A Short Story

The Things I Have Discovered

By Roopal Kondepudi

It was wrong of me, but I am the curious kind. Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m a nosy parker who never finds work babysitting because of one thing – I always put myself out of business. I find things that get my boss in jail. I think the most famous guy I’ve put in jail is Berry Hausmen. I found a check in 20,000 dollars which was addressed to his wife, and then a note spattered with blood saying, “I’m sorry Betty – I needed the money. I shouldn’t make a habit out of killing people, should I? I love you, and hope that in hell you’ll get all the money you want. I say hell because you are – I mean were hellishly freaky to me. Always telling me what to do? Ugh.” Signed Berry Jacob Hausmen .

I testified against him – he actually also didn’t have any children. He told me never to go into his kids’ rooms, and I thought it was because he hit them and they had welts to prove it or something. But I noticed at 10:00 pm every night they magically go silent. It’s like a recording stopped playing – and it sure did. I think to avoid suspicion he pretended to have kids, therefore hiring a babysitter.

Now here I am, in front of a house, wait, no, a mansion, and I’m awaiting a new job. This one’s in Lansdale, Pensylvannia, and Hausemen’s was in Cleveland, Ohio. Wait – someone’s opening the door.

I’m inside – it is BEAUTIFUL! A really cute little girl named Orion walked up to me three minutes ago and said “Are you Kathleen Winters? Papa said you were coming, and then mama told papa that if you even t-” A man came up to her and put his hand over her mouth. I guessed it was Mr. Beckinsale, and wished him a good evening. He explained all the rules to me, and when I could actually hear things – my head was swimming – I heard

“And now, Kathleen – I want Orion and Delphinia (Mr. Beckinsale’s 16 year old daughter) asleep latest by 9 pm. You can watch T.V. or read a book if you’d like. Don’t bother sorting out the attic.

I found that a little strange. Why should I sort out the attic? I am a babysitter, for heaven’s sake, not an attic organizer, or whatever it’s called. But obviously it made me more curious.

I nodded and watched Mr. and Mrs. Beckinsale leave. I got the kids together and whispered to them “Do you know any secrets?”

“Papa said not to tell anybody” was Orion’s answer.

“But you are awesome, Kathleen, so I will tell you this – the’re things in the attic. Let’s bring the boxes down and look at them!” Delphinia told me excitedly. I guess she hadn't had much contact with people her age – I was 17 at the time.

Being the nosy parker I am,  I readily agreed, and brought down eight boxes with the help of Delphie (she insisted on being called that) and Orion. We opened them, one by one, laughing, when I noticed something. “Here – Delphie, can you help me with this?” We pulled out a small, copy machine kind of thing, and a picture attached to it. It was a picture of Mr. Beckinsale, easily ten years younger, and a boy wearing a tshirt saying ‘Bruno Mars – live in concert’. Mr. Beckinsale was holding a 5 dollar bill. And the copy machine thing was right behind them. “Delphie; isn’t that Morbo Merrun, papa’s best friend?” Orion sounded positively gleeful, probably because she was actually helping.

“Oh no,” said Delphie, probably coming to the same conclusion as I did. We turned the picture around to the back, and it read “Brian and Morbo with their first counterfeit bill”.

Delphinia and I gasped at the same time – and the Delphie said with a moan “It says first. Like they printed more. And more. And more and more and more and…”

I stuffed it back into the box, pushing the money printing machine on top of it.  

“My name isn’t Kathleen Winters. It’s Wendy Waters, the girl who got Mr. Hausmen in jail. I like you kids, so I won’t tell the police about your dad.” I spoke in a low, urgent voice.

“He’s not my dad. He was working with a criminal organization called Briamorb, founded by him and Morbo. When he met my real mom he lied to her, but when she found out he threatened to kill her. Then he got married to Mrs. Beckinsale and had Orion here. He kidnapped me and I’ve been forced to live as his daughter.”  Delphie spat the last word out like it was disgusting.

I gathered her up in my arms as she began to cry. Orion was confused, because she really loved her ‘sister’ and wanted to know what was going on.

“I didn’t want to say anything because of Orion. I’m afraid of what will happen to her. Her mother doesn’t know.” Delphinia sobbed in my arms.

“Tell her.” That was my simple advice.

“I will”.

The end