As I woke to the sound of
birds chirping and singing, I looked over in the cradle that laid
next to my bed, the infant looked up at me grinning.
"Why hello to you too, Little Bliss. How you doing?"
The happy giggles and squeals were my answer. This one was never too fussy.
"Bet you would like me
to make you a little more comfortable wouldn't you?" I ask her as I sat up
and placed her on my lap.
"Well, come on then I'll
get your breakfast for you. Then you can help me with the others breakfast
how's that?" I told her as I cleaned the infant up, and headed to prepare
the meal. As I did I spotted one of my
girls outside already. I stopped what I was doing and headed out to her.
"What you doing clear
out here, Shanda?" The girl never answered me, nothing new; she’d only
been here a couple of weeks and hasn't said a word to anyone.
"You want to help me and
Bliss with breakfast? We'll make what ever you want?" She never even shook
her head.
"Alright, just make sure
you come in when I call you." I told her realizing this one wasn't going
to open up yet.
"Mama,
hi!"
"Morning Skyla," I
said picking her up. The four year old child giggled as she squirmed free and
started running though the small cabin. I managed to catch her, "Go and
wake, Darlita up for me, and do it nicely"
"Kay!" She spoke
out happily, climbing the ladder to the loft.
"SKY GET
OFF!" A young voice shouted. Wanting to see what the problem was I walked
to the bottom,
"Sky, I told you nicely.
And Darlita, there’s no need to yell." I told them.
"Sorry, it’s just that
she landed on my arm when Skyla jumped on me." I looked over to the
lavender pinkish girl who was trying to sneak out the door sternly. But before
I could say anything she darted outside.
Once breakfast was on the table and everyone was seated. I spoke up,
"I don't think that the
Cookie Fairy will bring any cookies for you Skyla since you didn't listen to me
when I told you to wake, your sister nicely." The little girl's mouth
dropped, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't. A loud cry broke out
from beside me. I turned surprised as I noticed Shanda and the tears,
"Shanda, what is
it?" I asked her. After asking Darlita to get things straightened up I
picked the child up and leaving the room with her.
I sat down on my bed with her
facing my face, although she had herself buried in my shirt for the moment.
"What is it child?"
I asked her as I smoothed out her mint green hair. I lifted her chin so that
our eyes matched one another's.
"I can't help you if you
don't tell me what’s wrong." The child managed to wiggle her head back
into my chest. I sighed and just held her close. I was still holding her when
Darlita came to me.
"Sorry,
but Skyla's gotten herself stuck on top of the fridge and I can't get her
down." Sighing I set Shanda
on the bed and headed to where the other child was.
"Skyla, you get down
from there right now!"
"I won't until I get my
cookies!"
"There won't be any,
matter of fact there aren't going to be any! Now get down from there!" I
demanded as I tried to reach for the child. She backed away.
"I want my
cookies!"
"You're going to bed if
don't get down here!"
"No!"
"Just stay up
there!" I told her,
"Dar, just take the baby
outside and play, I'm going to finish talking to Shanda." The girl nodded
and did as I asked.
"Sorry Pumpkin, I had to
leave the room like that, but
I'm all yours." The girl
turned her head away. *Rats! And I thought I was getting somewhere.* I thought
as the child climbed off the bed and walked out of the room, then came back she
crawled back up on my lap I noticed she had a paper in her hand. A folded note. In handwriting I almost had trouble reading;
the only thing it said was,
~Whoever reads this, please
take care of her, she won't talk to you... matter of fact she can't. If you
found her, I'm gone~
"Well no wonder you
haven't said anything," I said out loud, "Well don't worry about it.
We'll work around it." I told her as I hugged her tightly.
"How bout we go out to
that garden and get our baskets full of some berries and things?" I asked
her standing up and picking her up at the same time. I looked on top of the
fridge as I walked past,
*Good, she got down.* I
thought then grabbed the two baskets sitting on bench.
"Dar, bring me the baby,
then you can go do as you wish. You've done more than enough for me." The
teen placed the infant on the blanket behind us.
"Would you please tell
Sky, to come help us, on your way past?"
"Sure,
Selena."
After about an hour, I looked
up. Skyla still hadn't shown up to help. I turned to Shanda,
"Would you do me a
favor, Baby?" The little girl nodded,
"Stay here with the
baby, go ahead and keep going; I'm going to go find Skyla, when I get back you
can go play for a bit." The child smiled and sighed.
