Negotiations
“Rose,” Carrie-Bri was saying, “why don’t you just go stick your head in a wormhole.”
“Why don’t you go stick your head in a dung beetle camp,” Rose retorted.
“Rose, don’t even try to be as witty as I am,” Carrie said, flouncing off into the kitchen.
It was a usual Wednesday morning, made different only by the fact that Frances was making more jumbo cinnamon rolls and Linnea was making pancakes.
“Linnea, baby,” Carrie said, returning to the living room. “How would you like to make twenty-five cents an hour?”
“Doing what?” Linnea asked skeptically.
“Reading for me.”
“Twenty-five cents,” Collette laughed, as she fed Puck a baby pancake.
“Labor rates are outrageous these days,” said Carrie.
“How about a dollar an hour.” Linnea bargained.
“How about twenty-five cents.”
“Seventy-five cents, and we’ll call it a deal,” Linnea grinned.
Awesome would have been proud.
Meanwhile, Joe was off to Grenada Cyclery for an interview. Twenty minutes after the interview had been scheduled, he called to say that he had been offered the job, and he had taken it. He started Friday, building a bike.
“Yay!” Rose exclaimed. “We’re going to have a chocolate party to celebrate!”
Joe returned shortly later to play with Puck.
“Tick tock, tick tock!” Joe chanted, swinging the giggling Puck back and forth. “Bong! Bong! Bong!”
Puck was tossed into the air, glee shining on his face. His two little pearly whites grinned back at his Uncle Joe.
Collette went out for an evening walk. Meanwhile, Puck was working on his latest project: trying to knock the mallet off Collette’s Chinese gong, into his mouth.
“Ohhhhhh!” Puck would exclaim, puckering his lips into an “O”.