#117: Claudia and the Terrible Truth
As foreshadowed in Abby and the Best Kid Ever, the new family in town, the Nichollses, has some issues. Or, rather, Mr. Nicholls is a fucking abusive asshole, and that causes trauma and problems for literally everyone in his vicinity. UGH.
Claudia becomes the regular baby-sitter for Joey and Nate Nicholls and she quickly notices that they’re afraid of their father, super deferential, and they basically shit their pants if anything is out of place or messy. When Claudia knocks over a glass of grape juice, it’s as if the world might end. These poor kids. One day when Claudia goes over to baby-sit the brothers are being punished because one of them touched their dad’s briefcase. Like, didn’t do anything to it or take anything out of it, but literally moved it out of the way so they could play. Claudia can sense something is wrong, but things don’t come to a head until one day when Mr. Nicholls thinks she’s already left and she hears him scream at the boys and slap one of them across the face.
She confides in the BSC and they smartly recommend she talk to her mom, who is a responsible and compassionate adult and who also works with Mrs. Nicholls at the library. Mrs. Kishi is appropriately horrified. She comforts Claudia and says she will talk to Mrs. Nicholls and to a social worker. Great. Weeeell… it doesn’t go so great. Mrs. Nicholls denies everything, cancels all of Claudia’s future baby-sitting appointments, and hires Erica Blumberg as a sitter instead.
But this abuse cannot be hidden. One day when Erica baby-sits, the boys are in their room on punishment and she hears them crying, so she goes up and finds that one of them has a goddamn black eye. I HATE MR. NICHOLLS. Erica is freaked out and calls Claudia, who calls her mom. Mrs. Kishi is like “I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS SHIT” and says she’s going to get those kids out of that house. Claudia is like, “damn, Mom,” and rides her bike over to the Nichollses’.
Mrs. K and Mrs. Nicholls roll up and go into the house. Shouting and who knows what else ensues, and then Erica runs out of the house with the boys, followed by Mrs. Kishi and Mrs. Nicholls. Everyone jumps in Mrs. Kishi’s car and they hightail it out of there and to Stamford, where Mrs. Kishi hides Mrs. Nicholls and the boys in Mr. Kishi’s office. (Mrs. Kishi probably shouldn’t have gone into a potentially dangerous situation, but honestly — HELL YEAH, MRS. KISHI.)
It’s determined that Mrs. Nicholls will take the boys and stay with her sister in New York until Mr. Nicholls can get some help (or until she divorces his ass). Mr. and Mrs. Kishi help make arrangements and get them off safely. For the first time in a long time, Claudia feels close to her mother like she once felt close to Mimi. Yes, I’m crying. Later that night, Claudia gets an angry phone call from Mr. Nicholls, who’s screaming “GIVE ME MY WIFE BACK!” Eff off, dude.
BSC saves the day again! I hope Joey and Nate are okay somewhere.
