Lil’ Rebel Goes Out

“I’ll be home at eight,” said Lil’ Rebel to her mother.

“Wait,” said Mother, running to catch up with Lil’ Rebel. “Who said you could go out tonight?”

“Daddy did,” said Lil’ Rebel.

“Well,” said Mother. “Where are you going?”

“Just out with friends,” said Lil’ Rebel.

“Wonderful,” muttered Mother under her breath.

“Why?” asked Lil’ Rebel. “What is wrong?”

“Well I just started this new shift at work and I really was hoping you’d be here to help me with dinner tonight,” said Mother.

“Sorry,” said Lil’ Rebel, walking out the door.

“So,” said Mother to Father when he came down the stairs that morning. “You told Lil’ Rebel she could go out with her friends after school tonight.”

“No,” said Father. “I told her we’d discuss it this morning.”

“Well,” said Mother. “I guess the discussion is over because she told me she is going out with her friends after school.”

“Great!” exclaimed Father. “That child will never learn. She never does as she is told.”

“Yes,” said Mother. “I’ll be glad when she is no longer a teenager. I really was hoping that she’d be here to help me with dinner tonight. You do know that I’m working this different shift this week.”

“Honey,” said Father. “I’ll bring home take-out tonight and tomorrow night Lil’ Rebel will be here cause she’s grounded after this episode.”

Mother came home from work that evening. She was exhausted. There were a ton of dishes in the sink and the house needed vacuuming and she had this strange feeling that Father was going to forget to pick up dinner. Mother did up the dishes, put some meat pies in the oven for dinner and got the vacuum out. She was so tired that she tripped on the vacuum cord and hurt her ankle really badly.

Father came home from work and poor Mother was sitting in the living room, sobbing.

“What happened?” he asked.

“I think I sprained my ankle,” said Mother.

“Oh dear,” said Father. “How did it happen?”

Mother told Father about the dishes and how she put dinner in the oven and then how she started vacuuming when she tripped over the vacuum cord.

“Oh no,” said Father, getting an ice pack for Mother’s ankle. “And, you were right, I did forget the take-out.”

“What is going on?” Lil’ Rebel asked when she came in that evening.

“Well,” said Father, looking at his watch, and frowning. “For starters you weren’t supposed to go out tonight.”

“I thought you said I could,” said Lil’ Rebel.

“No,” said Father. “I said we’d discuss it in the morning. Also, your mother needs you around the house here. She is so exhausted from working this different shift. She needs you to help with the housework. She sprained her ankle today vacuuming the house.”

“Okay,” said Lil’ Rebel. “I’ll help more.”

“Well,” said Father. “You won’t have much choice for the next two weeks.”

“Oh great,” said Lil’ Rebel. “So I’m grounded again.”