In Charge

Fifteen year old Elsie slouched on the couch. She was baby-sitting on a Friday night, as usual. Her little charge had his arms crossed and was glaring at her.

“You’re not the boss of me!” Eli declared, all of his three year old strength coiled in his biceps, ready to fight. How did he get so good at scowling, she wondered.

“You have to eat,” Elsie reasoned, “or you’ll get weak.”

“I’ll never get weak. You’re weak,” he countered.

“Yes, I am weak. C’mon, Eli, lets sit at the table and eat. I’m starving,” she pleaded.

Eli laughed. “I never eat. I don’t have to eat. I’m invincible!” Elsie wondered where on earth he had heard the word ‘invincible.’

“Okay, then what do you want to do?” she asked, trying to keep resignation out of her voice.

“I want to play basketball!” he cried, raising his arms up like he was throwing one.

“What else is new? Okaaay, okay. Basketball. After you eat one slice of pizza.”

“No, I want basketball!” he shouted.

“You have to eat one slice of pizza. And then you can play basketball and have a fruit snack before bed,” she could tell this wasn’t enough, so she added, “and we will watch two – no, three episodes of “Shawn the Sheep.” Eli’s eyes lit up. She had him.

“Okay!!” he cried and began to run in circles. Now, if she could just get him to the table. They don’t pay me enough for this, she thought.

picture by Lisa Paul

Copyright ©2025 Lisa Paul

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