blue bird

2 - Casual Morning Conversations

Beep Beep Beep Beep........

I was awoken by my alarm clock at 7:00 am; it was chilly in my room despite having many layers of clothing and blankets on. That would be due to the seasons changing, it was mid October and the summer weather had faded as fall was upon us. The leaves had already changed colours and the temperatures dropped to the low tens. Although today was a different type of cold, it was damp which caused shivers and chattering teeth as the chill went straight into your body right down to the bone.

It was Friday and there was no school due to the long weekend, which meant my family was going to visit my grandma. We liked to visit whenever we had the time, and 'no school days' were perfect for those visits. This visit was a little more special since it was Thanksgiving weekend meaning my grandma was allowed to have visitors for a whole day. Our options of activities to do were limited because of her illness but I knew it would still be fun.

With my mind in a good mood, I got up and opened the window beside my bed. It was still a bit dark outside as the sun hid behind the clouds. I tightly wrapped my blanket around my shoulders as goosebumps formed on my skin and took a deep breath of fresh air. The air smelt like cedar wood, pine leaves and that smell after it rains. I softly smiled to myself grateful for this moment, I had a stressful week with school and was excited for the day.

Yesterday was the most tiring day of the week. I had two tests, one in history and one in english and I also had field hockey practice in the morning. Then after school, I went into town to visit my dad at The Gazette, which is our local newspaper and after that I spent some time with my cousin Keiva. We hung out until supper time and finished some homework since we share a few classes together.

My other cousins Tane and Tammy were not at home in the afternoon, I believe Tane was at a hockey try out and Tammy was probably out with friends. Tane is in Grade 11 and Tammy is in Grade 12 along with our other cousin Francis. We all go to the same highschool since there is only one in town but my younger brother Manu is in his final year of elementary school.

My aunt Elise is a teacher at the local elementary school, we all had her as a teacher at some point. My uncle Pat owns the golf course and we all help him in the spring and summer. My other aunt Sam, works at the pharmacy in town. My dad owns the newspaper company and my cousins, my brother and I take turns helping out with the newspaper deliveries. Each week, we all take turns according to our schedule. My mom works with her good friend Susan at the hair clinic, and both my grandparents are retired but they recently sold the farm and the funeral home to our neighbours, the Johnson's.

I poked my head out the window and heard all the birds chirping, having casual morning conversations with each other. I looked down at the empty, quiet street and saw my brother Manu riding his bike towards the house. It was his turn to deliver newspapers today so he must just be getting back from his duties.

"Morning Manu!" I shouted from the second floor bedroom window. It must have caught him off guard as he swerved the handle bars, causing his bike to wobble but he caught his balance. He looked up to my window, "seriously?! You startled me!"

"Sorry." I said with a laugh. He pulled his bike up to the front of the house and parked against the brick walls.

"What time were you up at?" I asked.

"Six, dad said I needed to go earlier just in case it were to rain again but it didn't." He replied.

I could hear footsteps from outside my bedroom door and then a knock on the door and my mom called my name. I looked at the door and then back out to Manu, "mom's here."

"Come in," I said, turning around. The door knob turned and my mother walked in with a bright smile.

"Good Morning!" She said.

"Morning! What time are we leaving today?" I asked.

"We'll leave in an hour and a half, so make sure you and your brother are ready."

"I'll be ready, I don't know about Manu, he's the one that takes forever." I replied.

"Okay well breakfast is ready downstairs, your dad made bacon and eggs." She said, I nodded and then she left.

First I made my bed, I have to or else it will bother me all day. Unlike my brother, he never makes his bed and always has clothes all over his room. We have the same taste in books, movies, sports, and music but have completely different standards when it comes to organization and responsibility. We are so similar yet so different. I think part of that is due to the fact that I am the older sibling and have a sense of independence but we learn alot from each other regardless of age.

I grabbed my outfit that I placed on my dresser last night which was a pair of straight leg light wash denim jeans, a white t-shirt, and a dark green and orange flannel. I got dressed and then went to the bathroom to wash my face, brush my teeth and brush my hair. My brother and I inherited my dad's hair texture, straight, brown hair with some natural red streaks. My mom has dark brown, curly hair which is beautiful but can be very difficult to handle and maintain. She usually gets many compliments and questions about her hair and her ethnicity; she stands out like a red rose in the desert.

When my parents moved to Barry's Bay, there were many people in this small town that raised eyebrows and gave cold looks towards my parents for being together but that did not stop them from loving each other, getting married and having my brother and I.

Despite the nosy and rude people in this town there are also people like my grandparents who welcomed my mom to their home with friendly smiles and hugs. I think it is quite ironic how people were so startled by seeing someone with a different skin complexion in regards to my mom but were so curious and nosy to see what I looked like when I was born. My poor mom and grandma had to constantly deal with people knocking at the door, coming in and out of the house just to poke around in our business and see what I looked like, as I was the first "brown" baby in a relatively white town. I was only a week or two old so I don't remember any of it but from the stories I've heard, it wasn't a very good time. This occurred 14 years ago so it has been forgiven but never forgotten.

I grabbed my bag that sat on my desk chair which was packed with my Ipod for music, my headphones, my camera, my water bottle and my essential bag with feminine products, bandaids, wipes, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, matches, and tissues. I learned to always carry an essential bag from my grandma, she said that it is always wise to be prepared not only for myself but for others.

I went downstairs to the kitchen and grabbed a granola bar, and an orange to put in my bag for later on in the day. I placed my bag at the front of the house, next to the staircase so I did not forget it. I then went back to the kitchen and grabbed a plate and served myself some bacon, eggs and toast. I grabbed a glass and filled it with some iced tea and sat at the dining table. I began eating but then I heard some aggressive stomps on the stairs and automatically knew my brother was coming down the stairs. And then I felt a playful slap on the back of my head causing me to cough on the eggs I put in my mouth.

"Oops, morning loser." My brother, Manu said while walking over to the stove. "Oooo dad made bacon and eggs I see." He grabbed a plate and served himself a plate and sat across from me while we both ate our breakfast.

"Where's mom and dad?" He asked.

I shrugged, "probably getting ready."

Manu took a quick bite of the small sandwich he made with the toast, back and eggs and abruptly stood up.

"I meant to ask you..." He said, trying to swallow his food. "What do you think about my outfit?" He gave a twirl and posed trying to impersonate a model but failing miserably.

He was wearing blue denim jeans and a baggy black crewneck, and his hair was split down the middle which was a hairstyle I had never seen him wear before.

"You look good actually, are you trying a new style with your hair?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's too long now to comb to the side," he replied. He sat down again and we talked while eating, having our own casual morning conversation.