He Saved Me

Part 57

Michael's POV
     It's been a few weeks since we started our trip. And it has been a blessing! This is the most relaxed I've been since I can remember. No work, no obligations, just my babies and I. Speaking of which, they surprisingly have been complete angels. Of course I still had to give out some warnings here and there, but nothing crazy. I guess they needed a break from our regular lives just as much as I did.
We're currently spending our last few days in Germany, before we head off to South Africa. Needless to say, I'm most excited for our next destination. I love everything about Africa. I guess you can say it's like coming home. I decided to spend the last few days here relaxing. The kids were tired from all the traveling. We visited as many tourist attractions as we could our first few days here. I wanted the kids to whine down a bit before we start traveling again.
I was catching up on some reading when Mia's tutor called me. I answered the phone and made some small talk before she got to her reason for calling. "Mia's a delight to be around Mr. Jackson. She's made quite some progress since our time together. But there is something I would like to address," she said in a serious tone.
"What is it? Is everything okay?" I asked concerned.
"Everything is okay for the most part. But unfortunately her grades have a dropped quite a bit since the trip started. She's also been missing homework frequently. I know she must be tired from all the traveling. But in order for her to move on to the next grade, she still has to take a test provided by the Board of Education in the states. You know I have to answer to them, regardless of whether or not she is home schooled," she answered.
"Wait, how bad are her grades right now?" I questioned.
"Well she went from being a 90-100's student, to being a 60-70's student," she replied. I was shocked to say the least.
"I'm sorry, I don't understand. How did her grades drop so rapidly in a matter of weeks? And as far as homework goes, I make sure she shows me her completed work every single night. So how is she missing homework?" I asked.
"I'm sorry Mr. Jackson, I wish I had answers for you but I don't. She's just not as focused as she was at home. And as for her homework, I think you should have a talk with her. I can assure you that almost everyday she has at least 1 or 2 homeworks missing. I can show you my grade book when I come for our session tomorrow," she explained.
"Well... um thank you for pointing this out to me. I'll talk to her. And I'm looking forward to our meeting tomorrow," I said. I was trying to come up with better words, but couldn't really fathom how things got so bad for Mia suddenly. I take my children's academics very seriously. I always make sure they're up to date with their work and studying. I just don't understand how this happened under my supervision. The tutor and I said our goodbyes before I went to Mia's room.
     I found her in bed, painting Paris's nails. Meanwhile, Paris is paying her no mind, busy looking at her phone."Paris, what is this?" I asked frustrated. I knew what Paris was doing. My older 3 think they're so slick. This isn't even the first time I caught one of them making Mia do some sort of labor for them. And as usual, Mia is too innocent when it comes to her siblings. She thinks this is them spending time with her. I hated when they treated Mia like their little maid. I myself am the 7th of 9 children. I know what it's like to be bossed around by your older siblings, believe me. And I don't like it one bit when my own children do it to each other.
     "I'm painting Paris's nails," Mia said innocently. "Look Daddy, I didn't get any on her skin," she showed me proudly.
     "That's really nice sweetheart," I acknowledged her attention to detail. "But Paris is old enough to do this on her own. You don't have to do it for her," I said shooting Paris a disappointed glare. "I need to talk to your sister privately Paris, please finish your nails in your own room," I said sternly. Knowing not to push it, she meekly nodded her head before exiting the room.
     "Is your homework done?" I asked in a serious tone. Mia quickly nodded her head yes. "May I see it?" I asked. She scurried to bring me her folder before I stopped her. "Just bring me your school bag Mia, there's something I want to check."
     "Why?" she asked. Her hesitation alone proved her tutor's accusations to be correct. But I wanted to see how long Mia was willing to let this go on for.
     "Mia," I warned. My stern voice caught her attention, causing her to comply to my orders immediately. I pulled out her planner where she writes down all her assignments. I checked to see what she was assigned, before pulling out her folders and notebooks. I looked through each item carefully, making sure I don't miss anything. "Where's your math and science homework?" I questioned.
     "I didn't have any," she mumbled in a low tone.
     "Then why is it written in your planner that you were assigned homework for those two subjects?" I questioned. She paused for a bit, clearly trying to come up with a lie that would help her out of this predicament she got herself into.
     "Um... I-I... Ms. Aileen said I don't have to do them," she finally answered.
     "And why would Ms. Aileen say that?" I interrogated. By now, I know little Miss Mia's tricks like the back of my hand. I knew she was lying, but I wanted to give her a chance to come clean on her own.
     "I don't know Daddy," she mumbled. She knew she was caught in a lie, and she was slowly giving up from what I can guess.
     "I don't tolerate lying little girl," I said strictly. I watched Mia fidget with her fingers for a while before I spoke up again. "Have you been hiding your incomplete homeworks from me Mia?" I asked. No answer. "Mia! I asked you a question, I expect an answer. Now!" I said raising my voice. My sudden yelling caused her to jump a little before she looked up at me, with tear filled eyes.
     "I'm sorry Daddy," she said in her sweetest voice. Oh that trick will not work right now.
     "I want ALL your missing homework completed before dinner. Let this be your first and final warning little girl. Because if I have to repeat myself one more time, you'll be one unhappy little girl. Got it?" I asked. She quickly nodded her head yes, clearly relieved she got off with just a warning. "Believe me, we're not done yet. Get started on your homework. We'll continue our talk after dinner," I said angrily.