I’m trying to get a few more minutes of sleep in my own bed before the rest of the year when Madre walks in and opens our blinds. “Rise and shine!”
I sit up and groan. I hear a yawn from Delilah. “Madre,” I whine, “It’s too early to get up.”
“I know sweetie,” Madre lets out a big yawn, “But remember, you and Xiomara have to be at the meeting place to have the school pick you up at 10:00.”
I look at her quizzically. “Uh Madre, I’m Xiomara.”
“Oh sorry Xiomara,” She yawns again, “I’m tired too. Just correct me if I get it wrong again.”
I get out of my bed, and so does Delilah.
“Be quiet,” Madre reminds us, “Mateo is still sleeping, but we’ll get him up before you guys leave.”
We both nod. Madre walks out the door, and we follow right behind her, tiptoeing down the hall, trying not to wake Mateo.
When we get to the kitchen, Padre is in his spot at the table, reading the newspaper and sipping in a cup of coffee with his robe and reading glasses on. His plate is in front of him, having only a few crumbs remaining. He looks up, smiles, and greets us.
“Buenas días niñas.
I smile, so does Delilah. “Buenas días Padre,” I reply.
“Buenas días,” Delilah replies, saying almost the same thing as me.
Only when I finish greeting Padre do I notice some of the best aromas in the world, and it’s fresh. I rush over to the stove. Delilah giggles. I roll my eyes, and gesture for her to come over.
She does, and her face brightens up when she sees what our parents have made us for breakfast. “Chocolate chip pancakes, eggs, and bacon! Yes!” Delilah exclaims, clearly excited. “Who made them?” She turns to the table, waiting for an answer from Madre or Padre.
They look at each other, then Madre answers, “I made the pancakes, and your father made the eggs and bacon.” They both smile proudly, acting as if they were children. I smile. I enjoy it when adults show me their young side. It helps me feel less separated from their generation.
I help myself to breakfast. I get two pancakes, a pile of eggs, and three pieces of bacon. Delilah, who is standing behind me, raises an eyebrow.
“Save some for everyone else!” She says, with a teasing tone in her voice.
Madre walks over to look at my plate. “Hmmm,” She says, inspecting my plate, “Put one piece of bacon back and some of your eggs. You have a little brother you know, and a hungry mommy who’s eating for two.”
“Eating for two”, is what Madre always says nowadays. It’s true that pregnant women are hungrier than usual. Madre has been feasting as much as possible on anything and everything now that she’s carrying our baby sister. I’m going to laugh inside when and if that comes back to haunt her. It’s not like I judge her, I just think it’s funny.
I sigh and obey. I scoop up a good chunk of my eggs from my egg mountain and put it back in the pan. I do the same with what I have deemed the smallest piece of bacon and put it back where it came from. It makes a soft sizzling noise as it hits the pan. I look back at Madre, “Is this ok?” I ask politely, not daring to say, “Good enough?” Madre takes it as sass. If we say, “good enough,” she’ll just fire back, “Not anymore because you were being disrespectful.” I’m not entirely sure why she considers it disrespectful, but I don’t dare ask. I’m not about to get in trouble over a silly question.
Madre peers over my shoulder. I wait for her judgment. “Yes that’s perfect.”
I smile at her, and she gives me a hug and a kiss. “I love you baby,” she says, “I’m going to miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too,” I say, hugging her back, “But you know we don’t have to leave for like another hour right?”
Madre releases me and laughs. “I know,” she sighs. She laughs again, “I get to tell you anyways. I’m the one in charge here.”
I roll my eyes, and we both laugh. I then take my plate and then go to sit down. I get to my place and then nearly fall over. The chair isn’t there! That hasn’t happened before. Padre notices my confusion. “Huh,” he says, “Hey Emily!” He calls to our mother, “Where’s Xiomara’s chair?”
Madre turns around, her plate full. “I don’t know….,” she answers, also confused. “Delilah, did you do anything with it?”
Delilah shrugs as she goes to her spot with her food. “I didn’t do anythi-,” Delilah catches herself as she try’s to sit down. Her chair is gone too. “Hey! Where’s my chair?” She asks.
Just then Mateo walks in, rubbing his eyes. “Mama, why is everyone so loud?” He says, obviously tired.
Madre sets her plate down at her spot, which actually has a chair. Victoria’s old spot has a chair too. It’s only my spot and Delilah’s that’s missing a chair. She walks over to Mateo.
“I’m sorry we woke you up baby,” Madre apologizes, “Delilah and Xixi are just wondering where their chairs went. Do you know what happened to them?”
Mateo yawns, “Yeah, I made a bed for Xena. I was moving a whole lot on my bed, so she didn’t want to stay on it. I made her another bed outta their chairs,” he points to me and Delilah, “I just wanted Xena to be super comfy. Please don’t be mad.”
Madre hugs him again, and I smile. “I’m not mad,” I tell him, “Next time just get Xena’s bed for her.”
