What is that incessant sound that I am hearing? Where is it coming from? Oh, the alarm clock is blasting.  Whack! Another five minutes…please!  I lazily drag myself out of bed, plodding towards the kitchen.  Grabbing sandwich meat out of the fridge, I try to recollect what my children had ordered for lunch; after all, part of my job is being a short order cook.  Dang how did the turkey get slimy already? I had better open the tuna fish instead of poisoning the kids- did I buy tuna fish? 

Oh no, dog peed on the floor, better clean that up.  Where was I, oh yes, making lunch, cleaning up pee…just another day. Lunch complete, where are those lunch boxes?  I swear I need to designate one place for all three of them.  Located them, now I hurriedly pack the lunches.  I must start cooking breakfast. 

I pull out my favorite skillet and begin frying the eggs, another pan for the sausages, and plunk down the bread into the toaster.  I begin the mundane task of calling for my children to wake up and come and eat breakfast. Finally, all three are slumping at the table, trying to pour the orange juice into their glasses.  I lay a plate before them and they begin eating.  Time to go and feed the fish; I go to the tank and plop in the food, walk back to the kitchen and pour myself a cup of steaming coffee. Oh- forgot to buy half and half again, I settle for milk.

The children are starting to get up from the table, and go separate ways to get showered and dressed for school.  I begin to clear the table, stacking the plates into the dishwasher, thinking of what I must accomplish today.

Beep, beep, oh, Nychola, your ride is here.  Nychola appears still applying makeup with one hand, the other lugging her backpack.  I kiss her goodbye.  Steven and Ganyne are at the door.  Do you have everything?  Yes mom.  We trudge to the car, get in and start her up.  We stop at the neighbors; to collect Mia and Mitch…off to school we go. 

Upon reentering the house, I notice the hamster’s cage is open, and there is no hamster in the contraption   the cat is in the house, but has nothing in her mouth….must find speedy before Tabitha does.  I call the dog, Fritz, and ask him to fetch Speedy….he leads me to Nychola’s closet.  I reorganize the cloths that are strewn on the floor, and there is Speedy! I have to remember to tell Nychola she must put the hamster back in the cage before she leaves for school (as if I haven’t already asked her a thousand times)

I begin my task of maid, when I notice the bag on the island in the kitchen.  Ganyne had work tirelessly on this project for school all weekend…how could she forget it?  With no other choice, I grab the bag and head for the car.  I drive to the school, muttering under my breath that I can not believe I have to do this.  I enter the sterile office, and ask that the bag be delivered to Ganyne.  Back home I go.

Commencement of being the maid again….I need to check my e mail and write a paper, answer a ridiculous amount of questions for an online class and in my spare time, seek employment. 

I get my tasks done, have to get into my car and pick up the kids from school.  I pop a cd into the cd player, and on comes Simon and Garfunkel. I arrive at the school, get on line, and wander over to my friend’s car to chat. He is doing better today; his wife died a year ago and he has days that are difficult for him. Time to jump back into my car, line is moving…..The kids get in, and immediately begin chatting about their day.  Where are Mitch and Mia I ask?  Oh..I’ll go and get them states Steven. Now, every one is in the car.  I ask Ganyne how could she possibly forget the bag, she shrugs her shoulders, “just did mom, but thanks for dropping it off, I would have been embarrassed to not have it”.  Drop off the neighbor’s kids, and home we go.

Steven and Ganyne each pour a glass of orange juice, and slurp it down.  I tell them to take a break from homework, they have fifteen minutes to recoup from school.  As mostly always, they choose to start immediately.  Homework finished, signed and planners signed, we pack into the car for the journey to Clearwater.  Upon arrival, I immediately feel like I am in a much squashed confined can.  We wait on line to pick up Nychola and Elanie.  The bell rings, the parking lot is filled with the booming voice of the principal reminding all the parents of upcoming events.  I can’t believe we need to be reminded every day of these things.  I suppose when the kids get demerits we have been warned a million times already! All in the car, we drop Elanie home, and head home ourselves. 

Arriving home, Nychola whizzes out of the car, and into the house, I need to remember to speak to her about the hamster….All inside, Steven heads to his room to play halo, Ganyne heads to her room to knit and Nychola heads to her room to begin the chore of two hours of homework. 

I enter the kitchen and call Fritz, so I can let him out before he pees on the floor again.  Oh the pool looks like its going green again.. Probably from all the rain we have been having.   I must remember to throw chlorine in and yellow out….if only I can get every thing done. 

Back in the house, I begin to prepare dinner.  Ganyne comes racing at me like a scene out of psycho with her knitting needles…mom, I dropped a stitch, and please can you fix it.  I comply and off she goes muttering something about making me a perfect scarf. 

I pick back up, and put the dinner in the oven.  With an hour to spare, I begin knocking on the children’s doors, making sure they are ok.  Nychola gives a deep sigh and says, “Mom, can you help me with civics? I don’t understand this…. 

Beep, Beep, Beep, dinner is ready, we all gather up to the table and laugh about our day.  Steven, always the competitive, on anything, states that he came first in flag football at school.  To think that Steven would be anything than first would be a surprise.  Nychola tells Steven she doesn’t understand why he always has to be first at everything; wouldn’t he have more fun if he just had fun, and didn’t have to be first?  He almost screams back, “how can anything be fun, if you don’t win?”  I have had this conversation with him a million times, and don’t even have the energy to say it another time.  Ganyne  says she doesn’t want to go to gifted anymore, because the teacher changed this year, Steven immediately states Ms Klimins is nice, and Ganyne is dumb.  Oh, not that word again. 

Steven’s turn to clear the table, I stack the plates into the dishwasher, Nychola hurries off to finish homework and Ganyne is back to knitting.

We decide to play uno and trouble, but there is always a fight over which color to be.  Steven always has to be green, but Ganyne wants green too. Nychola rolls her eyes as if we have to go through this again! Can’t you two just get along? Amen to that! Steven wins. Again…no surprise, Ganyne accuses him of cheating, Nychola claims it is impossible to cheat…my head is going blah, blah, blah. 

I finally manage to speak to Nychola about Speedy, and it is time for the children to go jump in the shower, and go to bed.  Each child has their book, and is in bed.  Ganyne always ends up sitting with Steven, each reading their own book.  They have a love, hate relationship.  Nychola has the comforter wrapped around her like a cocoon, she is twisted on her side engrossed in the book she is reading. 

I muster what little energy I have left, and start my homework.  Oh, I must begin looking for a job…a job that I can earn money doing!

Finally, I drag myself to let the dog out, take a quick shower, and fall into bed.

Back to Sue's place

N8's Narrative Feedback