SIBLING LOVE (Discontinued)

Chapter 9

Avi wakes up to the sun shining brightly into the living room.

"HOLY MOLY!!" He yells jumping up from the couch and running to his sister's bedroom. "ESTHER!" He yells knocking on her bedroom door. "Did you over sleep? We're late!" He slowly opens her door peeking in. Her bed was made up and the room was empty.

He goes to the bathroom and knocks, "Essy? You in there?" No answer.

"What the heck." He mumbled to himself as he looks out the window to see that her truck was gone.

He picks up the phone and presses the second button on speed dial. He had no idea what time it was because he couldn't tell time. But he was pretty sure school had already started.

After the third ring, "Ben's Diner." Esther's cheery voice answers.

"Hey, Esther? How come you didn't get me up for school?" Avi asks in his morning voice.

Esther laughs, "I told Ben you would probably be calling. You're quitting, remember?"

"So you're really gonna let me quit?" Avi asks smiling.

"Yes honey, I am. I'm tired of you getting hurt and humiliated. Even I feel better knowing you're at home. By the way, your breakfast is in the microwave." Esther says.

"Oh, O.K. Thanks. Hey, if you have a gas can in the truck, can you pick up some gas? I'd like to get my bike running, plus the yard needs mowing." Avi says getting his food out of the microwave.

"Yeah, there's one in there. I'll pick up some after work. Well, I have to get back to work." Esther says as customers walked in.

"O.K., love you, Sis." Avi smiles.

"Love you too, sweetie." Esther hangs up smiling. Avi hangs up and fist pumps the air.

After he gets through eating, he washes up all the dishes that his sister didn't have time to wash this morning. He folds up the blankets he used last night on the couch and put them away in the closet.

He always tries to help his sister keep the house clean because she was always too tired when she got home to deal with it. He hasn't mastered the art of cooking yet so he left that to Esther. Last time he tried, he almost caught the kitchen on fire.

He would do other things to help out like help with laundry and it was his job to keep the yard mowed. He didn't want Esther to have to struggle with the old worn out push mower.

He takes a shower and gets dressed. It felt so weird to be home this time of the day. He didn't really know what to do.

So after throwing a load of clothes in the washer, he decided to go work on Esther's present. Since his sister wasn't there to keep interrupting him, he could probably be finished with it in no time. Then he would start to work on his bike.

His parents had bought him the motorcycle when he turned 16. After they died he didn't ride it anymore. It was hidden away behind the shed with a tarp thrown over it.

Since he was at home alone now, he needed a way to get to town if he needed to. It was in good shape when he parked it so maybe it didn't need much work, if any, to get it going again.

After finishing the sculpture, he stood back and looked at it. He was proud of the way it turned out. He hoped she liked it. He picked up the picture of his mother and held it up to the statue. The resemblance was haunting.

Now for the wrapping. He knew they didn't have any wrapping paper so he found an old newspaper and some tape and went to work.

After he was done, he rolls his eyes and chuckles. He was never very good at wrapping presents.