Chocolate Umbrella

Chapter 9 - Chocolate Umbrella

CHAPTER 9

May 2005

"Mama, look! Yellow flowers!" Candy picked up the very few dandelions in the backyard, grinning ear to ear. It was now early May and most of the sidewalks were covered with budding dandelions. Some people might adore how the little yellow flowers decorated the time of the year with a tint of innocence. Alena, however, did not appreciate these little flowers a tiny bit. They reminded her how uncontrollably they could spread in any lawn, like cancer. A well taken care of lawn should be green and weed freed.

"Good girl. Pick more!" Alena encouraged Candy, hoping she could get rid of the few lone dandelions in the yard, which had escaped the weed control people. Alena went back and forth between the garage and the backyard, bringing the trays of small flowers and bulbs she just bought from the nursery into the backyard. The gardening service people would be there in a couple of days. She better had everything lined up for them to work on.

"Mama, flowers for you!" Candy gathered a bundle of dandelions and offered it to Alena.

"It's beautiful. Shall we put these in a vase?" Alena tightened up the straps once again on Candy's hat as they came loose from all the tugging when Candy tried to take the hat off.

"I want more. More for papa and more for grandpa." Candy handed Alena the bundle and happily skipped back to the lawn, looking for the few dandelions hiding between the bushes.

Candy had missed Emile and Mark for the last week. Emile had been away while Mark was resting at home after the new drug was recently administered. But Candy was expecting to see them soon. Emile was already on his way from the airport, and Mark would be visiting the next day. So, Candy was so eager to prepare these gifts for the two precious men in her life.

"Okay. Don't take too long. Papa will be here in any minute." Alena put the small bundle of dandelions on the patio, shoved the last tray of small flowers in the corner and dusted the dirt off her jeans. She looked at her hands grimly as they were not those of a lady's. Nails were cut short and the skin was chapped. Now, they were also smeared with dirt. Gardening was really neither her forte nor passion. She preferred her hands nicely manicured.

"See mama. These are for papa and these are for grandpa." Candy ran back to her with a few more dandelions in her hand.

"I think we have enough now, sweetheart. You want to help me preparing dinner?" Alena took the flowers from Candy and held her little hand as they walked back to the house.

"Look at my dirty hands," Candy flung her hand free from Alena's. She held up both hands and wiggled the little chubby fingers, also smeared with dirt. She was trying to scare Alena and her grin was devilish.

"Oh no, dirty hands, go away!" Alena faked a screech which only made Candy giggled more.

"Dirty hands coming. Dirty hands coming." Candy continued to wiggle her fingers as if they were monstrous and her giggles were like wind charms. She chased Alena all the way to the washroom. Well, it was actually Alena who half ran to the washroom, leading Candy to the sink.

"Hands are washing, hands are washing, wash them till they're clean. Put some water and some soap and wash them till they're clean...." Candy sang the hand-washing song she learned from school as she scrubbed her hands with soap.

"What a big girl, Candy. Show me how you'll rinse off the soap and turn off the tap?" Alena praised Candy.

"Not yet. You need to wash your hands too. They are so dirty." Candy grabbed Alena's hands and ran them under the running water, "you put on some soap now," she ordered.

Alena stifled a giggle and groaned a little. Candy would not even be three until a couple of months later. But she was already bossing Alena around. Oh boy, what would happen when she became a teenager?