Boyd turns off his screen after making a doctor’s appointment online, he gets up from his chair and paced around a bit. He hasn’t checked his mail or the au pair website yet and maybe he should do that. Because what if he’s making this appointment for nothing because Maxwell has chosen another person to become the au pair of his kids.

Boyd lets himself fall back into the chair and turns on his laptop, while it’s loading, he’s playing nervously with his phone. Once the laptop is fully loaded, he opens the internet and types in the website. He sees a notification bulb on the screen and he clicks on it, he has a message back from Maxwell.

Hello Boyd,

I’m glad you don’t mind answering a few questions. How about you answering a few through the mail and then how about Sunday we plan a skype session. Since you mentioned before that you take care of your siblings may be one of your parents can join in and answer a few questions too.

Anyway, the questions I’d like to ask you right now are:

How would it be for you to leave your parents and go abroad?

What do you like the most about taking care of children?

Also, what would you do if one of the children misbehaves?

Would you mind doing some light housework and cooking aside from taking care of the kids?

Do you have a driving license? That way the kids can be taken to school.

And most importantly do you have any first-aid training for when something happens to one of the children.

I hope you can make it this Sunday for a skype session, the kids will be around too during this session. Maybe it’s best to have the session around 6 p.m. your time because of the time difference.

Kind regards,

Maxwell Lewis.

Before answering Boyd gets out of his chair and hurries towards his father's room, he knocks on the door and opens it without waiting for his father to allow him in.

“Father, I’ve got an answer from the family.” Boyd flails and flops down on the chair.

Isaac laughs at his son's antics and straightens himself a bit before he says something.

“Boyd, calm down. So, tell me what is his reply that you’re like this.”

“He wants to have a skype session this Sunday, so be home before 6 p.m this weekend because he also wants to speak with one of my parents.”

“I’ll make sure to be back home around noon so we can prepare you a bit for the skype session. How does that sound?”

“That sounds good dad, thanks. I’ll go now to reply to him.”

Boyd hurries back to his room, half falling out of the chair when he tries to sit down in front of his laptop and he starts to type away.

Hello mister Lewis,

I’ve discussed with my father and he will be joining me Sunday during the skype session. He’ll be also the person to check all the papers and if everything is correct and legal. Now to your questions.

It might be hard for me to leave my parents and siblings to go abroad but I think it’s something I’d have to do for myself. I think it will take me a few weeks to get used to it but it won’t be something to affect me for the whole period.

What I like the most about taking care of kids now is that I can see the joy they have whenever we do something that they like. The purity they have and show whenever you take care of them or help them is something I also like.

Whenever one of the kids misbehaves, I’ll be discussing with you what I should do the next time it happens. It depends on what way they misbehave but if it’s extreme then I’ll be putting them on a time-out. When you’ll be back home, I’ll still discuss it with you if they have been put on time-out.

I won’t mind doing some light housework and cooking, I help with those things already at home so I do have some experience with it. I’m also a quite skilled cook if I can say so myself.

Yes, I do have a driver's license. I may do have to need to take a drive with someone next to me a few times since in England the steering wheel is positioned differently, same as the placement of your car on the road.

I’ve recently gotten my first-aid training so I do know what to do when something happens to the children.

I hope this answers your questions for now and I can’t wait to see you and your kids during the skyping session this Sunday.

Kind regards,

Boyd Davis.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before Boyd knows it it’s Sunday already, and just like his dad has promised he comes back around noon from the trip he took with the others. Boyd walks towards them once they enter the door and he greets them with a big smile.

“There is lunch for you guys ready in the kitchen.”

“Are there pancakes?” Lily asks enthusiastically

“Yes, there are pancakes.” Boyd laughs.

Everyone goes towards the kitchen and Boyd follows them to join them for lunch.

When they are done with the lunch and cleaning up Boyd and Isaac go toward Isaac his study, to prepare for the skype session they will have with Maxwell Lewis in a few hours. Boyd feels slightly nervous because he doesn’t know what to expect. So, he is happy that his father will join him with the skype session.

“So, Boyd, what do you think he’d like to know from me?”

“I guess just some things about how you experienced the help you got from me with the kids and well maybe also about the chores I do at home.”

“Mmh that will be no problem to tell. I’m glad you’re helping. Less glad about the fact that you stopped with your education, but if you feel this is what you need to do now then I can’t force you to continue with that.”

“I know dad, that’s why I kept it for myself for so long. But really, I’ll get my education, after I figure things out myself. And I’ll be looking into whatever I can do for my education in England if I get the position. Who knows, maybe I’ll go into childcare.”

“I know son, I know. So now the biggest question is of course, what would he like to know about you and such.”

“He did ask me a few questions already, about working with kids and how I’d deal in some situations. I guess he’ll be asking more like those questions. I guess he’d also ask questions about my personality and what I’d like to do.”

“Well, all I can say is just be yourself and be honest and don’t stress too much about it. Being honest will only show him what kind of person you are.”

“Mmh I know dad, thanks for wanting to help me out with all this.”

“You’re welcome. How about we take a walk to get you relaxed, maybe we can grab a cup of coffee somewhere. We have plenty of time left.”

“That sounds nice, there is a nice new coffee shop near the park. How about we try that one out.”

Boyd and his father sit down in the coffee shop once they have ordered their coffee. Boyd takes out his phone and turns on the screen to see the time. It’s 3:30 P.M. which means they still have enough time. After setting up the meeting with Maxwell Lewis there was barely any contact through the website, they did exchange their skype accounts and have made sure to remember each other about the meeting they have. Boyd is getting slightly nervous since it’s getting closer now to finally have the skype meeting. He does know from Maxwell that there is another candidate, but other than that he doesn’t know what to expect and all.

When the coffee arrives, Boyd looks up from his screen that has darkened a long time ago already. He was so in his thoughts that he forgot about his father too, who is just smiling at him.

“Don’t worry kid, if he doesn’t accept you there will be another family that will. We only have to make a few changes with your visa then, unless the family lives in England too.”

“I know dad, it’s just I wish I was the only one that he deems fitting so it won’t be hard to get the job.”

“Sadly, not everything is easy Boyd.” Isaac chuckles.

Boyd nods and takes a sip of his coffee.