"Hi! Nice morning. How are you?" It was a sunny Monday morning in the middle of July. Mom, needing to grab a few things from the store after a morning activity, had stopped at BJ’s before heading home. The person speaking was a grandmotherly old lady with a small shopping basket, who we did not know in the slightest.
"Good? How are you?" my mom says, as I scanned the shelves, wondering how many different types of contact solution a person needs. A movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention.
.........
I sat bolt upright in bed. Today, I would put my plan to work. Today was a day that would go down in history. Okay, well maybe that was a slight exaggeration, but it was a day I would remember. The night before, I had been ravaging my brain for a gift idea to make Lilly. Just as I was about to fall asleep, it hit me.
...........
"Jack! don't touch that!" I whispered, slapping his hand away from a little disk that promised to make your egg a perfect circle.
"Ohhh, I'm fine." the lady said, surveying us with a look of concern and then looking back at mom. Then in a voice that was supposed to be a lighthearted casual question. "Taking some friends' kids along?"
In my head, I think, “No of course not! Do you really think that she picked up three random kids and dragged them along on a shopping trip?”
"Luke, put a hand on the cart. Don't touch anything unless you are planning on buying it!"
My mom gives her a polite smile, apparently oblivious to the racket going on. For us it was a normal shopping trip, but for others...
...........
I could write a book for her. A book about two sisters named Lilly and Meg who were princesses, and also detectives.
As soon as I was done with breakfast, I got a little red paperback, unlined notebook and started to write. "Once upon a time, there was a princess named Lilly. She had brown hair and blue eyes. One day, her mother sent her on an errand to the post office."
..........
"No, they're all mine."
"Oh! Well, I hope you enjoy our afternoon!" and with a backward glance at mom that said she was crazy, she speed walked away.
“Jack!” he pulled his hand back, looking guilty.
I admit, we must have looked odd, a mother looking for toothbrushes, occasionally reprimanding a kid, a 13-year-old, trying to keep her sibling in order, an 11-year-old who was extremely bored, an 8-year-old, and a six-year-old, who could not stop touching things.
..............
I did not become aware of the shock people had when they knew there were four kids in our family, until I was around 6 or 8. When I figured it out, I found it hilarious. Why was it that 4 was conceded big, when less than three-hundred years ago, the normal was 7.
The reason I was so late in the realization about four kids, was because most of my friends had 3+ kids, and we will sometimes compare people's reactions. Some of them are funny, others hurtful. Thankfully it has not happened to me, but I have heard that a friend’s relative said, “You have too many kids.” Talk about ouch.
............
It took me about a month to finish writing about stolen silver spoons, kidnaping, and escaping from poorly thought through plans. I gave the badly misspelled book to my mother, who to her credit, went through and corrected all the misspelled words, including getting it bound with chapters and artwork on a kids publishing app.
.............
On doing some research I found that there were more pros than cons to having four kids. (Although that might be because I didn't really look up the advantages to having less kids) Like the fact that families with more kids tend to be happier than families with fewer kids. I’m not exactly sure why, but I think it has something to do with the kids entertaining themselves, and it is less likely that you will have the last-minute scramble for a playdate, because the kids are bored.
For sure, if you love to travel, cannot live in a messy house, or cannot stand noise, then four kids are probably not a good choice. Motel rooms go way up, (If you can even find one) and there is always a mess and lots of noise. Then again, four kids is just not for some people, but I think it should be more normal, and not something to be thought of as strange.
............
It came in early January, and I remember sitting in the living room, watching Lilly intently, as she opened the bag. My mouth felt slightly dry, would all the work I put into it pay off?
......
I like being part of a large family, there is always something going on, and we can look at each other for examples on what to do. Also, I am a pretty shy person, but I can use my not so shy siblings as a bit of a shield until I warm up. Normally by reprimanding them.
We have had a few birthday parties where I do not really know anyone, but my siblings, especially Jack and Luke, have an, “Everyone will be my friend.” attitude, which helps a lot. There are a few times where I wish I were an only child, the same, “Everyone will be my friend.” has made me embarrassed sometimes.
.................
She pulled the book out and read the title. Then she opened it and read the first page. Everyone was looking at her.
...........
The sound of a lawnmower startled me out of my thoughts. We were a street away from our house, and I was looking forward to getting out of the hot sun and into the air conditioning. We were out on an early afternoon walk, and everyone was hot, tired, and grumpy.
“How much further?” Luke asked.
“We're almost there.” Mom replied shortly. We went by the house with the lawnmower. The guy had ear protectors and was not looking in our direction.
.......
She pulled the book out and read the title. Then she opened it and read the first page. Everyone was looking at her. A big smile came onto her face, and I smiled too, from relief. Lilly got up and gave me a big hug.
“Thanks so much." she whispered. "I can't wait to read it all."
"You're welcome," I grunted, she was pushing me back in the chair. I was going to say, “Now can you let go of me," but before I could the chair tipped over.
.............
“Hi!” Jack said, waving. He glanced up confused, and waved back, still looking confused. “Jaaaaack.” I groaned, burying my face in my hands, my cheeks flaming. “you're not supposed to talk to strangers!” ‘
“He’s fine.” mom said.
Also, I am seldom bored. When not occupied with school or writing, I am normally watching TV or entertaining/playing (depending on how you look at it.) my siblings. There are only a few downsides for me, I do not have my own bedroom, I am the oldest, so I am the "Roll model" and until recently, I did everything with my siblings. That only changed because I was getting older, and was friends with people my siblings were not.
...........
After the unwrapping, I went up to my mom and said, "I want to write one for Jack and Luke. I think Luke's will be about a bear, and Jack’s about a little gnome. (I pronounced the g. It sounds better that way in my opinion.) and I changed what I want to be when I grow up."
"Oh?" said my mother, already guessing the answer.
"A writer!"
..........
My siblings give me a lot of ideas for writing, most of my essays and stories have them added in as certain people. In the Princess Detectives, the villain was named Jack, not because of anything Jack did, that was just the name I came up with.
I also found it impossible to have a main character with no siblings. So much of my life revolves around my siblings, so since I base the character off myself, they also go into the writing. Lilly is also ready to hear all my latest ideas, and will proofread stuff for me, if I ask her to. We have had a few of the following conversations:
I’m lying on the bottom bunk, staring at the darkness above me.
“Hey Lilly.” nothing but silence. I lay there waiting. Finally, with a creak,
“What. I was about to go to sleep.” she said, her voice muffled by pillows.
“I know, I’m sorry, but I just had an idea.”
“What.”
“What if, in my book, the library had scrolls instead of actual books.”
“I don’t care.”
“But I want your opinion.”
“And I want to go to sleep.”
“Fine.”
Five minutes later.
“What do you want your person's name to be?”
“Megggggg!”
“What do you want?”
“I don’t know, Maddy, I guess. Now can I go to sleep?”
“Sure.”
Comments
Log in or register to post comments.