Violet's in Bloom: Chapter #5- To the Rescue.

"Wow. Freddy wasn't kidding," Violet mumbled as she pulled into the parking lot of Mio Caro Bambino daycare center. A stream of cars, SUV's, minivans and pickup trucks went by just as she parked and got out of the car. With a perplexed expression on her face she watched the procession enter the steady stream of unusually busy Saturday morning traffic.

"What in the world could make every parent in Catalpa Valley dump their kids off at daycare on a Saturday?" she said to herself.

"Maybe they're giving away free money down at the park," Richard replied.

"You goof! Nobody gives away free money... except the government. And anyway, little kids are closer to the ground so they would have a better shot at grabbing whatever falls," she quipped shrugging her shoulders and heading to the front door.

Richard chuckled. "You're right, Babe."

He followed her into the warm and cheery daycare center and found a most bizarre and a rather disturbing sight before them, something never seen before. Jocelyn Lefleur seemingly not in control of a situation. She stood holding twin four month old babies who were screaming their heads off, and around her long, jean-clad legs ran around a trio of toddlers making quite enough noise of their own. The music blaring out of speakers was not quite of the kind conducive to calming savage beasts but rather to excite them.

Wondering whatever happened to Wheels on the Bus or the usual Disney sing-a-long Violet went behind the front desk and turned off the stereo. Why anyone would play Panic at the disco to a bunch of little kids at a daycare center was not her concern at the moment. Her best friend, however, was. She gaped in utter astonishment. This was not the Jocelyn she had known for some twenty years.

Jocelyn was an impressive woman. She always had been even at age twelve when Violet first set eyes on the girl and thought her the most beautiful person she'd ever seen. She recalled quite vividly how stunned she was to see this tall, skinny, black girl with eyes that hypnotized sitting in an ordinary school cafeteria in the middle of the "sticks". Violet imagined she should be on a throne in Egypt, draped in silk, adorned in precious gems and gold and lording over the commoners.

Jocelyn, expecting a much different reason for Violet staring at her, had promptly stood up ready for a fight. She glared down at little Violet who stood a good fourteen inches below Jocelyn's shoulders. "What the hell are you staring at, white girl?" Jocelyn snapped, her silvery eyes mere slits in her livid face.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was being so rude staring at you like that but...but...you have the prettiest eyes I've ever seen. You're beautiful," Violet gushed completely shocking Jocelyn into speechlessness. Violet a bit surprised herself added, "Hasn't anyone ever told you that before?"

Jocelyn blinked several time before getting her voice back. "No white girl, no," Jocelyn replied.

Then they both laughed, sat down and had lunch together talking nonstop. From then on they were the best of friends.

Jocelyn hadn't changed much except to grow another six inches to end up being six foot two and that was when she didn't wear her usual Prada heels and she always wore her Prada heels. Of course, she wasn't right now. Instead she wore ordinary, serviceable boots. And where, Violet wanted to know, were her sleek designer clothes and her usual makeup which always emphasized her exotic, almond-shaped, pewter-colored eyes and those full pouty lips that put Angelina Joli to shame?

Jeans and an ordinary albeit bright, cobalt blue chenille sweater was simply not done by Jocelyn unless she was bumming it as she liked to call it.

"Who are you and what have you done with my friend?" Violet said as she took one of the babies out of Jocelyn's arms. "There now, sweetie, no more tears," she cooed to the baby, swaying gently on the spot and reaching for the other.

"Never been more happy to see a white girl," Jocelyn shouted over the screams of the babies, the toddlers and the constant

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