From Hero to Zero

When you have kids, keep your seat belt fastened at all times because there is constant turbulence. Yesterday I was the perfect mom who made all their dreams come true. Today, because of a pervert wandering the campgrounds, I was an evil witch.

"Yes, you have to stay with me all day, while I'm working. We can't take any chances on letting you wander the grounds without me," I ordered firmly.

"This isn't fair! We didn't do anything bad. Why do we have to get punished?" Katie complained as I stocked my cleaning tub with supplies kept in the community room next to the office.

"I know. I know. Sometimes life isn't fair. It's just for a little while until they get security guards. We don't know who that guy was and I'm not leaving you alone here, okay? That's it."

"But, we're not alone!" Beanie added. "We're either swimming, or art and crafts, or balloon wars or we're with our friends Emily and her family. I'm gonna spend the night with Emily, right?"

"Oh, Beans, Sweetie, I can't let you do that now. I'm so sorry."

"I hate you. I hate this place. I wish Daddy was here. I want Daddy!" She wailed.

Hearing the commotion, miraculously, because he was finally wearing his hearing aids, Mr. Godfrey came to my rescue, "Karol, can I talk with you in the office for a minute?"

"Sure. What else can go wrong this week?" I muttered to myself.

"I agree with the girls. They didn't do anything wrong and it's not fair to take away their fun time and friends because of this idiot who was prowling around. Why don't you leave them with me in the morning and I'll turn the TV on in the community room for them and give them coloring books and art supplies while you do your morning work?"

"I don't want to impose on you, Mr. Godfrey. I can't do that."

"Sure you can. It's not an imposition. Those girls are sweet and quiet and I won't let them out of my sight, well, maybe when they have to go to the bathroom. In the afternoon when all the activities begin they can join in with the rest of the group."

"If you're sure they won't be a bother?" I asked tentatively.

"No! It's settled then. I'll turn on the TV and bring them some snacks."

"Okay, girls, you can thank Mr. Godfrey for letting you out of Mommy prison. He said you can stay in the community room to watch TV and do arts and crafts in the morning, then go to all the activities in the afternoon."

"Yay!" they were both excited about the change in plans and thanked Mr. Godfrey with exaggerated tales of what he was saving them from.

"It would have been terrible to be stuck in the hot van all day long while Mommy cleans. We'd be so bored and probably die of heat prositution," Katie whined dramatically.

"Goodness! We wouldn't want that, now, would we?" he joked, winking at me while laying out a table full of breakfast pastries and juice for the girls and turning the TV onto Nickelodeon for them.

With the catastrophe of the hour solved, I finished loading the van with supplies and drove to the first RV on the list of new rentals for the week. It was in good shape, compared to what I was used to. No horrible messes anywhere, so in less than an hour it was ship shape for the new campers.

Three RVs and seven cabins needed to be prepped for new campers, plus the pool shower rooms and bathrooms had to be cleaned before noon. Then, I could check on the girls to see if they'd driven Mr. Godfrey crazy yet.

It must have been 95 degrees in the shade and I was a mess by the time everything was cleaned, so I slipped into the last shower stall in the pool house, before cleaning it and gave myself a quick spritz to freshen up. I had no towel with me, so I peeked from behind the shower curtain to make sure no one was in the bathroom before snatching a handful of paper towels to dry off with.

"Nice tits, baby. Turn around for daddy," a vaguely familiar voice coming from inside one of the toilet stalls startled the crap out of me.

Oh, shit, oh, shit, oh shit! There I was in all my glory, with nothing to cover me but wadded-up paper towels. I dashed back into the shower stall, pulled my uniform around my naked body, and ran screaming out of the pool house, hiding in the laundry room while I hastily dressed.

Running around screaming seemed to be my new thing.