Mateo’s eyes widen. “Oh yeah!” He exclaims, “I forgot that we got a doggie bed for Xena!”
I laugh. “Silly Mateo,” I say.
Madre turns her attention to Padre. “Edgar,”
Padre looks up. “Yes?”
“Will you go get the chair’s out of Mateo’s room por favor,” Madre asks, then she adds, “The girls need a place to eat.”
Padre gets up from his chair and heads to Mateo’s room. A minute later, he comes back with Delilah’s chair and my chair, each in opposite hands. He carries them over to our spots at the table, and sets them down. “Here you go girls,” he says, “Now you can eat.
“Gracias Padre,” I say as I sit down in my chair, not falling this time.
“De nada,” he answers.
Delilah has already started to eat and so has Mateo. My stomach rumbles. I guess it’s time for me to eat too. I stack my two pancakes on top of each other and grab the syrup that’s sitting in the middle of the table nest to the powdered sugar. I pour it over my pancakes, then scoop some of the powdered sugar and put it on top. Now it’s a perfect and scrumptious, sugary meal. I pick up my fork and begin to eat.
The food is delicious. The mix of the pancakes, syrup, and powdered sugar makes my mouth water, even though there’s still more on my plate. The bacon is nice and crisp. The eggs are warm and a nice sensation in my mouth as they travel down my throat to my stomach.
“Mmmmmm,” I say once I finish, “That breakfast was amazing!”
Madre chuckles. “Well, I’m glad you liked it,” she adds, “Be thankful, who knows what the food will be like at Transqueña?”
I nod in agreement. I then get up and excuse myself from the table, so I can go get ready. I head into my room and open the drawer to find some clothes. I pick out a T-shirt and some leggings.
“Perfect,” I say to myself after I’ve put them on.
I head to the bathroom to brush my teeth and do my hair. I try to go in, but the door is locked. I knock. “I need to brush my teeth and hair,” I say, slightly frustrated, “Who’s in there?”
“It’s just me,” Mateo’s voice comes from the bathroom, “I had to potty. I’ll be out in a minute.”
I sigh, “Ok. But be quick!”
I only have to wait for about two minutes until Mateo comes out. I walk into the bathroom and let out a sigh of relief. It actually doesn’t smell for once, and I quickly notice why. Mateo must have sprayed some air freshener or something because it smells like lilacs. I’m glad he remembered that I hate it when I go into the bathroom and it smells. I know it’s normal to feel that way, but it seems like it bugs me more than Mateo and Delilah.
I shrug and pick up my toothbrush. I put the toothpaste on, water it, and begin to brush my teeth. Once I’m done with that, I brush my hair. It takes a while because it’s long. I’m not sure how I want it to look, so I just put it up in a high ponytail.
The breakfast dilemma must have taken longer than I expected. I’m about ready, which is good because we only have seven minutes left until we have to leave for the meeting place.
I go back to Delilah and I’s room where I find Delilah ready to go and on her phone. I grab mine and my charger and shove them into a secret pocket in my suitcase.
“Your sneaking your phone in?” Delilah asks me, “How are you going to hide it?”
I stop short. How am I going to hide it? I think of all the possible places; in my sheets, my secret spot in my suitcase, under my pillow, in my pillow case…. I calm down, I have plenty of places to hide my phone. I guess I could hide my charger in those places too.
I turn to Delilah to answer her question. I shrug. “I guess I could hide it in my pillowcase,” I pause and add, “I’ll look for hiding places when we get there, but for now it’s in my suitcase.”
“Ok,” Delilah says, “Good idea.”
I close my suitcase with my phone and charger now hidden safely inside and head back down the hall, dragging it behind me.
When I get to the living room, Madre, Padre and Mateo are there. “It’s time for us to go,” Madre says with tears in her eyes, “Is Delilah ready yet?”
I gesture back towards our room where I last saw Delilah. “I think she’s in the-”
“I’m ready,” Delilah cuts me off. Her suitcase is behind her, and she gestures to it, proving her point.
“Ok then,” Padre says, clapping his hands together, “I’ll load the car.”
He grabs the handles of our suitcases and rolls them out the door. I can hear our bags go thump, thump, as they are loaded into the back of our van.
Padre comes back into the house seconds later and waves for us to get into the car. Delilah and I go out and get in first. Mateo follows behind us. Madre doesn’t for a few minutes, and I don’t know why until I see her from the car window coming out with Xena.
“I thought it would be nice if Xena could come along too,” she says once she gets into the car, “Here,” she hands Xena to me, smiling.
“Gracias Madre!” I say, holding Xena close. Xena licks my face. I giggle.
Padre claps his hands together again, “Everyone buckled?” He asks us.
“Sí!” is what his response is from all of us.
“We’re all ready,” I say.
“Ok then,” Padre says, “Let’s take you to school.”
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