Chapter Two (part c)

"You've been on your own for a while now I gather," asked Moffat when he'd finished reading the letter.

"That's right," said Mrs. Jones. "But we didn't have very much money saved so when I lost my job a few months ago we had to move in with Walter while I looked for more work. What a terrible mess that turned out to be, it was absolutely hopeless! The only kind of job I could find in all of Vancouver was waitressing! I don't want to do that kind of thing for the rest of my life. I need a real job that I really want to do... "

'And what kind of job would that be?" asked Moffat.

"I'm an artist, at least I hope I am," said Mrs. Jones. "I know I could do it professionally if I had the chance."

"But no-one wants to give you one," said Moffat.

"No. There aren't many opportunities in Vancouver," said Mrs. Jones. "That's why we came to Toronto you see, I'm sure I can get the right kind of job here. So I saved as much as I could working as a waitress, and Walter said he'd see if you'd let us stay with you here in Toronto while I looked for a real job."

"From the sound of this letter, he wasn't all that pleased to have you around," observed Moffat.

"No. I guess not. Walter isn't exactly the easiest person to get along with sometimes," admitted Mrs. Jones.

"That's for sure," thought Jennifer and she made a face. Moffat seemed to agree as well.

"Uncle Walter's a doughnut of the first degree and deserves to be dunked," he told them. "Just plunks you off on the train to Toronto, writes a nice letter telling me to take care of you: here they are, they're yours, the end! If that doesn't bake the cake and fry the pie, why if he thinks I'm going to take on any responsibility for the two of you then he must think I'm an Uncle's monkey!"

"Then you won't?" asked Mrs. Jones.

"Certainly not! So what will I do with the two of you? You'll have to go somewhere, but where, that's the question... " Moffat mused and his voice trailed off as he sat there tapping his nose thoughtfully.

"But there's nowhere else to go I" said Jennifer.

"Oh, there's lots of places upstairs, but which room, that's the problem! They're mostly all full with something or other," said Moffat and then suddenly he grinned. 'Well, what if they are, who cares? Not me!"

"Not me either!" said Jennifer and she grinned too.

"You want us to stay?" asked her mother uncertainly.

"Absolutely!" said Moffat. "You need to have someplace to call your own, so why not stay here with me?"

"But I thought you said you didn't want to take any responsibility for us," said Mrs. Jones.

"I did and I don't and I won't," Moffat said. "You'll just have to take the responsibility for your own selves yourselves. Don't ask me to help you with that!"

"Oh we won't," said Mrs. Jones.

"We can take care of ourselves!" said Jennifer.

"Good," said Moffat. "Please feel free to stay with me for as long as you like. I'd certainly enjoy the company and I'm sure the house would too."