Bubble's Baby-excerpt from a short story by Austin Mitchell



Bubbles’ Baby
by
Austin Mitchell

            As I drove into Creighton on my way to Latore’s Ridge a young lady waved me down. When I stopped the car and she came up to it, I recognized her as ‘Bubbles’ Kenton, one of my former students.
            “Teacher, can I beg you a ride to Rennals?”
            “Sure, Bubbles, get in.”
            I opened the car door for her and she got in.
            She had a young baby with her, but I noticed that she didn’t have a bag, although the baby was wrapped in a towel.
            “Your first baby, Bubbles?” I asked as I drove off the car.
            “He’s Leta’s baby, teacher. I don’t have any children yet. She’s gone for an interview in Kingston so she begged me to keep him for her.”
            I used to teach both Bubbles and Leta at Mc Cauley High School in Oakley district. That was about seven years ago. I was no longer teaching school. Bubbles might have been about twelve and Leta was two years older.
            “So what are you doing for yourself now, Bubbles?”
            “I plan to go to evening classes next year.”
            “That’s good, so what do you plan on studying?”
            “I want to do nursing so I have to do over Mathematics and Biology.”
            “I wish you the best. By the way, what’s the baby’s name?”
            “His name is Russell, Deron Harper is his father.”
            “Deron Harper, I remember him. He was in class with you? Wasn’t he?”
            “Yes, teacher.”
            For the rest of the journey we just discussed things in general about other past students and teachers at Mc Cauley High.
          When we reached Rennals I let Bubbles out and continued on to Latore’s Ridge.
            When I completed my business in Latore’s Ridge night was already falling. I drove back home and decided to stop in Creighton and have a drink at Archibald Crook’s bar. Creighton
was a mile away from Oakley so I knew most people there.
            There were only about half a dozen patrons in the bar. Archie was behind the counter.
            I ordered a beer and was drinking it when I heard Archie remark.
            “I don’t know what this country’s coming to. The girl just left her baby sleeping and somebody took him away.”
            “Somebody stole a baby around here, Archie?” I asked.
            “Dennis Charley’s daughter, Yvette. You should know her, Don. You should have taught her at school.”
            Yvette Charley, I remembered her now. She was in the same class as Bubbles.
           Read the full story in 'Bring back the good old Days' or in 'Riding the milk-truck to School'.

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