Modsi, had noticed in
their surveillance, a young girl, in the city of New York, who was apparently
at home taking care of younger siblings with no visible adult supervision. They hovered over her apartment listening
carefully to what was being said.
“Pick up that paper and
put it in the garbage can,” Kiara said, angrily to her twin brothers. “I’m tired of picking up after you, two. Go
to your room and stay out of my way!”
The two six year-old
boys, glared at her and kept right on shredding paper into tiny bits and then
blowing them into the air. “We like to
play “snowing” when we can’t go outside.
You’re just a meanie.”
“I’m not a meanie; I
don’t want to clean-up after you. Now,
stop! If there is a mess in here when
Mom gets home, you’re gonna get it.”
“No, we won’t. She’ll fuss at you. You’re the one in charge.”
“Well, since I’m in
charge, pick up that paper before I bash in your brains and blow them into the
air.”
“We’re telling Mom you
hit us!”
“I haven’t hit you yet,
but I’m going to any second now.” Kiara was so frustrated that she picked up a
broom and began chasing her brothers around the room until they ran into their
room, and then slammed the door and locked them in.
“Ooh! I wish I had the power to turn back time and
these two would never have been born!” she muttered to herself. She looked at
the clock on the stove and realized her mother would soon be walking in the
door, tired as usual, expecting a hot meal and a clean house. The broom she was using was old and worn and
made tried to sweep up the mess that much harder, but she was glad that she had
put a plate in the microwave for her mother.
Now, all she had left to do was the dishes. While she washed dishes, she
daydreamed about living somewhere else where she didn’t have to watch her
brothers while her mother worked. She
thought about having a father at home who loved them and worked to take care of
them. The sound of a key turning in the
door broke into her day dream.
“Hi, Mom. Food is in the microwave.”
“Thank you, Kiara,” her
mother said, dragging herself into a chair. “I really appreciate your help.
Where are the boys?”
“I locked them in their
room. They had made a mess of the place
and wouldn’t clean it up.”
“Kiara! Don’t lock them in. Talk to them and teach them how to clean up!”
“Mom, they don’t listen
to me. I have to do everything around
here. I cook, clean up the house and
then watch them. Why do I have to do everything? Why did you have to have them anyway?”
The minute she asked the
question, she regretted it, but it was too late to take it back. Her mother looked at her for a long moment
and then tears began to flow down her cheeks.
She said nothing, just held her head in her hands, looking as though she
wished she was somewhere else. Kiara
hated seeing her mother cry. She cried
often but would never say why and every time she did, Kiara felt bad.
Kiara walked over to her
mother and hugged her. “I’m sorry,
Mom. Truly, I am. I don’t know what got into me. I’ll unlock the door now!” When she unlocked
the door, the boys came tumbling out, each one wanting to tell on Kiara
first. Their mother, stopped crying and
pulled each boy onto one knee and hugged them tightly. Squirming to get away, they finally escaped
and went back into their room. They
didn’t like it when their mother hugged them too hard.
Kiara sighed and
finished the dishes and then completed her homework at the kitchen table. When
she finally finished and put her books and notebooks into her backpack, it was
past her bedtime and she was so tired, she could barely keep her eyes
open. Her mother had long since gone to
bed, so she pulled out the sofa bed and dropped onto the unmade covers beneath
the cushions and soon fell asleep.
Watch for it--available soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment