Slow and Steady

Helping Hands

Standing by my older sister, Megan's side, we listened as our mom rattled off the list of chores she needed to complete for the week. Nodding diligently, Megan started off in the opposite direction of our meeting spot by the coffee table in the living room.

"What can I help with, Megan?" I asked, trotting to match my sister's strides down the hallway.

"Nothing," she glanced at me slightly. "I'm going to be fine. You can go play and have fun."

Oh. Okay, I stopped myself, watching Megan's back proceed down the hallway. Hyping my ten-year-old self up again, I turned around, away from my room, and skipped off to find my mom.

Only to get the same answer:

"No thanks, sweetie. I'm doing okay. You can go play and relax."

The saying from my family that I had grown to dread. The saying everyone told me whenever I asked if I could be helpful for them at whatever moment required help. The sentence shouldn't surprise me. I've heard it so many times that I should just stop asking and stop trying to step in altogether. But with that sentence, a second realization dawned on me: the women I grew up with know the house they live in better than I do. Sure I know which room is mine. But ask and test me where a saucepan is supposed to go in this place, I wouldn't have a clue.

I made sure I would find a way to understand the tasks handed to the girl who was five years older than me so I would never hear that saying again. Luckily, I found an opportunity.

One Friday evening after a long week in school, my family and I hopped into the car to travel about fifteen miles West on the Dublin Canyon Road into the sleepy town of Castro Valley. After hearing the '80s music from the radio and the wind as we drove, we arrived at my grandma's house. I couldn't help fidgeting in my seat as the car turned toward her driveway. Gasping out happily, I stared out the window at my grandma's lovely house. It's a white stucco house with a beautiful Japanese garden and a long winding driveway welcoming visitors to come and relax. Walking around the house is like walking through a beautiful park. In the morning hours, you can hear the birds singing and splashing in the birdbath outside the large window. The Japanese maple and Dogwood trees look amazing in full bloom. This is by far my favorite place to go and unwind for the weekend.

Jumping out of the car, I began to feel the wind in my hair and heard the sound of my feet pounding on the stairs of the wooden deck as I raced up to my grandma and gave her a hug. My excitement pushing my grandma slightly before she steadied us, and my arms draped around her slender waist. Her arms quickly wrapped around me as she carefully hugged me too. Her pixie cut had been patted down after a shower. Wrapped in a turtleneck with a vest, she cupped my cheeks and smiled down at me, her soft hands smelling of lotion. After greetings among my family were exchanged, we entered the house.

Stepping into the house, my grandma wandered from the kitchen to the living room, offering us refreshments. My family and I fell onto the plush couch as we started to talk. Laughter rang throughout the quiet, beautiful house as we discussed our days' interesting activities, funny stories taking up the chatter.

Our laughter continued through dinner, and we crossed the living room for a game of Scrabble and a movie. The movie finished and my sister and I were given kisses by both mom and grandma as we laid down in our beds to sleep until a new day.

The next morning I stretched and waddled outside to the living room. Bundling up on the couch with a yawn, I scooted closer to my mom and grandma. My grandma and mom poked their heads up when a soft ding chimed from a door in the hallway. Both women rose from the couch and mom followed grandma as they made their way to the laundry room.

"Come on, lost puppy," my mom said, a smile playing on her lips as she looked at me sitting on the couch.

I quickly bounced up from the couch and jogged to follow my mom into the master bedroom. Mom set her laundry basket on the floor as she readied the sheets. Taking the other end of the sheets, I helped pull the covers over the mattress, then we both tucked the remaining blankets underneath the mattress. With a quick "Thank you" after the bed was made, mom pushed her laundry basket on top of the bed.