When Sally's family get a second desk for their small house, everything seems even more cramped and cozy. It is soon filled with tea sets, books, papers, school supplies, and potted flowers, or at least the flowers used to be there before winter arrived.
Then, Sally's neighbor Holly asked her if she wanted to get some gold fish, as her dad has gotten her too many. She could probably spare at least two, since one may not survive being too lonely and all.
Sally doesn't get too many play things like this. In fact the only toy she has is a dark haired doll wearing a blue dress. She had named her 'bebe'. Bebe's cheeks are soft pink and her eyes open and close when Sally tilts her forward and back.
Her neighbor Holly however, has many toys. She likes to show them off. She lend it to Sally only if Sally does what she wants. But she will lend it or play with the other children in the courtyard without condition. Sally doesn't know why and it makes her head hurt whenever she tries to figure it out. So she tries to play with bebe, her brother Michael and his friends, or read by herself whenever she doesn't feel like doing whatever Holly says.
But this is different. Two gold fishes! They will practically be like the little sisters she always wanted. Sally nods her head rapidly without thinking when Holly posed the question. The two girls walk hand in hand into Holly's spacious house just behind the giant banyan tree like two best friends.
There on the antique desk facing the window, a large wash basin has been converted into swimming pool for tiny fishes. Five gorgeous gold fishes twisted their tiny waists and waved their satiny tails leisurely about, completely unaware of their awed audience. Sally can't help but picking her two favorites right away: a snowy "lady" and an all black general like "boy". She can't tell genders of the fish, but she decided that must be what they are, and their names shall be "Snow Princess" and "General Nero".
Friday, December 17, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
The Case Of the Missing Goodies
Once upon a time, there was a little girl that was very proud.
Her name was Sasha. Her brother's name was Michael. They lived with their parents in a small house that had just a bed, a table, some chairs, and a stove. One day the family made dumplings together, and it took so long, that the little girl was so hungry, she could hardly stand up. So dad asked everyone to sing a song while they worked together. Singing made everyone forgot how hungry they were, and they finished making dinner quickly. Sasha got the first bowl of dumplings, and she ate it all before anyone else had a chance to eat. She fell asleep right away after that. She was too tired to say thank you.
Another day Michael threw a toy at Sasha, and she was very angry. So when mom asked, she said she wished she was the only child in the family. But she was very sad when she said that, like something was tugging at her heart. She hid in a corner later that day and cried until she fell asleep again. She was too proud to say sorry.
A few years later, the family added a shelf and a bunk bed into the small house. Even though it was more crowded now, it was also more cozy as everyone now had their own bed, except mom and dad who still had to share.
On a special holiday dad came home with a big bag of sweet treats, it was loaded with goodies. Dad put it up on the high shelf, and told Michael and Sasha that the goodies were for the whole month, and for the whole family, that everyone should help make it last for everyone else. He looked at Sasha for this last part.
Sasha promised herself that she wouldn't eat too fast this time. In fact, since she can't seem to help herself, she decided to pretend that the goodies were not there, and then until the end of the month, she can enjoy her share, and mom and dad would be so proud of her.
The next day she could not help but wanting to open up the box just to see how much goodies were still left. She stood up on the yellow chair next to the shelf, and opened the box. But just as she had her head poked far enough into it, she could see it was completely empty! At this very moment, dad walked into the room, and saw Sasha holding the empty goodie box with her mouth wide open. Dad's face became red, and he breathed so fast, he couldn't talk. He took Sasha down and asked sternly:
"Sasha, did you finish the whole box by yourself?"
Sasha was scared, and felt ashamed, but she really couldn't remember eating any goodie at all. So she mumbled with her head bowed low:
"no, I don't think so..."
"Sasha, you know how much I hate lying, if you ate it all, please be honest and confess, or you will get into more trouble!"
Sasha couldn't decide. She remembered seeing Michael next to this shelf yesterday, face covered with some crumbs. Could it have been him? She was not sure, but she did not want to get Michael in trouble, especially when dad was angry. So she shook her head again but said nothing.
Dad was furious, he found a ruler from Sasha's backpack, and asked her to hold out her palm. Sasha felt cold and clammy, her heart faint, legs shaking, and tears were beginning to well up in her eyes.
"Crying will not get you out of this, do you want to confess now?" Offered dad one last time.
Sasha pictured herself as the fallen princess captured in a high tower, and a dark lord threatening to beat her so she would serve him. She closed her eyes, letting the tears fall but shook her head again.
The ruler, carrying all the fury she could feel standing next to her, fell. With her eyes shut, she felt her skin well up, and a hundred tiny needles was poking and piercing her palm. Yet her pride was also swelling at her pain, escaping further into the picture in her head, where she stared down the dark lord with her righteous glares.
People were shouting all around her, suddenly the ruler stopped coming down. Dad had pulled Sasha into his arms and murmuring comforts. Michael had came home, and after one look, confessed he had been hungry yesterday, and ate all the goodies because he couldn't wait for dinner.
Michael had been growing a foot everyday, so he was always hungry.
