Test Four

Respect

After shopping, I bring what I bought inside my room, and prepare to pull down the wall paper. Respect, respect, respect, mum's words echoed through my head. I get a small ladder and reach up to the roof, I can't reach the top, even with the ladder,
"Shit, come on!" A cramp runs through my foot as I stand on the tip of my toes. I push the paint brush up to the top of between my fingers, paint falling from it onto my face. RESPECT, I almost crash down onto the floor, I put the paint brush down and run my fingers through my hair, dragging the pastel purple colour with them too. Dammit, I bite my lip, sitting on the ladder as I contemplate what was actually going on. It was such like a movie, but it wasn't, it was my life. I shake my head, looking up, realising that I needed and had planned to pull the wall paper down first. I run to the back of the house and get a bigger ladder, bringing it to my room. Finally I'm able to reach the top, and I find it easy to pull the wall paper off, probably because it's old. I try to be as quiet as I can but it doesn't work, a loud rip echoes through the house.

"Dear! Are you alright?!"

"Yep! I'm fine!" Will pokes his head into my room though, and his eyes light up,

"Good idea! Can I borrow your white paint?"

"Will... fine... wait till I'm done using this ladder though, you won't be able to reach."

"Okay." It's been an hour since I last started and I'm three quarters done, my arms and legs are in pain, and I just want to sleep. I decide to leave it now and work on it later, I gather up the pile of wall paper and throw it in the bin at the front of the house. I jolt as a scream echoes through the house, I run in finding Mindy screaming at my door.

"What's wrong?!" she stares at me sadly,

"your room!"

"My room?"

"Yes! Your room! The wall paper! Oh I loved that wall paper!" I stare at her, really?

"Um, well it was peeling..." RESPECT... I didn't even ask, I put my palm on my forehead looking down.

"Yes, but it was a delicacy in this house," a delicacy... Respect... mum would be devastated.

"Uh huh..." she falls to the ground, crying. It shocks me, waking me from my disappointed daze.

"Oh... you should of asked..." she cries.

"I wasn't thinking..."

"Its just wall-"

"Will- look I.. I'm sorry" He looks to me tilting his head.

"Well this is worth more then just an apology. This is my house and you should ask before you do anything!"

"I know-" my mind clicks, "I will join the environmental committee at school," her face slightly lightens, "so will Will." I see his mouth fall in the corner of my eye.

"Well then I guess I get to do it?" asks Will,

"What?! NO!"

"But-"

"No! I have been living in this house for years... I want it to be the same... so I can keep the memories!"

"Mindy... nothing lasts for ever..." I say looking at her,

"But..."

"Nothing lasts forever... you can't keep your house like this... its unhealthy- the environmental committee- another tree could be potentially saved," she looks down, standing up.

"Maybe you are right... I will..." she stumbles on a cry, "I will.... I will call a painter... and a cleaner... and I will get new furniture for you guys..." Will and I give a sigh of relief and we grin,

An hour later, painters come and paint all of our rooms. Mindy goes to the shop and buys us a new bed each and bed side tables, so I can put my lamp on it. I smile, looking at my room, much better, so much better. I release the stress that was being held on my shoulders.

We sit around the dinner table, as we eat a vegetable curry. "Mindy... can I ask? How did you get all the money to... well buy all of that stuff...?"

"Will." I whisper angrily, kicking him under the table,

"Well... you know I have one the lottery once before... so..." Me and Will's mouths drop, and I drop my fork,

"You have won the lottery... before?" Will leans in, his ears eager to hear a confirmation,

"Yes... I gave most of it to charities... but other than that yeah..."

"What did you spend the other bits on?"

"Well I still have lots of it... stored away..."

"We have to do something awesome with it-!"

"Will... it's her lottery... plus, she has to pay for us to go to this school... and for food... she has lots to do with it..."

"But the lottery... it's... it's HUGE," he throws his arms out, still grinning, Mindy smiles,

"I guess... we will have to go somewhere... do something... another time maybe?" He corrects his excited behaviour.

"That would be nice." But it still shines through his voice.

Will heads to his room and I help to clean the table.

"Sorry... I didn't realise he liked the word money so much."

"Oh no! Don't worry... I'm pretty sure it's just to distract himself..."

"Oh... yeah of course." I bite my lip again.