Keily, the Bookworm- Part 1

Author:
Rosina S Khan
Mar 19, 2020 2:14 AM EDT

It was Saturday evening. The rain was pouring in drips until it dropped harder and harder, making the sky erupt with thunder and lightning.

Mom and Dad were having a fight as usual in the living room. Keily took a last look at her sleeping little sister and went off to her parents' bed where her school books, homework, and notebooks were lying. They were calling her to finish off the homework for the night. She had school again the next day. The weekend (over Friday and Saturday) was almost over.

Keily was in grade 1 and needed little help from her parents with her homework. She wished her parents would stop yelling. The fight was not about money unlike other families in the neighborhood, rather about cooking dishes to invite in Dad’s friends. Keily’s Mom didn’t protest about evening dinners with a family or two or birthday parties. What she disliked was cooking for an individual or a family outside of their home every single day. What fun was there in it? She had to feed four mouths including herself every day. Why would she take the extra burden?

“Okay”, thought Keily, “I get Ma’s point of view. What is Dad’s point of view? Why would he like to feed an individual or family every day? Once awhile is okay. Why every day? Dad just ordered, and Mom wouldn’t listen any longer. She has a baby child to look after. I just started school, and she has to take care of my affairs as well.”

Keily didn’t comprehend Dad’s point of view other than the fact that he got pleasure from eating and talking at home with an individual or family external to their own family.

At last, the heat of the argument died. Who won- Keily couldn’t tell. Probably neither. Because in front of her, neither of the parents showed any disappointment or agitation.

Time to sleep. Kelly finished her little bit of homework. Mom started going over it while Keily prepared herself to get to bed. She washed her face, hands, and feet. She changed to sleepwear, which was a pink flowered print flannel top and matching full pants. Mom carried the baby over to their bed and let Keily fall asleep as she dimmed the lights.

Mom and Dad would fall asleep soon. Dad had to go to the university the next day which was on the other side of the nearby river. He had to cross it by a ferry and get on a waiting bus to reach his university and teach engineering courses to students.

The school bus was waiting. Keily got dressed in her uniform- white shirt and grey sleeveless knee-long dress and white long socks and blue sneakers. Her mother helped her tie her hair to a ponytail. Keily took her tiffin and put it inside her school bag, which was already arranged by her Mom last night with books, notebooks, and lead pencils along with crayons and colored sketch pens relevant to the day's class schedule.

Mom looked over the window with the baby in her arms. Keily got safely inside the school bus, and off the bus left.

Mom sat with the baby in her arms and closed her eyes and rested a little. She wondered when her baby would grow up like Keily. After all, Keily was a sweet, obedient girl who listened to her parents’ suggestions and guidance all the time. Mom was worried if she was giving the right feedback to her elder daughter all the time. Because this was the time everything would ingrain in her brain, and she would carry them to her adult years.

She was afraid her husband was too strict and hard on Keily at times. Although he tried to be good with her, his temper always won, and he would yell at her also even for the smallest mistakes Kelly would make.

The children needed more outing. Could she convince her husband?

Sunlight and mother nature were good for children and adults alike. She loved to be outside of home soon and enjoy plenty of fresh air.