The House Janine Built

Treating the construction of a habitat for Tom almost like a game, Janine and Tess started in the kitchen with a clear shallow Tupperware square used for keeping leftovers in the refrigerator. They lined the floor with a fancy kerchief and adorned the space with bits of colorful cloth. For a bed, they used a short white sock with a vibrantly pink pom-pom sewn onto it. In one corner, the pair set up the cap from an empty Nestle water bottle with bits of cut up paper nest to it for toileting purposes.

By the time they were done, Tom’s makeshift accommodation resembled the interior of a Bedouin tent.

“What do you think?” Janine asked, glancing from the construct to Tess.

“I think it’s perfect, and besides, if he gets out of hand, which we know he will, we can seal him in there with the lid,” replied the brunette, nodding her head approvingly. “Let’s take it down and show my mother.”

Carrying the domicile downstairs, a bounce in their steps as they giggled and arrived in the sitting room where Tess’s mother was still seated, Tom nestled against her.

“We finished it,” Janine declared, while Tess set the container down on the table in front of her mother.

Seeing both girls sporting wide beaming grins, Tom scowled, suspecting some deviltry. Apart, each of them were a force in their own right, but with them working collaboratively he suspected he might be evenly matched. Eyes darting back and forth between the two girls, he hadn’t forgotten how he had been used as a sexual aid while they may or may not have made out. It could have been Janine playing with herself, or it could have been Tess stimulating Janine, he still didn’t know who had done what.

Leaning forward, Ella set Tom back on the table top, eyes looking over the girls’ handiwork. “Very nice,” she praised, smiling at the pair of builders.

The edge of the container was a little taller than Tom was tall and the fabric lining it prevented him from getting a look at the set up inside.

Tess pointed out the various parts of the set up. For her part, Janine kept moving her eyes from Tom to the container and back.

“So I suppose the question of the hour is where will we keep our tiny prince’s little palace while we sort out the logistical requirements for the upcoming trip,” Tess stated, hands on hips.

“I’ll do it, I mean I would happy to help out in whatever way I can,” Janine offered quickly and without a moment’s hesitation, hopeful expression written on her beautiful face.

There was little doubt in Ella’s mind about the true nature of the girl’s motivation, but she was also aware there was some type of a unique relationship forming between the two youths. She was relatively confident no malfeasance would occur inside the sanctity of the Lindholm house. While her preference would be to keep him within eyesight at all times, she knew short of sealing him in the container Tom would exhaust every effort to find a way to subvert her authority. Relenting and allowing the girl to assume responsibility during sleeping hours would afford her some degree of leverage later should she need. “Tom?” she asked, allowing the boy an opportunity for input.

A sly grin spread over his wee face, “I think it will okay as long as she doesn’t snore,”” he replied, holding up a single hand as if to indicate snoring might be a deal breaker.

Hesitating a moment, Ella nodded, “Very well,” she conceded.

“Why don’t we go back upstairs and find a cozy spot for Chez Tom,” Tess suggested, picking up the furnished Tupperware square.

Janine looked at Tess and then the other girl’s mother and nodded, reaching reached her hand down to the table, opening it to allow Tom to climb in. Once he was seated in her palm, she raised him up and followed Tess out of the sitting room and up the stairs to the main floor before going up to the second floor.

Back in Janine’s room, Tess crossed the room and took a seat on Janine’s bed, sitting cross-legged and setting the container in front of her down on the blanket.

Similarly, Janine also climbed up onto the bed and sat cross-legged, extending the hand with Tom to show him her and Tess’s handiwork on creating a place for him.

Peeking over the edge of her hand, he looked up and scowled at the blonde. “Pink? Really?” he asked, pointing at the rose colored pom-pom at the back of the half sock.

Janine grinned, bottom lip pulled back into her mouth, “I thought you might like to slip into something pink for the night,” she said.

Tess shook her head.

Tom grinned, “That was a good one,” he acknowledged, nodding his head.

Janine winked.

“Hey, just a quick question. I saw a young woman of Hispanic origin peeping on me from the top of the stairs when I was in the sitting area with my mom. Who is she?” he inquired, tone inquisitive.

Janine frowned, not because of his curiosity about another woman, but because during all the bustle and commotion of Tom’s situation, her mother had forgotten to spell Marta and no one seemed to notice her presence until after she had caught sight of Tom. “That’s Marta our housekeeper,” she replied shaking her head. “You’re sure she saw you?”

“Oh yeah, it was the strangest thing because she actually seemed petrified, made a cross in front of herself and everything,” he shared.

 “Marta?” she said, wrinkling up her face.

Tom nodded, “Her eyes went big and round,” he said, using his fingers to open his eyelids further to emphasize his point.

“That is strange,” Janine murmured, looking from Tom to Tess.

“Is she going to be a problem?” Tess inquired.

“I don’t think so, but I do think we should at least have a talk with her,” Janine replied, nodding more to herself than the others, “just to be sure.”