Life Stance

Food Freedom Fighter

"Although there are biological clocks to wake me up, my mom remains the chief of all."

...........

They say goslings follow everything that moves when they first start to see. But me? I have a different philosophy. 

The moment I open my eyes, I instinctively sprint away from whatever catches my gaze. 

Yeah, I know, it goes against the laws of nature. But hey, who said I was a rule follower?

So, there I was, blissfully dreaming away, when my latest and greatest alarm clock went off. And let me tell you, this alarm clock can talk and shout at the same time, making it the most effective wake-up call ever. Its name? Mom. Highly recommended, by the way.

"Nancy! Come over here right now," she bellowed from somewhere in the house. And just like that, all traces of sleepiness vanished. Thanks, Mom, for completely erasing my morning grogginess. I wondered what I had done this time to warrant such urgency.

As I slowly emerged from my cozy cocoon, I absentmindedly stretched my arms, messing up my hair even more. "Thank you, God, for this glorious sleep," I mumbled, not out of any spiritual devotion, but simply because it seemed like the right thing to do. A quick apology and a thank you to the divine powers that be.

Taking my sweet time, I peeled off the warm embrace of my blanket, already missing it's comforting texture. With a determined stride, I set off towards the source of my mom's summons. I trust my legs to lead me in the right direction. They've never failed me before.

But before I left my room, I blew an imaginary kiss to my beloved bed, promising it a speedy reunion. "Yeah, Mom, I was just dreaming of Sleeping Beauty," I quipped, faking a yawn for dramatic effect.

"Stop your stupid Disney fantasies!" Mom shot back, her fury palpable. Oh boy, she was really steamed this time. "God, please help me. I promise I'll pray more often," I silently pleaded, desperately seeking divine intervention.

"I told you to look after your sister!" Mom pointed accusingly at my little sister, Jas, who was now a mud-covered masterpiece.

"Huh?" I responded, shooting my mom a pointed look. Was this why she had summoned me? I turned my gaze back to my heavenly bedroom, the cozy allure of my furry blanket and feathery pillow beckoning me.

"Why are you turning away?" Mom dragged me back into the conversation. I covered my face in frustration and let out a heavy sigh.

As I looked at my sister, covered head to toe in mud, I couldn't help but recall all the times I played in the dirt and got my brother blamed for it. 

"She's just a kid, Mom. I know the feeling," I defended her. It's not like Mom didn't understand. But how could she? She was raised with a silver spoon, never even touching food with her perfectly manicured hands, let alone mud.

My mom's family is filthy rich. I mean, you'd have to spend twenty million dollars a day to exhaust their wealth in a hundred years. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but they are seriously loaded. Rich to the point of being greedy.

After a whirlwind tour of my mom's family history in my mind, I snapped back to the bittersweet reality that awaited me. 

"Uff," I groaned, shaking my head. I knelt down, picked up my sister's muddy clothes, and headed towards the laundry.