Ms. Dragon Lady

“So, you know how Tayna’s not here today?” Delilah mused as she duct-taped the bottom of the over-turned rocking chair.

I looked out at the four extra toddlers dumped in our already full Infant Room because of her absence,

“I’m aware.”

“I was clocking in today and She was there, right?”

“Ahuh.”

“I heard Laura tell her that Tayna wasn’t here because she had a mammogram. You know what she said?” Delilah stopped fiddling with the chair, straightened her back and pulled out a nasally mocking tone, “Why can’t my staff just come to work?!”

I chuckled at her impression then rolled my eyes,

“Of course she did. Her heart shriveled up sometime around the Black Plague.”

“I bet she’s the one that started it.”

I chuckled again then went to pick up one of the older kids to check their diaper,

“You saw what she sent to the group chat when Alexis called out with hives, right?”

Delilah shook her head no.

“She made a big deal about how she now had hives and a temperature of 103, but she showed up to work today because she actually values her job,” I rolled my eyes again.

“Dude, she works with children, is she really that dumb?”

“She’s from a different time, D. She’s still getting used to having the right to vote.”

Delilah laughed this time,

“At least she likes you. It’s weird, you’re like the only person she smiles at. All of us other plebes get a scowl.”

“That’s because my first day here I was signing paperwork and she just started going off on a rant about how she can’t believe all of the illegal immigrants over fifty in California are eligible for a medical card now. I was so shocked that I just kept writing and didn’t say anything, I think she took that as me agreeing with her.”

“Dude.”

“I know. She never ceases to amaze me. There’s so many times that I’ve wanted to put her in her place, but this is the only way we can afford daycare for E…and honestly, she scares me.”

Delilah laughed,

“Coward.”

Just then I saw her in the window of the door,

“Oh yeah? Well heads-up, dragon lady’s about to come in. Let’s see how brave you are.”

Delilah tugged at her shirt to adjust it. The door clicked open.

“Hey guys, just coming to check on you,” the dragon lady said in a false, sickly sweet tone.

Debbie cast a glance at me as if to say, Watch This,

“Actually, Linda, I’m sitting here trying to fix this chair…it appears to be broken beyond repair. I can’t really rock the babies anymore.”

“What? Another chair?” her shrill voice went up in mock surprise.

“Yes. Another chair. Maybe that’s what happens when you put toddlers in an infant room.”

Linda’s perfectly groomed, silver eyebrow raised up in accusation,

“You’re sure it’s because of the toddlers and not because of…?” she then pursed her lips together and puffed out her cheeks.

Delilah suddenly shifted her eyes to the floor, to hide the fact that it looked like she might cry. I stood there, mouth open, fists clenched. The dragon lady laughed, then turned to leave the room. Even though I was shaking with rage, once again, my fear to speak up rendered me incapacitated. When the door closed behind evil incarnate, Delilah’s shoulders fell forward, and she let out a couple of sniffles. I knew she’d snap my head off if I acknowledged it. So, I gingerly patted her on the back, then before I knew what I was doing I was out the door and speeding towards Linda’s office. I couldn’t even feel my feet moving, I was fueled by rage. How dare she?!

I busted through her office door like a tornado tearing through a barn. She looked up, startled, from the papers she had sprawled on her desk. When I crossed the room, I slammed my hands down on her desk and coughed a hefty, flem-filled cough with spittle straight in her face.

“Hey Linda, one of the kids coughed in my face yesterday and I’m pretty sure I’m getting sick. You know what that’s like now, what do you think?”

“EXCUSE ME?”

Uh-oh. What did I just do? I just provoked the beast. I started panicking. I’d never done anything like this before, what happens now?

Her anger only flashed for a second, but then she composed herself and was eerily calm,

“Do you have something you’d like to say, Mila?”

I was stunned by confusion. I expected anything but this reaction from her. I thought I was going to be fired, beaten, thrown on a fire pit…but here she was asking me if something was the matter? Uh…obviously, lady. I’m pretty sure I just used biological warfare because it was too hard for me to get the words out.

Linda smirked,

“I didn’t think so, you mute buffoon. When was the last time you ever said anything to me besides ‘Yes, ma’am?’ You’re spineless and you know it.”

I stood there staring at her, jaw dropped. The worst part was, she was right. I had no idea what to say or do now. I had no idea where to go from here.

Linda placed one hand on her cheek and drummed her other hand’s fingers on the desk, adapting a bored expression,

“I’ll tell you what, Mila. I’ll forgive this needless and reckless transgression, wrapping it up to a dumb kid finally finding her rebellious stage if you just walk out that door right now and never speak about this again.”

I still couldn’t say anything, but I didn’t turn around either. I stood there, frozen in fear.

Her nonchalant, bored expression turned agitated,

“Speak or don’t, mute! But make a decision and get out of my office, or you’re fired. I’m done with this.”

Her verbalizing the possibility of me being fired and how close I was to it, snapped me out of my stupor. Suddenly, I realized that without this job, my family and I would figure out how to make things work. We always did. And this dragon, devil lady held no power of me.

“You know what, Linda? I’m just gonna say it..You’re not very nice!”

Swiftly, I picked up her prized porcelain bull statue with the ruby eyes off of her desk and smashed it on the ground.

“I quit.”

It was her turn to be speechless. She didn’t say a word, only stared at me as I flipped her the bird, turned around and walked out the door, finger still high in the air.