I looked everywhere for that
child. I turned at the tugging on my pants, I looked down Shanda was standing
beside me pointing and trying to drag me in an odd direction. I followed and
sure enough by the strawberries up in the trees sat Skyla.
"Thank you,
Sweetheart," I praised Shanda as I kissed the top of her forehead.
"Go play, you earned it," I told her before turning to the other,
"Skyla, why didn't you
help me when you were asked?"
"Don't want to,
Mamma!" I sighed. "Come on down," I said in defeat, "All
the works done now." I told her. She grinned and climbed down into my arms
hugging me.
"Good, I want you."
Not being able to stay angry I carried her over to my swing and swayed back and
forth with her as she cuddled with me for a bit. Knowing that what happened had
to be addressed since this hadn't been the first time she's hidden when it came
to doing what was asked of her.
"You know, Sky, in order
for everything to go well around here we all have to pitch in. And you know
that you should do as you’re asked, so I'm going to put you to bed early
tonight."
"But..."
"No, you've done enough
for one day, I mean what I said too little girl," I told her taking her
the door of the outhouse. Now go do what you need to." I told her opening
the door. I stood there waiting, and waiting, and waiting. After standing there
for ten minutes I opened the door,
"What are you
doing?" I asked her trying not to laugh.
"I stuck!" She said
wrinkling her nose.
"I see that."
"Now, let’s get you
inside, and to bed." I said as I put her on the ground.
"No story" I looked
at the child with sad eyes,
"Not for you tonight,
maybe tomorrow. Now off to bed." I told her standing at the end of the
ladder. As I seen the light turn out, Bliss let out one of her famous wails,
"What? You think that I
forgot you?" The infant giggled as I brought her close to me.
"OH, I see what you're
talking about now." I turned to the girls that were in the other room, Dar
looked up from the book she was reading to Shanda,
"I'll be right
back," I informed them. I turned to see Shanda behind me.
"You want to help?"
She stared at me with her bright eyes. "Grab that chair, and bring it over
here you can stand on it while you help." Shanda smiled as she did as she
was told.
"Just play with her,
while I take care of this." I handed Shanda a toy that she could use.
"Thank you, for your
help." I thought for a moment,
"Shanda, come
here." Once she had come over to me, I went to sit her on the chair; she
shied away a little,
"Don't be afraid."
I told her as I helped her settle back. I turned and picked Bliss up and placed
the baby in Shanda's arms. The child grinned from ear to ear with the infant in
her arms.
"Stay there with her,
I'm going to get her bottle, and I'll be right back."
"Selena! you might want to come
here!" Fearing the worse, I followed Darlita into the room that I had left
Bliss and Shanda, I had a shock Bliss was now a bit mobile. She was scooting
herself across the floor!
"How'd they get on the
floor? Did she slide down there with her?"
"No Shanda wanted me to
put Bliss down. She then sat here. It was like she could understand what Bliss
wanted without her fussing or anything."
"I see what you
mean." I told the girl as I leaned down to pick the baby up. Before I
could pick the baby up, Shanda had run over and slapped my hands away.
"Shanda, what was that
for?" I asked in shock. She shook her head and pointed at the baby.
"You don't want me to
pick her up, is that it?" I asked. "I have to so that I can give her
this, and get her to bed, its getting late." I told her trying to pick the
child up again.
"Stop that!" I told
her when she swatted my hands away again. "Dar, take her on up to bed, its
late. You go ahead and get into bed too."
"I can do that Mama
Selena." Shanda squealed and batted Darlita away as well then took off
running.
"Go ahead and go to bed;
I'll wait for her, Dar."
The teen nodded and did just
that. I let the baby get her well wanted bottle. Just as I had placed the
sleeping child into her cradle, the door opened and there stood Shanda, tears
in her eyes.
"What happened, little
one?" I asked her gently as I walked over to her. I took her over to my
bed and sat down with her.
"You think I'm angry?
I'm not. What happened wasn't alright but I'm not angry. You just do what you
need to get your point across, with in reason though I don't want you running
off every time." She looked at me as if she was waiting for more,
"You wanna stay in here
with me?" She nodded.
"Alright, go head and
climb in." I told her folding back the blankets. Once I had settled down
she curled up as tightly to me as she could before falling asleep.