Shopping With Dan on Saturday

I drove to Norval on Saturday morning, remember? I didn't see Kelly. I don’t know where she was. In the basement, I guess, still in bed. It was still early by her standards. Noon. I found Maxine on the floor in the living room playing with the baby. He was smiling! Dan was glad to see me and gave me a big hug.

“Thanks for this, Dad. I really appreciate it.”

I gave him two bags of diapers and a tin of Penaten cream. Then I reached into my coat pocket and felt the money I had for them. Five crisp twenty dollar bills.

“Yeah, Mum said just get the money, but I told her we don’t need money. We need food. There’s nothing here to eat, Dad.”

“Is the baby hungry, Dan?” I asked. “Did you feed him?”

“Oh yeah, Dad. It’s all good now. Some of Mum’s friends bought us formula last night. He’s OK for a few days. Could you give me a ride to the store? I can walk home.”

I asked him where he wanted to go and he told me. It was far, Ms J. They live in Norval and the nearest grocery store is in Georgetown. It’s probably two or three kilometres each way.

“Let’s shop together, Dan,” I suggested. “That way I can drive you home again.”

He was pleased with that. Maxine was content to stay home with David. On the way into town, we talked in the car.

“How come you guys have no money, Dan? What happened?”

“I don’t know, Dad. Mum’s cheque from the government usually comes, like last week. And now it’s not coming til the end of the month. I don’t know why. Some kind of screw-up I guess.”

“But what about Tim? Isn’t he still working for that landscaping company?”

“Naw. He quit, eh?”

“What’s he doing now then?”

“Nothin’. Well, he did this home repair job for a friend of his a while back. It was an insurance job, eh? And you know how hard it is to get money from an insurance company. So we’re still waiting for that cheque.”

“I see,” I said as though I understood. But I don’t, Ms J. I don’t understand at all. Tim is a loser. He’s got nothing and he’s going nowhere. If Kelly has to have a man to support her and her family, she could do a lot better than Tim. That’s a fact. But Tim is Emily's father ...

We found a parking spot and pulled into it. I shut the engine off and turned to look at my son.

“You know, Dan,” I began. “I’ve looked after my son for nearly twenty years. Now it’s your turn to look after your son. You have to find work, Dan. Mum needs your help and Maxine and David are counting on you.”

He told me about some friend of his whose father owns a moving company.

“When he gets back from Florida, he said he might hire me.”

Dan always has a story for me, a job prospect that never quite materializes.

I really don’t know what more I can do. I don’t know what to say to the boy to entice him to get a job, or to impress upon him the importance of returning to school to get some education or job training. He’ll have to discover this for himself, I reckon.

We bought $113. worth of groceries and I drove him back home. At home in Norval, Dan looked me in the eyes and smiled broadly. He was well pleased.

“This is good, Dad. Real good. I’m gonna make a fantastic supper for everyone tonight. Maybe that’ll make Mum happy. We still have no money, but at least we won’t starve. ”

Yes, Ms Journal. At least they won’t starve. At least I know for certain that Kelly didn’t use the money for cigarettes or marijuana.

I won’t hold my breath for a thank you from her, either.

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