Chapter Text
Before school was out for the day, our teacher made us take home a permission slip for one of our parents to sign and go on a trip with us to the farm! I was super-duper excited for the next day to come and so was Adrian! We talked about wanting to milk the cows, and petting the horsies, too! When the bell rang to go home, all of us came flooding out the school like a long line of ants. There, I found Baba waiting outside of the car, and I ran in his arms.
On our drive home, I excitedly told him about next week we are going to the farm! I asked him if he'd like to come with me, but he said he could not as he has work that week, so I must ask Papa if he will be up for it when he comes home. When Baba and I got home, I put the permission slip on the kitchen table for Papa to look at in the hopes that he would come with me to the farm. To my luck, Papa came home an hour later and hearing the sound of him opening the door and closing it, I rushed to where he was taking his jacket off and excitedly asked him if he can come with me next week for our trip to the farm as I looked up at him with big soulful eyes.
I jumped for joy when he said yes and even performed a victory dance in the middle of the living room while Baba's eyes flicked between Papa signing the slip and me finishing the dance. It is confirmed now that Papa showed me his written signature in pen, and I was too excited to go to sleep. Today's the day, and I got up extra early. I used the potty, brushed my teeth, washed my face, got out of my pajamies and dressed myself into my school clothes. I went in the kitchen and got out applesauce, carrot muffin, banana and a orange juice box for breakfast.
I didn't expect to see Papa standing there in the living room in just his boxers and yelped on seeing him. I guess I must've made a little bit of noise or a mess in the bathroom and didn't clean up after myself. Papa told me we've got lots of time before we go to school for our trip to the farm and that I should not be rushing, but I could not keep my excitement. Eventually, Papa did get dressed, got my knapsack, packed leftover pizza and my signed slip.
The trip to the farm was amazing! We got to see the farmer operate a tractor going through the grass, and saw him feeding the chickens and milking the cows. We were also allowed to pet the horses for a little while inside the barn and even sat on haystacks. I'd recall watching Barnyard and it's one of my favorite movies, including reruns of Back at The Barnyard which have the same characters and funny scenes. I laughed my head off as Otis the cow's udders were on fire.
One weekend, when I was playing in my room, I could not help but listen to how Baba was having trouble with money to be able to pay for all of the nice things in our house. So I decided to give Baba a little surprise from me to him. I went into my piggy bank and got out a hundred dollars from which the tooth fairy got for me last night underneath my pillow. I wrote a little note and folded it in a card with the hundred dollars stick out like a bookmark. I snuck into Baba and Papa's room and hid the note underneath Baba's pillow and ran out of there and went downstairs for dinner on hearing Papa calling me.
At the table, Baba had his head in his hands as he still feels frustrated. He works hard for his money and sometimes I wanna try to help him and Papa too in any way I can, even if it's just a little. I don't want Baba or Papa to be upset and crying.
Monday, the next morning, Baba woke me up for school, and thanked me for the hundred dollars and the note he found last night after putting me to bed. Baba hugged me and kissed my little head as I told him I had heard about his money issues for being able to pay for all the nice things that we have. Baba thanked me and gave me ten dollars for my weekly allowance as long as I'm responsible.
Baba got me after school today and we brought home McDonald's for dinner to surprise Papa for when he comes. As much as I wanted to finish my food fast, Baba says we had to wait for Papa and gave me Pringles instead till then. At last, Papa got home from work and we'd all enjoyed a McDonald's dinner, having fun with our nuggets and pretending they are ships and submarines sailing the seas.
The next few weeks or so went OK for me, until one morning I woke up with a really bad cold and felt really sick. Baba took my temperature and found out that I'm really hot and burning. I threw up into the garbage can several times and my room smells like puke. Baba and Papa both have work today so one or the both of them could not stay home and take care of me. I mean, Baba did stay home with me once when I was sick last time while Papa was working and we watched reruns of Inspector Spacetime, but I think this time I might have some kind of a 24-hour bug or something.
Lucky Aunt Annie came to save the day! She took good care of me. She fed me some water, ginger ale and crackers as a light breakfast, rubbed Vicks to my chest the part where it was red and even applied wet product to my hair which smelled good. I was given a bell to ring anytime I needed her for anything. I closed my eyes and went to sleep for a couple hours and later woke up to Aunt Annie holding a tray which contained a bowl of some hot chicken soup. She sat me upon the bed and fed me.
While feeding me the soup, she told me a story of how she, Papa, and Baba all lived together in a apartment while in Community College and that Baba and Papa are so in love with each other back then and still do even now once they'd brought me home and took me into their lives which is the best thing ever for them and that we shared a whole lot of joy and to this day. Aunt Annie told me that she is the biggest supporter for Baba and Papa out of Uncle Jeff, Aunt Britta and Auntie Shirley as she's their best friend.
After the soup, she helped me walk downstairs to the living room and sat on the couch. She got us some ice cream and turned on the TV. She popped in the movie Pillows and Blankets and I cozied up next to her while watching. Our two favorite characters were the two guys that looked almost identical to both Baba and Papa. She said that this movie was based on a true story, and I didn't understand what that meant until she showed me the back of the DVD case and read it out loud to me. I had a bunch of questions.
When Baba and Papa both came home at the same time later that evening, they'd found me on the couch entertained by Aunt Annie dancing and singing who stole the cookies from the cookie jar, and pointed to Baba and Papa. We all laughed and I'd flapped my hands excitedly too on seeing them! After a hot dinner, warm bath, fresh clean pajamas and a bedtime story, it is off to sleepy-town for me and and my favorite plushies. I like listening to that lullaby that Papa would always sing to me to help me sleep with a glass of water by my bedside as he'd gently run his fingers through my hair.
The next morning, I woke up feeling much better and full of energy. I met up again with Adrian and I told him that I was sick. But nonetheless, he's happy I'm better again and we spent the whole entire school day together during recess and lunch recess too. We played on the grasslands and pretended we were birds and airplanes.
The next few months, Papa woke me up one morning and told me it's Baba's birthday today, and just like what Baba and I did for Papa, we have to do the same thing for Baba. I made a bowl of Lucky Charms cereal while Papa made favorite special drink. We put the cereal bowl and glass on the tray and I carried it all the way up by myself while Papa followed behind me so as to make sure I accidentally don't spill, trip or fall and make a mess.
Baba woke up with his breakfast in his lap and special drink near his night table, he said that we did not have to do this for this for him, but we wanted to. I flapped my hands excitedly and climbed into bed with Baba and cozied up next to him, while Papa took the other side and did the same.
Papa fed Baba his cereal and drink while watching back-to-back reruns of Looney Tunes, laughing at heads off. We later went out to eat at the same restaurant for lunch brunch. Once again, I felt really stuffed from the fettuccine Alfredo and chips and really enjoyed the chocolate and vanilla swirly as that's my favorite dessert!
The next several years were the happiest in my life.