse to do your job!” She poke her finger in the air, close to my face. I recoil a little. My heart starts to pound very hard in my chest. I feel truly angry now. I am not here for this. This is not my place to argue. I am just a parent. Why is she doing this?
“I am not an employee!” I say, my voice now loud, louder than I usually speak. I try to step around her, but she block again. Her body is rigid. “Please, let me get a real worker. They will know about the toy.”
“You are going to help me!” she insist. Her voice is shrill now. “You think I am stupid? You think I do not know? You are being difficult! I want your name! I will have you fired! This is terrible service!” Her face is red. She is breathing fast. She looks like she might actually hurt me, or something. I feel scared now, and also very, very frustrated. My hands form into tight fists at my sides, without me even thinking about it. I want to walk away, to disappear. This is so much bad energy. I do not understand why this is happening. I just wait for my child.
Just then, a man, he come into the room. He must be her partner, or her husband. He has a jacket, dark color. He look tired. He walk slow. He sees her yelling at me. He sees my tight face. He see her in front of me, blocking me.
“Maria, what is going on?” he say, his voice is calm, a stark difference to her loud speaking. “What is all this noise?”
“This woman!” she shriek, pointing at me with her finger, her hand trembling a little. “She works here and she will not help me find Leo’s new sensory toy! She is rude and refuses to do her job! I told her I would get her fired!”
The man, he look at me, then at her. He make a sigh, a long slow sound. He shake his head a little. “Maria,” he say, very gently. He put his hand on her shoulder. Her shoulder is stiff. “She is not an employee. She is just a parent. I saw her here last week, picking up her daughter. Remember?”
She stop talking. Her mouth close fast. Her red face, it become a little less red. She look at me again, then back at him. She look confused, like a light just turned on. She open her mouth a little, like she want to speak, but no words come out. The man, he put his arm around her. “Come on, honey,” he say. “Let’s go to the front desk. They will know where Leo’s toy is. I am very sorry for this trouble,” he say to me. His voice is full of tiredness and apology. He gently turn her around and guide her out of the room. She walk quiet now, not saying anything more. My muscles, they slowly begin to relax. The headache, it still there. My heart, it still beat fast. But they are gone.
