Early Morning Nuisances

The younger child pressed the pillow against the tiny ears. It was that time of the day again. That time of Saturday.


The shout was heard across two blocks, it was irritating to say the least. It was an early morning after all. A time to relax after five days of non-stop, ever-enduring, homework-giving, stress-inducing, quiz-popping, early-waking, recitation-dreading, schooling.


The shout was now heard from just a block away, the younger child tried so hard to push the pillows against the tiny ears but it was just futile. It was more irritating than the first, louder, and more pronounced. Add to that of the sun's first glorious rays, spectacular as it may seem, did not help the younger child to go back to sleep. The child grumbled on the pressed pillow. His words were of dismay. His sleep was definitely cut short and that is bad. Too bad.


He had to think fast! He had to do it now! He remembered what they were taught at school, of counting sheeps, of thinking 'happy moments', of, uh, of...the younger child can not think anymore. The sun has risen to its full shining, glaring, scorching glory add to that a yelling Mother downstairs calling to her sleeping kids upstairs.


The younger child grumbled some more on the pillow, grumbled all he could, grumbled as if the pillow made a grave mistake.


If the pillow only had eyes it would have cried and if it had ears it would have dashed out from the kid's suffocating grip. But sadly it was stuck in between the arms of a perilously disturbed sleep of the younger child. 


And then it happened. The most annoying thing that anyone could ever do, that a stranger could ever do. The taho vendor standing in front of their house, shouted the younger kid's name in all its full volume.


Ah!!! That does it, the younger child jumped out of bed, unlatched the pillows, dashed, no, ran downstairs, dissing the calling Mother, dissing the scrumptious breakfast, and out the garage. Making his toes tip just so to confirm the presence of the man. The man who officially just ruined the beginning of a school-free weekend.


The younger kid opened their gate. Walking heavily along the dusted street ala cowboy. The vendor smiled at the younger child. No reciprocation.


Infuriated and disappointed. A smile would not do anything. No. The sleep had been disturbed. He has to pay. He would knock the sock out of this person. If the kid could. The kid could at least try.


Within a feet away, the younger child gritted. Oh it was a grit like that of a cat's hiss.


The younger child was about to jump towards the taho vendor but suddenly he laid out his hand and on his hand he was holding a large cup of taho.


The child apprehended. No, it couldn't be. A bribe. Yes, definitely a bribe of some sort or it could be a reward. The child got confused.


Still holding the cup of that sweet, yummy, creamy taho, the kid looked a little better. The grit was transformed into closed lips and silence, bowing down.


And with what little pride, or at least how pride works at that age, the younger kid grabbed the cup and dashed home just wearing a shirt and underwear.