By Mae Esther
I looked out the window and groaned. It was raining. It wasn’t even a light rain where you can go outside and play in it. It was actually dark, cold and pouring. I pouted and crawled back into bed.
“My Sunday is ruined.” I moaned hiding under the covers. When it rained I couldn’t do much outside.
Ugh.
Boring!
“Emilia, are you coming to have breakfast?” Mums voice floated through the house and drifted into my room.
I popped my head out from under the covers and inhaled.
It smelled yummy.
Breakfast sounded like a great idea. Maybe that would help my bad mood.
I jumped out of bed, skipped devotional time and hurried to the bathroom to brush my teeth and my hair.
The house smelled heavenly.
Fried eggs, beans, tortillas, cheese and hot chocolate mingled in the air. My stomach growled. My English friends loved coming to my house for breakfast on Sunday mornings – they said we ate so yum.
“We usually only have cereals or pancake.” Chloe told me one Sunday.
“Good morning mi niña,” Mum said as she cracked another egg into the frying pan.
“Morning mama.” I mumbled walking to the fridge and taking out the rainbow bowl with the fetta cheese.
“It’s good to see you nice and clean.” Mum said.
Good, she noticed! She would never let me sit at the table with my hair spiking everywhere or my breath oozing green.
“You ok Milia?” Mum asked.
I wanted to say NO. I’m in a bad mood! Instead I just nodded.
Soon my brothers and sisters drifted in and the peace and quiet of the kitchen ended.
Chatter, laughter, jokes, noise and more noise surrounded me. Not even the heavy rain outside could dampen anyone’s mood except mine.
Why didn’t I like rain? I mean, I did but not on Sundays. It was always boring.
I pouted and stared out the window with a few cups in my hand. I tried to shake my bad mood, but it was hard.
“What are you staring at?” Antonia one of the twins asked – She was 13 – and really sporty. She took the cups from my hands and gave them to her twin Cristina.
I shrugged, “Nothing, it’s just that it’s boring when it rains.”
“I know.” Antonia scrunched up her nose.
“What are you doing today? Do you want to play something with me?”
“I can’t, I have soccer training.” Antonia’s long straight ponytail bounced up and down.
“But it’s raining.” I frowned.
“It’ll be indoors. Sorry little sis.”
I’m not little! I’m 9! I mumbled under my breath.
Not fair!
“What about you Cristina, what are you doing today?” I asked feeling hopeful.
“I’m going to Paula’s house – we’re doing an assignment.”
Not fair! I stomped my foot.
“Be careful Milia!” Brisa exclaimed as I pumped into her. Some of the hot chocolate spilled on the bench.
Ops
“I didn’t see you.” I muttered.
Brisa rolled her eyes and tucked a perfectly straight hair behind her ear. She looked impeccable as always- long straight hair and pretty clothes. She was the school captain at our school and the most popular girl in year 6 – even of the whole school.
“Bri, what are you doing today?” I asked following her out of the kitchen.
Brisa gently placed the pot of hot chocolate on the table and turned to me with a grin on her face, “Mrs Anderson is taking us to spotlight to get our materials for our drama costume. So exciting!”
She squealed and practically floated out of the room. Sometimes Brisa was a bit of a show off! That made me even moodier.
I rolled my eyes – 12 year olds were weird.
Someone laughed and I turned around.
My brothers were sitting there laughing at me.
I glared at them and poked my tongue out.
Brothers were extra weird and smelly.
“Don’t you have friends to play with?” Cruz laughed.
“Shush!” I said crossing my arms and stomping my foot! My bad mood was getting as big as a red balloon.
Diego and Cruz burst out laughing.
Then my father walked in and the laughter died.
I smirked. Hah, they wouldn’t dare bother me when my papa was in the room.
Dad walked in with the Spanish newspaper, “Hijos, you should be reading the paper. Get educated with the world happenings.” He said.
“Si papa.” They mumbled.
“Mi hijita,” Dad said giving me a quick kiss on the forehead, “How is my baby this morning.”
“Good papa.” I lied.
It wasn’t long before our breakfast table was filled with delicious hot food. Dad prayed and we started eating.
“Mama, what are you doing today?” I asked.
“I have a lot of washing to get done.” She said.
“Dad what about you?”
“I’m going to the church to fix some plumbing – Diego is going with me.”
Diego beamed looking more important that his14 year old self.
“I can’t go.” Cruz offered, “I have assignments to finish.”
I groaned.
Everyone had something to do except me. What a boring, dull, dumb Sunday.
“You can clean our room.” Diego said supressing a smile.”
I gasped.
If I ever went to their room I had to put a peg on my nose!
Ugh.
No thank you!
Everyone at the table laughed at my horrified face.
And..
My bad mood got redder and bigger.
Grr
We finished eating and the table was cleared in minutes.
Everyone said their goodbyes and soon the house was extremely quiet. Mum was washing clothes and Cruz was in his smelly room doing assignments – I shuddered.
I picked up a book and sat to read.
The rain fell heavily outside and I moaned and groaned.
My bad mood was ready to explode!
I needed to do something else or I would forever be stuck in my bad horrible angry red mood.
Grr
I threw the book across the room and stomped to the kitchen.
Grr
Then I saw him.
Cruz.
I hid behind the door and peeked.
He had the pantry doors open as he looked for food. Again? We just ate.
Then I had a brilliant idea.
He didn’t hear or see me sneak up to him.
I tiptoed quietly, poked him in the ribs and bolted out of the room.
“Milia, stop it!” He shouted.
I laughed.
I did it again.
I was sneaky.
He yelled again.
“Stop it! I’m not playing.”
I giggled. He was playing!
I sneaked again and poked him real hard on the ribs.
