The Gifts of Children

The Gifts of Children 

Their mom came into the kitchen to see what they were doing. They both had their heads down working on their homework. Even though her twins were well past the toddler stage, she still worried that something was up when it got too silent. They had been bickering for the last week and when asked if something was wrong, the answers were non-committal. Or that “Annie’s just a girl” or “Rusty’s so dumb”. So this silence was odd. Rusty raised his head and whispered “Be quiet, Annie.” She whispered back “I am being quiet!”

Rusty closed the cover of his notebook “Oh, hi mom. What are you and dad doing tonight? I’m just finishing my homework then I’m going to bed.”

Now Madge knew that something was up. Rusty? Homework and then right to bed?  “Your dad and I are watching a hockey game. I’m just out here to make some tea and get us some snacks. Do you and your sister want something?”

“No thanks, I ate lots of supper. It was really good.”

Annabelle covered her page with her arm. “No thanks mom. I don’t want to spill anything on my school work.”

“Ok kids. I’m going back with your father. I’ll come out when the tea kettle starts to sing.” Her children watched her go. They had to be sure she had left the room before they started their ‘homework’ again. 

“I guess we should have done this in your room instead of down here where mom or dad could come in.” Annabelle had suggested her room, but her brother said he couldn’t work with all the dolls and stuffed animals around. She said she couldn’t work in his room because he left all his stuff just lying around and she wasn’t going to clean it up. Their only way around it was to come down to the kitchen with some of their school books so it didn’t look suspicious. Now they were stuck. Rusty, quite an artist, had drawn the front of the Christmas card they were making. He had a Christmas tree with presents under it and attempted to draw a girl and and boy on either side. For the children, he copied from comic book characters. Annabelle was trying to write a poem that said how great their parents were, but wanted it just right. One of them had to go to a store to get the construction paper for their card. “Maybe we should just buy them something. This is really hard.” 

“No, we’ll do what we said. We still have two weeks. I’m getting a headache trying to get all the words straight. I’ll go to the store and get the construction paper. Maybe there’s some special paper for making cards. Let’s just go to our rooms now, so we don’t talk about it.”

~~~~~

“I’ve got the kettle on for tea, Grant.” Madge handed him a bowl of ice cream ~ vanilla with chocolate sauce. “I checked on the kids while I was out there. They are doing something, insisting that it’s their homework, but it looked like they were trying to make something. Sitting side by side, they covered everything up so I couldn’t see.”  Grant glanced up at his wife and smiled “Guess we’ll have to wait for Santa Claus.”

They settled back in their chairs, Madge with her sewing and Grant with the TV guide turned back to the hockey game. 

“All children have creative power.”

~ Brenda Ueland, American Writer

1891~ 1985