Dad turned to Michael with a dangerous look. He found a stick from outside of the house and walked towards him. Sasha saw what was about to happen, and dived in front of Michael.
"Dad, please hit me, it was me who ate the goodies!"
She thought, I have already been hit, and it hurt bad just from a ruler, what would happen if Michael got a stick? He was almost as tall as dad now, she shivered at the thought of two angry men in the house.
Dad stopped, it was said that he always favored Sasha as the apple of his eye. That was why it was so hard to watch her "lie", and even harder to forgive Michael for causing the mistake.
Mom stepped in to return everyone to what they were supposed to be doing, and gave Sasha something cold for her palm. Sasha tried to hold her tears just like the princess on the high tower she saw in her head, but she couldn't help it now. They fell like a river and her whole body shook violently. She wanted to forgive everyone, but her pride was telling her what a brave and wonderful little girl she was, and she liked it.
Her name was Sasha. Her brother's name was Michael. They lived with their parents in a small house that had just a bed, a table, some chairs, and a stove. One day the family made dumplings together, and it took so long, that the little girl was so hungry, she could hardly stand up. So dad asked everyone to sing a song while they worked together. Singing made everyone forgot how hungry they were, and they finished making dinner quickly. Sasha got the first bowl of dumplings, and she ate it all before anyone else had a chance to eat. She fell asleep right away after that. She was too tired to say thank you.
Another day Michael threw a toy at Sasha, and she was very angry. So when mom asked, she said she wished she was the only child in the family. But she was very sad when she said that, like something was tugging at her heart. She hid in a corner later that day and cried until she fell asleep again. She was too proud to say sorry.
A few years later, the family added a shelf and a bunk bed into the small house. Even though it was more crowded now, it was also more cozy as everyone now had their own bed, except mom and dad who still had to share.
On a special holiday dad came home with a big bag of sweet treats, it was loaded with goodies. Dad put it up on the high shelf, and told Michael and Sasha that the goodies were for the whole month, and for the whole family, that everyone should help make it last for everyone else. He looked at Sasha for this last part.
Sasha promised herself that she wouldn't eat too fast this time. In fact, since she can't seem to help herself, she decided to pretend that the goodies were not there, and then until the end of the month, she can enjoy her share, and mom and dad would be so proud of her.
The next day she could not help but wanting to open up the box just to see how much goodies were still left. She stood up on the yellow chair next to the shelf, and opened the box. But just as she had her head poked far enough into it, she could see it was completely empty! At this very moment, dad walked into the room, and saw Sasha holding the empty goodie box with her mouth wide open. Dad's face became red, and he breathed so fast, he couldn't talk. He took Sasha down and asked sternly:
"Sasha, did you finish the whole box by yourself?"
Sasha was scared, and felt ashamed, but she really couldn't remember eating any goodie at all. So she mumbled with her head bowed low:
"no, I don't think so..."
"Sasha, you know how much I hate lying, if you ate it all, please be honest and confess, or you will get into more trouble!"
Sasha couldn't decide. She remembered seeing Michael next to this shelf yesterday, face covered with some crumbs. Could it have been him? She was not sure, but she did not want to get Michael in trouble, especially when dad was angry. So she shook her head again but said nothing.
Dad was furious, he found a ruler from Sasha's backpack, and asked her to hold out her palm. Sasha felt cold and clammy, her heart faint, legs shaking, and tears were beginning to well up in her eyes.
"Crying will not get you out of this, do you want to confess now?" Offered dad one last time.
Sasha pictured herself as the fallen princess captured in a high tower, and a dark lord threatening to beat her so she would serve him. She closed her eyes, letting the tears fall but shook her head again.
The ruler, carrying all the fury she could feel standing next to her, fell. With her eyes shut, she felt her skin well up, and a hundred tiny needles was poking and piercing her palm. Yet her pride was also swelling at her pain, escaping further into the picture in her head, where she stared down the dark lord with her righteous glares.
People were shouting all around her, suddenly the ruler stopped coming down. Dad had pulled Sasha into his arms and murmuring comforts. Michael had came home, and after one look, confessed he had been hungry yesterday, and ate all the goodies because he couldn't wait for dinner.
Michael had been growing a foot everyday, so he was always hungry.
Dad turned to Michael with a dangerous look. He found a stick from outside of the house and walked towards him. Sasha saw what was about to happen, and dived in front of Michael.
"Dad, please hit me, it was me who ate the goodies!"
She thought, I have already been hit, and it hurt bad just from a ruler, what would happen if Michael got a stick? He was almost as tall as dad now, she shivered at the thought of two angry men in the house.
Dad stopped, it was said that he always favored Sasha as the apple of his eye. That was why it was so hard to watch her "lie", and even harder to forgive Michael for causing the mistake.
Mom stepped in to return everyone to what they were supposed to be doing, and gave Sasha something cold for her palm. Sasha tried to hold her tears just like the princess on the high tower she saw in her head, but she couldn't help it now. They fell like a river and her whole body shook violently. She wanted to forgive everyone, but her pride was telling her what a brave and wonderful little girl she was, and she liked it.
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