Coffee Stains (Discovery of Love)

Chapter Two- Cappuccino

{Chapter Two}

A smile graces my lips as my fifteen year old sister, Faith, ten year old twin sisters, Natasha and Natalia, eight year old brother, Omar, six year old brother, Keith and two year old brother, Jacob walk towards me with my mother. Jacob runs up to me, his chubby cheeks bouncing up and down.  His short arms wrap around my legs as I reach down and pick him up, balancing him on my hip. I tickle his sides causing a hearty laugh to leave his mouth. The rest of my siblings finally reach us and we all head inside. We all have similar features: thick,curly hair, brown eyes and chocolate skin.  Anyone can tell we are related by just one glance.

My siblings go to their bedrooms to do homework except Jacob, who plays with toys in the living room, while my mother and I prepare dinner. My mother sifts through the almost empty cabinets, pulling out pasta and tomato sauce. I wash my hands, taking a glance at my mother.

Her thick curls are pulled into a sloppy pony tail, warm brown eyes bright yet shining with fatigue and her shoulders are slightly slouched. Laugh lines are visible at the corners of her mouth, creases from worrying about debt on her forehead and slight bags under her eyes among her smooth dark skin from working overtime. Even before our father left, my mother was working hard to help provide for this family and take care of us. She was and still is the anchor that keeps this family from going into distress. With so much responsibility and years of hard work, I wonder how she doesn't go insane and walks out on us like our father did.  I can tell she is tired but she never complains. I would pick up another job if my mother would have it so that she can at least slack off a little bit. Working at Coffee Beans helps out a lot but I just don't feel like I do enough.

I turn off the tap, drying my hands. "Mum, I can do dinner, you go and rest."

"When I die, I'll rest," she simply says before starting to prepare dinner. I shake my head at her stubbornness before assisting her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I fall lump in the chair, placing my homework on the study desk in my room. Mint green walls, a single bed, study desk and chair, closet and chest of drawers make up the small, cozy room. I try to rub the tiredness from my eyes, focusing on the problem at hand which is a pile of numbers, letters and equations.  A smile grows on my face as I remember the food fight that happened a while ago at the table.  Mum was irritated that we wasted good food but couldn't help being amused.  It all happened like this:

Everyone sat around the table making small talk as we munched on the small servings of pasta.  All of a sudden Omar, the prankster of the family shouted," Charge!"

He flung pasta in my direction.  I instantly ducked, the pasta flying onto the kitchen window above the sink.  I looked at Omar with a triumphant smirk.  I told him a million and one times that I'm a ninja in disguise but he never listened. 

Pride radiated off of me but the smirk fell off my face when a piece of pasta smacked onto my face, sliding slowly down my cheek.  I sent Omar a glare before hissing,"This is war..."

Just like that, World War Three commenced right in the kitchen until my mother stood up and bellowed," All of you stop this instant or you are grounded!"

Everyone froze, forks and plates raised as fear crawled into us from her terrifying glare. She glared at our weapons causing us to slowly place them back down on the table, hands raised in surrender. 

"Grab a broom or a rag," she said in amusement before we all sprang into action, cleaning up the kitchen except Jacob, who was the lucky one.