“Mom! Mom!” shouted Zain at top of his voice.
“What is it, Zain. What has happened?” His mother rushed out of the kitchen in alarm.
“Mom, I don’t want to play with Zoya all the time. Will you play with me?” Zain asked pointing towards the Ludo board under his arm.
“I am sorry Zain, I don’t have time to sit and play Ludo. I have a lot of kitchen work to do.” His mother replied regretfully.
“Mom, you never have time for us,” Zain said crossly. “Is your kitchen more important than us?"
“Of course, it isn't but I have to wash the dinner dishes and put everything away.”
“Then will you play with us?” Zain asked hopefully.
“I can’t, Zain. I still have to iron your school uniform for tomorrow and polish your shoes. And the living room is a mess. Your grandfather also needs his medicine. Some other time, huh?”
“You always say that and that time never comes,” Zain retorted in a huff.
His mother just laughed softly and shook her head. Zain went back to the living room in a bad mood.
He opened the Ludo board and glared at his younger sister who had taken a place opposite him. He thought about his mother and felt even angrier.
“She never plays with us. She never has time for us,” he thought angrily.
Zain looked idly around the room and saw that it was indeed a mess. His books and cricket stuff was scattered all over the place and so were Zoya’s toys. The newspaper his grandfather had been reading was spread under the chair and the cushions which Zain and Zoya had thrown at each other were still on the floor.
Zain suddenly felt very ashamed of himself. He grabbed Zoya by the arm.
“Hey! Let me go. It is my turn,” complained Zoya.
“Listen. Let us clean this room before mother comes in here. It will only take us a few minutes if we work together. Let’s give her a surprise.”
Zoya loved surprises so she abandoned the game. The brother and sister quickly put away all their things, straightened the cushions and cleared the floor. The room was spic and span in a few minutes.
“Take this medicine pouch to grandpa with a glass of water. Be careful,” he ordered.
“And what are you going to do?” asked Zoya.
“I’ll go and polish our shoes and set the uniform for tomorrow. We are old enough to do such things around the house, Zoya.”
Once again, the two children completed their tasks quickly. When their mother came out of the kitchen tired and weary, she got a lovely surprise. The messy living room was clean. The school shoes were polished and everything was laid out for next day.
“We are sorry, mother. I never realized how much work you have to do around the house by yourself. Now Zoya and I will help you every evening. Then you will have time to sit down with us and maybe play games.”
His mother laughed and hugged them both. From then on wards, every evening Zain and Zoya would help their mother in housework and then watch television or play games together and that was the best part of the day!!
“What is it, Zain. What has happened?” His mother rushed out of the kitchen in alarm.
“Mom, I don’t want to play with Zoya all the time. Will you play with me?” Zain asked pointing towards the Ludo board under his arm.
“I am sorry Zain, I don’t have time to sit and play Ludo. I have a lot of kitchen work to do.” His mother replied regretfully.
“Mom, you never have time for us,” Zain said crossly. “Is your kitchen more important than us?"
“Of course, it isn't but I have to wash the dinner dishes and put everything away.”
“Then will you play with us?” Zain asked hopefully.
“I can’t, Zain. I still have to iron your school uniform for tomorrow and polish your shoes. And the living room is a mess. Your grandfather also needs his medicine. Some other time, huh?”
“You always say that and that time never comes,” Zain retorted in a huff.
His mother just laughed softly and shook her head. Zain went back to the living room in a bad mood.
He opened the Ludo board and glared at his younger sister who had taken a place opposite him. He thought about his mother and felt even angrier.
“She never plays with us. She never has time for us,” he thought angrily.
Zain looked idly around the room and saw that it was indeed a mess. His books and cricket stuff was scattered all over the place and so were Zoya’s toys. The newspaper his grandfather had been reading was spread under the chair and the cushions which Zain and Zoya had thrown at each other were still on the floor.
Zain suddenly felt very ashamed of himself. He grabbed Zoya by the arm.
“Hey! Let me go. It is my turn,” complained Zoya.
“Listen. Let us clean this room before mother comes in here. It will only take us a few minutes if we work together. Let’s give her a surprise.”
Zoya loved surprises so she abandoned the game. The brother and sister quickly put away all their things, straightened the cushions and cleared the floor. The room was spic and span in a few minutes.
“Take this medicine pouch to grandpa with a glass of water. Be careful,” he ordered.
“And what are you going to do?” asked Zoya.
“I’ll go and polish our shoes and set the uniform for tomorrow. We are old enough to do such things around the house, Zoya.”
Once again, the two children completed their tasks quickly. When their mother came out of the kitchen tired and weary, she got a lovely surprise. The messy living room was clean. The school shoes were polished and everything was laid out for next day.
“We are sorry, mother. I never realized how much work you have to do around the house by yourself. Now Zoya and I will help you every evening. Then you will have time to sit down with us and maybe play games.”
His mother laughed and hugged them both. From then on wards, every evening Zain and Zoya would help their mother in housework and then watch television or play games together and that was the best part of the day!!
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