My child should never cry

Chapter 5 - The family gets bigger

Mary and Angel are preparing to go out. When her daughter is almost dressed, Mary speaks. "Today we're going to get you that gift I owe you. We'll go buy one."

"Finally! It's been so long. I expected you to buy that gift a long time ago. You're the only person who always owes me presents. Dad and Grandmother always bring me gifts on time, maybe not always what I want, but—"

Mary looks at her daughter who is trying to be serious.

"But at least they bring the presents when they promise," continued Angel.

"Let me make it up to you. Today I will let you choose whatever you want, and I won't say anything. I'll let you choose anything you want. I'll buy it for you."

"Hurray!" said Angel and begins to run toward the house. "I know exactly what I want," she added.

Mary stopped to think for a moment. Something is telling her that she did wrong when she said that she would buy her daughter anything she wanted, but then she smiled. What could a child want that a mother could not buy? she thought.

"Angel, come, we must go!"

But the girl keeps running toward the house, and Mary fails to stop her. "Angel, if I leave you home, I'll buy you any gift. And I might buy something you don't want. But it will be something useful to you," said Mary.

Without stopping from her running, the girl turns and heads toward her mother. "I will be in the car," the girl says.

***

The mother and the girl are walking around town. After they explored the shops, ate ice cream, ran through the town center, and and laughed a lot, Mary becomes serious with her daughter.

"My dear, you said you knew what you wanted. But I've not bought anything yet, and we've been walking for two hours."

"I'll know what I want when I see it," said the girl.

"You'll see what I'm going to do to you if you continue to walk me much more. I cannot walk anymore." Mary smiled. She was silent a little while and then she continues to follow the girl, while speaking. "Choose something once, otherwise I will eat you!"

Angel begins to run, because she doesn't want to be caught by her mother and be "eaten" by her.

Mary loves to tell her daughter "I will eat you," and then to run after her. But eat actually means a rain of kisses from Mother. The girl always runs when she hears her mother's words, to escape being eaten.

But the truth is that Angel loves to have her mother run after her. And if she is caught by her mother, she laughs with all her heart when she gets the rain of kisses all over her body. And she always lets her mother catch her. And, as usual, not long after the girl begins to run, she is caught by her mother.

"Leave me alone! Do not eat me!" laughs the girl. Both of them laugh for a few good moments. But after a while the girl stops laughing. Her mother also stops eating her and lets her down. She realizes that the girl is looking closely at something.

"I know you planned everything. That's why you didn't say anything about the gift I owe you. I fell into your trap!"

The girls stopped in front of a pet store. Angel looked at her mother, begging for understanding. "Are we going inside to get me what I want? "

Mary promised that she would get Angel any gift, but she considered a dog too much. Mary and her husband once had a discussion about getting a puppy for Angel, and they decided not to, because, more than likely, their daughter would not be able to care for him. And because of their jobs, a cardiologist and a pilot for domestic flights, they didn't have time to take care of a puppy.

"I won't buy you a puppy! We already told you that," Mary said.

"I don't want a puppy, but, please, let's go inside," begged Angel, looking at her mother.

Mary throws an inquisitive look at her daughter, who knows that her parents do not want to buy any animal, even though Angel promised to take care of it. But, like any child, she very much wants to see some of the pets inside the store.

"Okay, let's go inside since we are here. Maybe we will not find a puppy in the pet shop."

"Hooray!" yelled the girl, very happy, and she quickly ran toward the door of the pet shop.

"But don't hope to buy any puppy!" says the mother after her, to be sure that her daughter understood.

The mother and daughter enter the pet shop. Like any child, Angel begins to look at the many species of aquarium fish, the various types of canaries in cages, and all the other animals in the store.

Mary's eyes are fixed on the cages of puppies for sale, and she becomes cheered: there are only two guinea pigs, and Angel dislikes these creatures. There is a little white rabbit, however.

"Oh boy, a cute bunny," whispered Mary.

"Mommy," Angel said, praying to her mother.

"Angel, I will not buy a bunny. You will not take care of it. You have to give him food and water and keep his cage clean. Plus, your father has already told you no."

"I do not want a bunny, Mommy."

"A guinea pig is the same answer—out of discussion"

"I do not want any of them," Angel replied.

"Well, then why did you bring me here?"

"Because I want you to buy me this spider."

When Mary hears that, she becomes speechless. After a few moment she is able to speak again. "Why would you want such a creature? I think it's not okay for a girl to want such a thing. A big spider and so ugly, so hateful!" After a moment, Mary looks at the saleswomen. "Lady, is this creature for sale? Is it dangerous for a child to have such an thing in the house? Is it dangerous for the whole family? Maybe it is poisonous!"

"Stay calm, ma'am. All necessary measures have been taken so the spider won't be a danger for anyone. We have been selling these spiders for many years, but—" The saleswoman—an old woman—stopped to take a speaking break.

"But?" Intervened Mary, visibly frightened by this short break.

"Just, there's never been such a little girl interested in buying one. Usually it's the boys who are coming, or extravagant people."

Mary looked at her daughter and sees that she really wants this creature.

"It can stay in an aquarium, which probably will be safer. Do you want an aquarium to go with the spider?" added the saleswoman.

"What will I give him to eat?" asked Angel.

When Mary heard this words became more frightened. "Oh, God! What does this creature eat? I hope it doesn't eat smaller creatures!"

"Insects, small rodents, tiny birds," answered the saleswoman.

"See, Angel! The beast eats other tiny beings, poor beings."

"But we have food for these spiders. We have dried insects," offered the saleswoman, showing the box to Mary. "And they're not very expensive. You don't need to feed the spider very often either," added the saleswoman.

Angel says nothing, but Mary has become very agitated. It is clear that she doesn't want such a creature in the house.

"I never thought I would buy something so extraordinary. You have to promise me, Angel, that you will never remove it from the aquarium. And never feed him alone. I don't ever want to see that spider outside the aquarium or in my bed." Mary attempted a smile, but it was obvious that she doesn't want the spider.

Angel nodded at her mother's every condition and begins to smile too. Probably she will get what she wants. But her mother is thinking further. Finally, her mother makes a decision.

"Your father will kill me when he sees what I bought!" She takes money the from the bag and pays for the spider and everything they will need for it.