Chapter 33 #2
“Oh, that’s quite alright, I haven’t exactly been forth coming myself.” I glance at Angelo again, just to make sure he’s okay. He’s fine. Still shoveling the sand, moving it around the sandpit, creating a little crater in front of him.
“I’m Elena. The little guy emptying the sandpit is Angelo.
He’s not mine, am his nanny.” I may not be his mamma but I adore the little angel.
Jennifer and I exchange pleasantries discussing the kids, mostly hers since there isn’t much that can be said about Angelo anyway.
He’s still a toddler, practically a baby.
Our conversation is interrupted by a rather insistent Lizzy, tugging on her mum’s dress to get her attention.
“Mummy, Mummy!” She, repeats. “Baby got a booboo.”
Little Lizzy is tugging at Jennifers dress mumbling something about a booboo?
She’s pointing to the sandpit. My gaze follows her hands as I look in the direction of the sandpit.
The little boy, whose name still evades me, is still playing, Katelyn is now standing up, her gaze fixed on Angelo and she frowns at him.
Looking past her at Angelo, I see him holding something in his hand, odd, the only toy he brought to the park is his ball.
The object in his hand catches the sun, the reflection temporarily blinding me.
I shake my head to focus on what he has in his hand.
A closer look reveals a trickle running down his hand.
Katelyn moves towards Angelo; she’s digging in the pocket of her dress and pulls out a tissue.
She hands it to him and motions for him to wipe away the red liquid oozing from the inside of his palm, running down his arm before catching on his elbow and dripping into the sand.
I bolt towards him stumbling and almost tripping over as I go.
“Angelo!” I scream his name and he looks up at me and starts to cry. The reality of what happened only now dawning on him. His little lips start to tremble and tears run freely down his chubby cheeks.
“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, Oh my God, my baby boy.” I’m frantic and I’m certain my behavior is making Angelo feel scared but I can’t help it.
I am spiraling and I don’t know what to do.
Fuck! How on earth did this happen? I was right there, in front of him, watching him.
He didn’t move. He was just playing. My poor boy.
I shouldn’t have taken my eyes off him. I shouldn’t have been chatting to Jennifer. Oh my God he’s hurt because of me.
“No, no, no, no… what have I done?”
I take his hand and retrieve the broken glass and hand it over to Jennifer who is now at my side, concern etched all over her face. Looking over at Angelo she says in that soothing mum voice-
“Aww, you’ve got a little booboo.”
Angelo, is hearing none of it as he screams his lungs out. Jennifer takes one look at me and I know that she knows I haven’t the faintest clue as to what to do now. I’m panicking.
“It’s fine Elena, it can’t be too bad, we don’t even know if he needs stitches.”
“Stitches?” I gasp in horror. He may need stitches because of me. Oh, dear God, I think I’m going to throw up.
“Calm down now, you’re not doing anyone any good by panicking. Let’s get his hand cleaned up so we can assess the wound and take it from there, okay?”
“Oh my God, how did I let this happen? He trusted me with his baby. Angelo trusts me.” I look at Jennifer, my eyes puffy with tears.
“I should call an ambulance.” I say to nobody.
“Don’t be silly love. I doubt it’s nearly that bad.” She digs in her bag and pulls out a bottle of water. She breaks the seal with a soft click.
“Let’s rinse off all that sand and flush out the wound so we can see what we’re dealing with, shall we?”
I nod at her, carrying Angelo in my arms and out of the sandpit, I settle on a grassy area on the ground and prop him on my lap while Jennifer gently but firmly takes his little hand in hers.
Holding his hand away from us, over the grass, she slowly pours the water onto his open palm.
He yelps and starts to cry louder, tugging his hand trying to pull it away but Jennifer holds his hand firmly and continues to flush the wound all the while speaking soft words of endearment to him.
“Such a good little boy Angelo. You are so brave and strong. I’m so proud of you.”
She seems to pacify him somewhat, just with her words.
The twins are huddled close to each other, watching the spectacle as passersby look at us with sympathy and a knowing, we’ve been there look.
Jennifer leaves Angelo’s hand for an instant to rummage through that treasure trove she has in that bag of hers.
I take the opportunity to cuddle Angelo and whisper soothing, encouraging words to him to make him feel better.
“Hush now sweetheart, you’re okay. Such a brave little boy. Papa would be so proud of you.”
“Papa!” At the mention of his papa, Angelo starts to scream again, this time pleading for his papa. This hurts so much. I mean I know Enzo is his dad and I’m nobody to him really but the thought that I’m not enough hurts like a knife to the heart.
“I want papa.” He wails and my chest tightens a little more.
How could I let this happen? Lorenzo said not to take Angelo anywhere without him.
This is all my fault. I never should have taken him out of the house.
I should have listened. I never should have brought Angelo here.
Oh my God! I’m so sorry my sweet boy. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m so sorry… so-so sorry.
“Hey, hey… Elena. It’s not your fault. These things happen to kids all the time.
You did nothing wrong okay? There was no way you could have known that there would be a piece of glass in the sand.
” I nod, even though I’m not convinced this turn of events is not my fault.
Wait did she hear what I said? Did I say all of that out loud?
“Look, I’ve rinsed it out so there’s no sand in the cut and the bleeding has slowed down.
It doesn’t look too bad but you should take him to the ER just in case he needs stitches and an antibiotic to prevent infection.
” She rummages through that bag again. What’s in there for God’s sake…
Narnia? She pulls out a mini first aid kit and a tube of what looks to be antiseptic.
Huh! So not Narnia then? Pity I would love to get lost in a wardrobe and befriend a faun right about now.
Once again Jennifer takes Angelo’s hand and opens his palm revealing the cut, it’s nasty but not nearly as deep as I feared.
She squeezes a generous amount of antiseptic ointment on the cut and I know it burns because once again, Angelo is screaming bloody murder.
She quickly rips open a square package and takes out a piece of sterile gauze.
She places the gauze over the antiseptic and gently wraps his hand in a bandage, securing it with a bandage pin.
She does this with the speed of the flash and precision of a nurse. I watch her in awe.
“Right, now then. Since you were such a good boy, I do believe you deserve a treat.”
Angelo’s eyes, although red rimmed and puffy from all the crying, light up like the lights on a Christmas tree.
Jennifer returns the first aid kit to her bag and pulls out a lollipop from Narnia and hands it over to Angelo.
He sniffs but manages a toothy grin in her direction while snatching the treat out of her hand before she changes her mind.
Still in my lap, he turns around to face me and shoves the lollipop in my face, muttering in his adorable baby way. “You open pweeeeez.”
“Sure angel. You were such a good boy. I’m so proud of you and you deserve all the treats in the world.” I get up off the ground while carrying Angelo and resting him on my hip, I turn to face Jennifer who’s looking at me with pity and sympathy.
“Thank you so much for your help. I don’t know what I would have done if it weren’t for you. Do you always carry a full-on medical kit with you?”
I must ask because short of a scalpel and a suture kit, I’m pretty sure Jennifer’s bag contains all the necessary items to survive in the wild.
“You’re most welcome love. I’m happy to help, and it certainly looked like you needed someone to take the reins for a moment.
I always carry bottled water for each kid, a change of clothes for each, snacks, sunscreen and a first aid kit.
Never leave the house without it because with kids, you just never know. The joys of being a parent.”
She looks at me and laughs as she says it as though it’s the most casual thing to do.
“I suppose I wouldn’t know since I’m not a parent. Guess I have a lot to learn.”