"Wake up Duane," I said as I nudged him.
"Not now," Duane said half asleep.
"Get up," I said.
"No," Duane protested.
"Duane, you know I won't leave you until you do," I said
"Please, just a bit more," Duane said.
"Fine, then I guess you wouldn't mind to know something special," I said.
"What is it?" Duane asked.
"It's a surprise," I said. With that, Duane raced out of the room.
Now it's Danny's turn. I went inside his room.
"Wake up sleepy head," I said.
"It's too early," Danny said.
"Look outside," I said. Tired, Danny stood up. The sun stung his eyes. He gasped.
"Fine, you win," Danny said, yawning. Then I went to Sam's room.
"Come on, wake up sleeping beauty," I said. She woke up.
"Good morning dad," Sam said.
"Good morning, sugar pie," I replied. she giggled.
"I'm the oldest girl, not the youngest, Sun is," she said.
"I bet she won't mind if I say 'Good morning sugar pie'," She laughed.
"Good one,"
"Okay, now get up," She stopped laughing, and gave me a confused face.
"Why? You've never woke us up before,"
"It's a surprise,"
"It must be something special,"
"Not really," She rolled her eyes jokingly. I walked out of her room. I went to Miral's room. She was already awake.
"Well, good morning, early-bird,"
"Don't walk in like that, it isn't polite," She said in a know-it-all voice.
"Sorry,"
"Now try again,"
"But....,"
"I don't wanna hear it,"
"Fine," I went outside, and knocked the door.
"Come in,"
"Thanks,"
"Now wasn't that better?"
"I thought you were sleeping,"
"Well don't think,"
"Huh?"
"Know,"
"I'm going now,"
"Knock first!," she shouted after me.
"Okay," I yelled back.
I knocked Star's room door. Silence. I went in.
"Star," I said. I tried again. Still she wouldn't wake up. I touched her head. It was really hot. Oh no, she's sick. I decided to leave her alone, so she can sleep.
"Miral," I called.
"Yeah," she replied.
"Come take care of your sister, she's sick," I said. She came running so fast, she almost fell. I caught her in time. Phew. I went to Moon's room downstairs.
"Knock knock," I said while knocking.
"Who's there?" he replied. I didn't have a joke, so I tried the oldest one in the book.
"Yodelayeh," I said.
"Yodelayeh who?" he asked.
"Yodelayehoo," I said
"Dad!" he protested.
"Sorry! Anyway, I have a surprise," I said.
"What is it?" he asked.
"No telling," I said. I could feel him roll his eyes. "Get ready."
One left, one sour one left. I sighed. Unless...
I went to Sam's room.
"Sam, go wake up Sun," I said.
"Why me?" she asked.
"Because you're the oldest, and I don't wanna go all the way upstairs," I said. She gave me a look.
"Ask Miral, or Star," she said. I sighed.
"Star is sick and Miral is taking care of her," I said.
"Oh no! What about Duane, or Moon, or Danny?" she asked. I took a deeper sigh.
"Forget it," I said angrily.
"I'm sorry, I'll go wake her up," she said as she stood up. I held her back.
"Forget it!" I yelled. She looked at me so sadly. Her lips mouthed "I'm sorry." I regretted yelling at her. But I didn't back down. "You're grounded."
She gasped. "But dad..,"
"I don't wanna hear it," I interrupted. I walked out. Why was I so stupid? Now I have one child angry at me for yelling. Just because she didn't do my work. This is not the first time I yelled, but at Sam? Yes, it's the very first time. I could hear her crying. And what did I ground her from? Eating, working, what?
I took a deep breath and went to Sun's room.
"Sun," I said. Silence. This is weird of her, she usually wakes up by herself, plotting her next revenge, I think. I went inside. She look oh-so-peaceful, and cute. I looked at her face admiring her. She was really beautiful, but her personality is opposite. I know deep down she's a great girl, but she can't express that. I kissed her head. I haven't done that since she was a baby. Moon always had the hugs and kisses. She didn't. She was always excluded. Her mom and I, were the the only people who she truly loved. She loved her mom more than anyone. Maybe after her mom left, she thought she had nothing left. She thought the world turn against her. But we still love her. All of us, even Danny.
I hugged her close to me, she's just like her mom. She opened her eyes, but closed them quickly. She wanted me to hug her, but she was still "sleeping" so she didn't know. I left her alone. I looked at her one more time. She is so innocent.
