Right Choice?

The truth hurts

'Oh do we have to, she's too slow and useless' moaned Paco to his mother.

'Yes you do', and stay out for at least an hour, I have to tidy the kitchen and the bedrooms before lunch, your father will be back by then, so hurry up.

Paco and Pepe reluctantly turned round, 'come on Carmen, get a move on'.

Paco at 8 years old was almost the same height as his 10 year old brother Pepe, they took their little sister's hand and almost dragged her from the house and down to the stream that ran behind the house. 'Now stay close and don't get into trouble' Pepe moaned at her.

They hated having to take her with them, she was only 6 years old and always got into trouble or in the way, they wanted to catch fish and mess around in the stream and didn't want Carmen hanging around and squealing to Mum if they did anything they shouldn't do.

As they arrived at the banks of the stream the sun was just starting to creep up over the top of the mountain, it was a hot day and the sparking cool water of the stream looked very inviting.

'Come on Carmen, sit down over there by the tree and don't move', Pepe told her.  Carmen wondered sullenly over to the tree and sat down with a thud. Her brother's were always mean to her, it wasn't her fault she was the youngest.

The boys went over to the stream, and started playing on the water's edge, 'Hay look Paco, look at that one' Pepe called out excitedly, pointing at a large, colourful fish swimming close to the bank, 'I bet I can catch it'

'Bet you can't', Replied Paco excitedly moving closer to Pepe. Pepe very slowly and cautiously moved closer to the fish, leaned over and  suddenly pounced, and actually caught the fish, 

'look, look,' he screamed, 'I got it, I actually got it!'

The fish squirmed in his hand as he held it up high, it juggled and wriggled and just as Pepe clambered back up the bank it finally squirmed free and plopped back into the stream.

'Oh, really' moaned Pepe, Paco rolled around the bank, clutching his sides and laughing, 'that was a classic'.

Pepe joined him and they both had a good laugh. 

They continued mucking around the stream for a while longer, 'come on Paco' Pepe finally called out to his brother after yet another failed attempt at catching a fish, 'we'd better head home before Mum gets angry'.

They turned away from the stream and headed back up the bank to get Carmen, 'come on Carmen' called out Pepe, 'let's get going'. But she wan't there. 

'oh for crying out loud, she's gone off again!' moaned Pepe, 'CARMEN, CARMEN' he shouted, 'where are you'

They looked all over the bank, down by the trees and over by the bend, eventually Paco called out, 'I can see her, she's over there, playing in the shallows with the pebbles'

They made their way down to the little inlet where the stream was quite shallow and the water trickled over the pebbles, 'Carmen, what are you doing here? we told you to stay by the tree. Come on out of there and let's go home'

'Hang on a sec' replied Carmen, 'I just want to get that white pebble, it's beautiful' 

'No, don't reach over, you're going to fall in!' and just as Pepe said this, Carmen tripped and fell flat on her face, in the river getting totally soaked.

'Oh great! just marvellous, you just had to didn't you. Mum is going to be livid with us now, you always manage to mess things up,' Pepe had reached her now and roughly picked her up. 'Come on, let's get you home'.

Carmen started crying, 'I don't want to go home, not like this, I'm all wet and dirty and mum is going to be so angry!' Her crying had reached high pitch levels by now, 'Oh come on Carmen, it'll be ok, Mum will just blame us as usual, you'll be fine' Paco tried to calm her down.

'Oh come on, I really don't know why we always have to look after her anyway, it's not like she is our real sister anyway!' Pepe grumbled to Paco.

Carmen stopped in her tracks and looked up at Pepe, 'What do you mean? Of course i'm your sister, Paco what is he talking about'

'No you're not' replied Pepe, Paco quickly interviened, 

'Pepe, shut up, you know we weren't supposed to say anything' he turned to Carmen who by now had a baffled look on her face, 'don't worry little sis, of course you are our sister' he assured her and gave her a big hug, 'now come on, let's get home' He shot a warning glance at his brother.