This time he slammed the pantry doors shut.
“That’s it. I’m getting you!” He shouted.
I yelled and started running around the house –
This was fun. He was chasing me.
“Kids stop this running immediately.” I head mum shout from the laundry room.
But, I couldn’t stop; I had to get away from Cruz. Playing with Cruz was helping my bad mood.
I glanced behind and saw his outstretched hands ready to grab me. I pushed away and ran faster. Suddenly, as I rounded the corner near the bathroom. It happened!
CRACK!
My foot twisted and I fell to the ground.
A horrendous pain shot through my whole leg.
I screamed.
Mum came running from the laundry and Cruz paled, staring down at me.
“I can’t move. I can’t stand up.” My voice shook but I didn’t cry. Cruz was there and I didn’t want to cry in front of him. But my foot hurt a lot!
I tried to stand up and I screamed – I flopped back on the ground and this time I started to cry.
Mum and Cruz lifted me up gently and took me to my parent’s bedroom.
Cruz only stared at me – pale and worried.
“Cruz call your dad please.” Mum came around and looked at my foot. I stared at it too and cried even more.
My foot looked like a ball – fat and purple. It didn’t look like my foot anymore.
“Mama, is my foot going to be cut off?” My voice trembled and my body did too.
Please Jesus help me! I prayed.
Mum came around and wrapped a blanket around me – she sat next to me and held me close and I cried softly.
“No mi niña, it will not be cut off. I think it’s broken.”
I stared at her.
“You will get a cast so that it can heal nicely.”
I exhaled.
Phew.
Dad arrived within the hour and we hurried to the emergency department at the hospital. I had never been to the hospital before.
The nurses and the doctors were really nice.
I got an x-ray of my foot and the doctor then showed me the black and white photo of what was wrong.
“The bones in your ankle have shattered.” He said.
That didn’t sound good. He then explained to my parents some really big confusing words. I didn’t understand at all. But, my parents didn’t look worried so I shouldn’t worry either.
Then doctor looked at me and smiled, “You will be alright Emilia.”
I nodded.
“You will have a cast for about three months.”
Oh no. 3 months? That was a long, long time!
Mum squeezed my hand and smiled, “You’ll be as good as new after that.”
Just then a ginormous doctor came in – he had shoulder length curly hair and was so tall that when I looked up, my head literally bent all the way back. I was a little scared.
But, then he spoke and he was really, really nice.
“I have a chariot for you.” He laughed moving the wheelchair towards me. “I will now take you to get your cast on.”
He picked me up easily and plopped me down on the wheelchair. He wheeled me out of the room and took me to another area.
Everything was white in that room.
The doctor sat me on a special chair with my leg propped up and he and a nurse started the process of putting a cast on.
First they wrapped my foot in a soft tan coloured bandage. It was as thin as onion skin.
Then they placed a long cold and wet gooey strip on my foot and started wrapping it around my leg.
I shuddered. It was cold.
A little while later, my foot was all wrapped up.
I wriggled my toes. The cast had hardened and it felt heavy and stiff.
They said I was also going to get crutches so that I could walk around and not put weight on the foot.
Soon I was wheeled to the car and we headed home.
“I’m not happy with Cruz right now!” Dad thundered. “Wait till I get home – I will talk to that boy.”
Mum nodded, “I agree. If he hadn’t chased Milia around the house this would have never happened!
“He will be in big trouble!” Dad was angry.
Suddenly I started to cry.
“Mi niña, what is wrong?” My mum said grabbing my hands in hers.
“It’s my fault I broke my leg. Not Cruz.” I moaned.
Then I told them everything and how angry I had been.
“I wish I had never ever been in a bad mood. I would still be walking and not with a broken foot!” I cried more.
“Oh hijita,” My dad started to say. “I think you have learnt something very important.”
I wiped my eyes, “Like what?”
“Well, you just said that if you hadn’t been in a bad mood you wouldn’t have a broken leg.”
I nodded.
“We choose the mood we are in. It’s important to always choose joy, even if it’s hard.”
“And if you can’t,” Mum added, “then ask Jesus to help your heart cheer up and make good decisions.”
I exhaled shakily and agreed.
That night after dinner we were sitting in the living room – everyone’s attention was on me.
“Milia, do you want a story?” Antonia asked grabbing a book from the shelf.
“How about a piece of chocolate?” Brisa said opening her little canary coloured handbag and taking out a chocolate bar.
Cristina grabbed a board game from the bottom drawer of the cabinet, “How about a game of scrabble?”
I laughed. Wow so much attention. All I wanted to do was sleep, I was exhausted.
“I think Emilia needs to sleep.” Mum said.
Dad agreed and he carried me to my room. We prayed together and then I snuggled under the blankets and sighed.
The cast was itchy and heavy. I wish I could tear it off but I couldn’t.
After everyone had said goodnight, I heard a soft knock on the door.
“Come in.”
Cruz walked in looking really worried. Even his curls looked stiff with worry. I tried not to giggle.
“Sis, I’m sorry for chasing you and making you break your leg.” He blurted out. “I feel really GUILTY!”
I shook my head, “It wasn’t your fault Cruz. I was bored and I had to bug you. Sorry I made you chase me. Sorry I was in a bad mood.”
I hung my head – It really wasn’t his fault.
Cruz gave me a quick hug and smiled.
“At least you won’t be chasing me for a while!” He laughed. Then he left the room.
I groaned. Yeah true,
How BORING.
Hold on. I promised myself that I wasn’t going to say the word BORING anymore.
From now on I needed to get busy and not feel bored. And above all I needed to pray to Jesus to make my heart happy!
I yawned and closed my eyes finally ready to sleep the long adventurous day away.
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POPPY’S RECIPES