I went downstairs to see if the were ready. Danny and Duane were fighting over the bathroom, as usual. Sam was in her room, as I told her. Miral was taking care of Star. Sun was in her room. Moon was the only one there, but his face was wet. Was he crying?
This is the worst day ever!
"Fine, you win," Danny said, yawning. Then I went to Sam's room.
"Come on, wake up sleeping beauty," I said. She woke up.
"Good morning dad," Sam said.
"Good morning, sugar pie," I replied. she giggled.
"I'm the oldest girl, not the youngest, Sun is," she said.
"I bet she won't mind if I say 'Good morning sugar pie'," She laughed.
"Good one,"
"Okay, now get up," She stopped laughing, and gave me a confused face.
"Why? You've never woke us up before,"
"It's a surprise,"
"It must be something special,"
"Not really," She rolled her eyes jokingly. I walked out of her room. I went to Miral's room. She was already awake.
"Well, good morning, early-bird,"
"Don't walk in like that, it isn't polite," She said in a know-it-all voice.
"Sorry,"
"Now try again,"
"But....,"
"I don't wanna hear it,"
"Fine," I went outside, and knocked the door.
"Come in,"
"Thanks,"
"Now wasn't that better?"
"I thought you were sleeping,"
"Well don't think,"
"Huh?"
"Know,"
"I'm going now,"
"Knock first!," she shouted after me.
"Okay," I yelled back.
I knocked Star's room door. Silence. I went in.
"Star," I said. I tried again. Still she wouldn't wake up. I touched her head. It was really hot. Oh no, she's sick. I decided to leave her alone, so she can sleep.
"Miral," I called.
"Yeah," she replied.
"Come take care of your sister, she's sick," I said. She came running so fast, she almost fell. I caught her in time. Phew. I went to Moon's room downstairs.
"Knock knock," I said while knocking.
"Who's there?" he replied. I didn't have a joke, so I tried the oldest one in the book.
"Yodelayeh," I said.
"Yodelayeh who?" he asked.
"Yodelayehoo," I said
"Dad!" he protested.
"Sorry! Anyway, I have a surprise," I said.
"What is it?" he asked.
"No telling," I said. I could feel him roll his eyes. "Get ready."
One left, one sour one left. I sighed. Unless...
I went to Sam's room.
"Sam, go wake up Sun," I said.
"Why me?" she asked.
"Because you're the oldest, and I don't wanna go all the way upstairs," I said. She gave me a look.
"Ask Miral, or Star," she said. I sighed.
"Star is sick and Miral is taking care of her," I said.
"Oh no! What about Duane, or Moon, or Danny?" she asked. I took a deeper sigh.
"Forget it," I said angrily.
"I'm sorry, I'll go wake her up," she said as she stood up. I held her back.
"Forget it!" I yelled. She looked at me so sadly. Her lips mouthed "I'm sorry." I regretted yelling at her. But I didn't back down. "You're grounded."
She gasped. "But dad..,"
"I don't wanna hear it," I interrupted. I walked out. Why was I so stupid? Now I have one child angry at me for yelling. Just because she didn't do my work. This is not the first time I yelled, but at Sam? Yes, it's the very first time. I could hear her crying. And what did I ground her from? Eating, working, what?
I took a deep breath and went to Sun's room.
"Sun," I said. Silence. This is weird of her, she usually wakes up by herself, plotting her next revenge, I think. I went inside. She look oh-so-peaceful, and cute. I looked at her face admiring her. She was really beautiful, but her personality is opposite. I know deep down she's a great girl, but she can't express that. I kissed her head. I haven't done that since she was a baby. Moon always had the hugs and kisses. She didn't. She was always excluded. Her mom and I, were the the only people who she truly loved. She loved her mom more than anyone. Maybe after her mom left, she thought she had nothing left. She thought the world turn against her. But we still love her. All of us, even Danny.
I hugged her close to me, she's just like her mom. She opened her eyes, but closed them quickly. She wanted me to hug her, but she was still "sleeping" so she didn't know. I left her alone. I looked at her one more time. She is so innocent.
I went downstairs to see if the were ready. Danny and Duane were fighting over the bathroom, as usual. Sam was in her room, as I told her. Miral was taking care of Star. Sun was in her room. Moon was the only one there, but his face was wet. Was he crying?
This is the worst day ever!