The voice within

toddlers and green day

‘Please?’

‘No’

‘Oh come on!’

‘Nope’

‘Chelsea honey….’

‘No means no mum! Please don’t make me do this’

‘You know I wouldn’t ask this of you unless I absolutely had to…’

Damn she got me there. The work load has been extremely tough for her. This is the least I can do, as her ever loyal, never disappointing daughter. You are good mother Callaway, very smart indeed.

‘Fine….’

‘Great! Oh thank you thank you Chelsea I knew I could count on you!’ she practically squeals as she wraps her arms around me in a tight bear hug. With a heavy sigh, I think about the horror that I will have to endure in the near future. The screams and shouts, gruesome poisonous liquid seeping out of the mouths as they blabber like fish. Feathers and air filled bombs everywhere-my poor ears would never survive and worst of all…. The tears; so loud… so ear piercing. Yup I think you all know what I’m talking about…

A toddler’s, birthday party.

My cousin Ella would be turning 5 this weekend and her mother needed help with supervision of all the children since not enough parents would be accompanying their children. Naturally, mum would go because she is so good with children and because well she’s mum; always volunteering and ready to help others out. However, now that she’s caught up in work, it would be near to impossible for her to go so here I was, taking her place as I stood in front of the door of my aunt Christine’s house on a fine Saturday morning. The sun shining, birds singi- blah who am I kidding. Well let’s get this over with then. With shaking hands, I slowly lift the door handle and… knock.

2 hours into the party

‘Please?’

‘No’

‘Chelsea, come on!’

‘No way’

‘But Ella was looking forward to this for so long… it would be such a shame’

Dammit. Why me? I look up at my mother’s identical twin sister with narrowed eyes as she looks back at me with pleading oh so innocent eyes. Faker.  Their personalities are nothing alike but their strategies sure as hell were. Damn.

‘Can’t say no now that you’ve mentioned that now can I? ‘

‘Oh bless you darling! I’ll get Jim’s old guitar’ she shouts over her shoulder as she runs up the stairs. I have never sung in front of anyone, not since then… Aunt Christine’s about the only one who’s ever heard me sing and even that was well accidental. Her husband, Uncle Jim, is a care free hipster and a former lead guitarist in a band called the wasps, and he’s the one that taught me how to play the guitar when I would come around to stay with them during the weekends.

 The clown that was supposed to come in for the toddler’s entertainment, canceled last minute due to an emergency and that when aunt Christine got a light bulb over her fricking head and looked at me with narrow, calculating eyes and then I knew what she was planning. I tried going for the door to get away, to run for my life but… well she had Uncle Jim block it and even as I looked at him with pleading eyes he just gave me an apologetic smile. I should have known he would do this; the fool is drunk with love after all. I dint give up though… I ran at inhuman speed jumping over toddler after toddler through the kitchen and towards the back door but surprise surprise! There she was, the she devil herself with an evil smirk on her face.