My short story (fiction) for this week:
Changes
Jodi walked into the kitchen. Another school day and the same breakfast routine. She got her bowl and her favourite cereal from the cupboard. She poured the cereal, got some juice and sat down in her usual spot at the kitchen table. It was then that she realised something wasn't right.
Jodi, 12 years old and an only child living in a middle class family; mother - Mary, father - David, nice beach side suburb, nice bungalow house and nice predictable routine to their lives. The same routine day after day and week after week. Just the way Jodi liked it. However today felt different. Maybe, she thought, it was because her parents were standing across from her at the table silently staring at her.
Finally her mother, after looking to her father seemingly for support, broke the silence.
"We have some news for you Jodi."
Silence again.
Gee whiz, Jodi thought. What kids had to put up with from overly dramatic parents. What news could they possibly have that is so important? A new toaster? A new breakfast cereal we're going to try? No, maybe something different for dinner tonight from the usual Monday night casserole.
Jodi waited - bored and impatient.
"You're going to be a sister," her mother seemed somewhat nervous and excited at the same time; her voice was a higher pitched than usual and her smile seemed weak and awkward. "We're having another baby!"
Both parents were staring intently at her now smiling ... and waiting as if for her to say something.
Jodi choked on her mouthful of cereal. Milk spluttered from her mouth and nose simultaneously over the table and her lap. Struggling she managed to swallow what still remained of her cereal in her mouth. Her mind was spinning.
What the...? Was this a joke, she wondered. Are they kidding me? She looked closely into her parents faces for any sign of teasing or smirking. Surely not! They were surely not serious!
"We hope you're pleased, Jodes" her father said. He was smiling at her and using that annoying nickname that she had told him repeatedly not to use any more.
Jodi sat there. Silent. Motionless. Finally she got up from the table, shoving her chair backwards so violently that it hit the wall behind her; she stomped across the room, grabbed her school bag from where it sat near the back door, threw the door open and made sure that she slammed it behind her as she left the house.
"You better be joking!" she called out as she stormed off.
No! she thought. I'm not pleased. I don't want a vomiting, screaming, pooping, stinky baby in my house. I like things as they are and just as they've always been. Only three of us! And no stupid babies!
The months dragged by, the seasons changed and more and more the conversation centred around babies to Jodi's dismay. She thought she'd go mad with it all. Her house and her life had been so predictable and so organised until now. She alone had been the centre of everyone's attention. Now it had all changed and Jodi didn't like that at all. She felt that her importance in the family was disappearing down the toilet.
Finally the day came when baby Michael was born. It was all just as bad as Jodi imagined it would be. Screaming and crying throughout the house; although Jodi had to admit that the screaming and crying was mostly from her and not Michael. Actually the baby was pretty good. But the nappies and the mess and the goos and the gaas and all the cute baby stuff were enough to drive her insane. She tried to stay away from the annoying pest called Michael as much as she could.
Before long Michael could crawl and babble. He would often crawl about after Jodi and sometimes he would put his wet dummy in her lap; she thought that he wanted to share it with her. But Yuck! His wet old dummy!
OK. She had to admit that he was a bit cute. However she still thought that things were better before he came along and it would have been better if the family had gotten a cat rather than a baby.
The noise in the house increased dramatically the morning of the Australia Day bar-b-que. Jodi's parents were exceptionally busy preparing the house for the many friends and relatives coming over. Food was still being prepared in the kitchen and a hundred other last minute jobs still needed to be finished.
Jodi wandered outside to get some peace and have a quiet read somewhere away from the chaos in the house.
Walking into the garden she noticed a strange old sack floating in the pool. She wondered what it was and how it got there. Her gaze then drifted over to the gate of the pool-fence. It was open. Someone had forgotten to shut the gate - which was unusual as her parents were usually so careful. It was probably because they were so busy, she thought.
As she continued to stand there a terrible realisation came to her. The pool gate was open, a 'sack' was floating in the pool and she hadn't seen baby Michael in a while. The horror of the situation hit her. This was no sack! It was Michael and he was floating face down in the pool!
Jodi dropped her book and she ran through the open gate to the pool. She scooped up the lifeless bundle from the water, rolled him over and lay him on the warm cement in front of her as she knelt beside him. She rolled his cold body onto the side and scooped out any vomit that may be in his mouth. It was empty. She was remembering everything she'd learned in Scouts. She held her ear to his mouth. No breath. She filled her lungs with air and blew into his little mouth as she pinched his nose shut with her left hand. She could feel her own heart pounding. Her head was screaming out "Don't be dead, Michael!" But she had to concentrate. Concentrate! She felt for a pulse in his neck. None. Oh, my God, she thought. OK. OK. I put the heel of my hand over his lower sternum. The instructors words were all she could think of. The most important words in the world to her right now. Fifteen compressions. She felt again for any breath. None. Two more breaths.
Jodi was about to scream for help when she felt water on her cheek as Michael spluttered and choked. She rolled him on his side to help drain out any water from his mouth. His eyes were now open and he was looking at her. A beautiful pink colour was returning to his blue face. He was now smiling; his arms stretched up to her.
"Oh Michael!" Jodi held the little boy tightly to her chest. Tears filled her eyes. "Oh Michael. Don't ever do that again! " She held his cold, wet body to hers, to warm him, and she pulled her woollen cardigan about his little frame. "I do love you Michael. You're my beautiful little brother and I love you so much".
Jodi looked up to see her shocked parents standing next to them - looking down bewildered at the two children holding each other.
As Jodi brought her warm cheek down to her brother's cold little face she said quietly to her parents, "I'll explain in a minute, guys. I have to hug my little brother a bit longer. My darling little brother I love so much".
The End
PS:
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