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Badra was drying the laundry in the backyard of the house when she heard the shrill cries. It sounded like Calvin. Panic swept over her because it was hardly five minutes ago when she left Calvin and his sister, Theresa, in the
inflatable swimming pool. She dropped the remaining laundry in its basket and was at the children's side in a flash.
A trickle of blood flowed from Calvin's lips, where it was cut and swollen. Badra instructed Theresa to fetch a towel and some ice for Calvin to help stop the bleeding and swelling on his lips. Her guess was that Calvin had tried to climb over the low wall of the swimming pool and had fallen in the process. She blamed herself for the
mishap. She knew that her mistress would be terribly upset when she came home from work and saw the small cut on Calvin's lips. But she pushed that thought from her mind and focused her attention on Calvin.
When Theresa got back with the towel, Badra wiped his mouth gently. Calvin had stopped wailing some time ago and it made Badra feel a little calmer. She was relieved that Calvin had not broken any teeth in that fall. After nursing the swell, the bleeding stopped and the redness subsided.
Badra made sure that both the children were in bed for their afternoon nap before she continued with her unfinished morning chores. She wondered with a pounding heart, what her mistress would say that very night. |
