It's a well known fact that single airmens who live off base and receive pay, make much more money than those who live on base, and only receive flat pay. Let's just say, I was getting excited to move off base, and not just for the money.
I lived in the dorms with crazy young airmen that didn't have any regard for their neighbors. They played music at all hours of the night, and wouldn't answer the door unless LE was called because of a complaint.
There wasn't a kitchen in my room, but a community kitchen for the entire dorm. Plus I had to share my bathroom and shower with my suitemate. She was cool, but young, oh and she used to date the guy I was sleeping with.
I also had Elton with me, and he didn't like being locked up in the room all the time. This was evident by him constantly jumping at the doorknob trying to open it, and reaching his arm under the door swatting at shadows. That little stunt got me a letter of reprimand from my first shirt because the dorm manager happened to be walking by and Elton wanted to play. Did I mention we weren't allowed to have pets in our rooms?
During a base exercise, I was working in the Medical Control Center coming on for third shift, when I was approached by Sara, who was getting out, or being discharged. She asked if I lived in the dorms and thought about moving off base.
She told me about this "job" she had of being a "nanny" for a 14 year old girl named Angie. Angie's dad Chuck was a truck driver and he didn't like leaving Angie home by herself. Their house had a finished basement with it's own entrance, along with one to the main floor. All Sara did was be a babysitter, and cook every once and a while. Plus, rent was free. Any groceries bought were refunded by Chuck.
This sounded like a pretty sweet deal to me. I came over and met Angie and Chuck, saw the apartment and things seemed too good to be true! Chuck seemed like an okay guy. He was in the Air Force and looked a bit like a hippie, but he was cool. They were like midwestern rednecks, but not creepy
I got my friend to help me move some of my shit, and since I didn't have much, it didn't really take long. I didn't have a bed, so I slept on the couch, but I was still excited about being in my own place. Elton was excited too. Shut up! I know when my cats are happy, and he was ecstatic!
The first few days were cool. I took Angie grocery shopping with me and we spent way too much money on a bunch of crap. I made dinner for us, which was weird because I hadn't cooked in such a long time. Once I fixed them Jambalaya and they looked at it weird, then asked what it was. Said it must be a "southern thing." Plus they liked to eat corn with everything. Things seemed a bit uncomforable because I was new, but I hoped they would get better.
I wasn't getting my offbase allowances yet, so I was spending my money when I did the grocery shopping. Only Chuck didn't want to pay me back for all of it because I spent too much. Well, it's hard to tell a teenage girl you don't know well, "No."
A few weeks went by and I had to take Angie to school a few times because she woke up late, or just didn't want to walk to school in the snow. Then she started playing basketball and I had to pick her up from practice.
That wasn't so bad, except for the night she didn't come home and no one knew where to find her. That was fun. She eventually turned up, but it was clear she had no respect for me. It started showing more when she would hang out with her friend Raul down the street, and started sassing me and not telling me where she was going or when she would be home.
I started spending less and less time with her, and having my friend boy come over to keep me company. One night I came home and had a letter from Chuck telling me I had to move out.
Thankfully I still had my room on base and Kurt and I spent all night moving my shit back into my dorm. This was the middle of November, so it was fucking cold and there was lots of snow and ice on the ground.
My feelings weren't really hurt that Chuck asked me to move out, I just found it very cowardly how he did it, with a letter instead of talking to me about it. Plus, since I still hadn't received offbase allowance, I wasn't making money, but losing it due to bills and shit. A few months after that I was discharged anyway, so there was no harm done.
Sometimes I'll hear a song or see something that reminds me of that little bitch Angie, and I wonder what she's up to. From the way she acted around me, I wouldn't be surprised if she was pregnant or had a kid already.
I certainly learned my lesson from that experience. I'll never be anyone's fucking nanny again. Especially if I don't know them.
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