Part 3: Chapter 6

The Rat

Thursday, May 7, 2020
	A moment of silence for the closing of the once-popular buffet chain restaurant, Soup Plantation. 
	Okay, on to more pressing matters. Steve has sprayed the perimeter of our house every day for the last three days. He suits up in his head-to-toe bright orange coveralls and dons his painter's mask. Wonder if our neighbors suspect that Steve is creating a defense barrier against COVID. The children watch Steve from inside the house, which is a small reward for the loss of our yard space. 
	Have seen some improvement in our flea situation, but can’t go outside without spraying down the children’s legs with Off, and even then, an occasional flea still jumps on them. Even after the bug bombing, I've found three fleas inside the house. If I ever decide to take up swearing, I would do so now. Why did Noah decide to take two fleas onto the ark? I have words for him. Some four-letter words.
	Today, Opal bolts into the kitchen where I’m fixing the oven that hasn’t worked since Shannon cleaned it. Found various YouTube videos about faulty ignitors and finally ordered a new ignitor from Amazon. Am attempting to install it the day that Shannon is not on hand to help with the children. Have I mentioned that I’ve lost Shannon on Thursdays to Beatrice? Steve is also absent today. His computer at work, which he connects to remotely, needs attention, so he left for the office hours ago. 
        Why do I do this to myself? For whatever reason, find myself attempting challenging feats when alone rather than with other adults. Perhaps their absence intensifies my feelings of responsibility since I'm the only one here preventing this house from going to pot. Thus, today I am on my hands and knees untwisting wire nuts at the back of the oven when Opal bursts into the kitchen and nearly bowls me over flinging her arms around my waist. 
	"Mommy," she says with a quiver in her voice. "I saw a rat! I saw it! It ran behind the dryer!"