Panthers

chapter two

"you know just what to say-things that scare me. I should just walk away, but I can't move my feet... "

I was singing Hailey Steinfeld's 'starving' as I scrubbed the tiled bathroom wall with a sponge. Beside me were two buckets of water. One had detergent in it and the other was plain. After cleaning the walls, I moistened a towel and wiped the window. While I cleaned the restrooms, Jennifer attended to the other rooms ( the much simpler task).
After about an hour,we were done with the customary Saturday cleaning. That's what I saved the energy for.

   Mom was brushing her teeth in the wash basin when I entered the kitchen.
"Good morning Ma" I greeted her and she nodded in reply. We got out of bed before het today,we usually do.

I walked past her and made my way to the living room. I took a seat on one of the sofas and unlocked my phone to play fruit ninja. Jenny was taking her bath already. Why so early? What's the rush? I wonder.

   While I was playing a game on my phone,mom apparently through with brushing her teeth walked in and sat at the dinning. The noise generated from pulling out a chair got my attention and I lifted my eyes from my phone.

She wore a hair bonnet but some hair stuck out of it - I guess the bonnet couldn't hold it all,her hair is long and shiny .Some hair came to rest on her flat forehead, giving extra effect to her very pretty face. She dipped her left index finger on the corner of her eye,to remove an um... to remove something. As she did so,her eyelids kept blinking. I admired her neatly manicured nails. Her lashes were full and pointy.See my mommy - fine woman. I'm glad I inherited most of her features: the dark shiny hair,eyes,full eyebrows. I'm hairy - I even have some strands of hair on chest. Major stereotype?
I'm mommy's lookalike. Jennifer wouldn't agree on that though. She's convinced she's the one, but we haven't been able to reach a conclusion. Fair to say it's a draw.

   "What are we going to eat" Mom asked. "we can't take tea because there's nothing to pair with, and spaghetti's for tomorrow"

" Let's do pancakes". I suggested.
" The jam is still available".

"I don't think we have sugar". She said.
"Since there's soup, let's eat eba then something else later in the day"

"Eba this morning? Mommy no, let's uhm ...". I was thinking of another option to push eba out of the menu.

"That means we'll have to buy either bread or sugar. So pancakes or tea".
Mom asked.
" Pancakes". I replied quickly." We'll buy sugar".

" Tea, we'll buy bread. Jenny shouted from inside

"Which tea?pancakes". I refuted.

"Mummy we'll buy bread and save the flour for sometime else"

" Sugar is cheaper"

" Bread is better"

" Pancake is sweeter"

" Bread is heavier"

" Heavier keh? pancakes today,bread another day"

" Which pancake?"

" I'm in my room, whenever you guys are ready".Mom said as she rose up from her seat.

   I closed my eyes for a a brief moment, resisting be urge to roll my eyes as I walked into the passage. I drew the black and cream curtains of our room open and sat on my bed.