Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

The pale morning sunlight dappled the post office’s floor. I stood by Mommy quietly as she got the mail. From the corner of my eye I saw Ana and her mom coming. Only- her mom was pushing a blue stroller. I turned and stared. Was Ana’s mom playing with dolls or something? That would be weird. Real weird- but who was I to judge adults?

“Oh, hello Lynn!” said my Mom cheerily.

“Ana- what’s that?” I asked, pointing at a very life-like doll in the stroller.

Ana pulled a twisted sour face. “My little sister, Lia. I hate her. She cries all the time,” Said Ana in two year old speak.

“Oh” I said. I understood why I hadn’t seen Ana lately. The grown-ups talked above us, as Lia woke up and burst into tears. It was like she was right on cue and wanted to prove her older sister’s point. As if she was agreeing; saying “Yeah, I do cry all the time. But what are you going to do about it?”

I stared. Lia was like Ana’s opposite- blonde hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. It was odd. I wasn’t sure whether I liked it or not.

At first, Ana and I would stay as far away from Lia as possible. All she seemed to do was eat, sleep, and cry- and we didn’t want to get in trouble for being the ones to make her cry. We didn’t really like Lia around- because, we always had to be quiet because of her, and no two year olds and three year olds like to be quiet.

As Lia grew though- we had fun with her. We’d spend hours drawing together- things like dancing mountain goats, bunny-mermaids, and rats. The rats were a part of our main game that we played in the spring time- Rattle Drain Day. We imagined that we were normal city rats- smaller in size, and didn’t live in the sewers- going to celebrate the national rat holiday in the sewers with our friend from Australia. Lia made sure that we “went down” a sink drain so we didn’t get nasty green gunk in our hair. That kind of made me sad- I liked nasty green gunk. I liked it a lot, just as much as I liked mud. I didn’t complain though- Lia and Ana didn’t. We’d then walk around the house banging tambourines and playing the piano and singing- all the while being rats celebrating.

With Ana and Lia, I was always needed. They were afraid of a lot of things- and I was the one who was the brave one and dealt with these things. I remember one year, five days before Christmas and my birthday, Lynn called. She asked my mom if we would like a Stuffed Santa.

“Jasmine, do you want a stuffed Santa?” asked Mom.

I looked at her confused. “Why?” I asked, as it was the only thing I could think of.

After a quick couple of seconds relaying my “Why” to Lynn, Mom replied. “Ana and Lia are afraid of it.”

Without hesitation, I answered “Yes.” I didn’t care what the Santa looked like- as long as I got it so Ana and Lia wouldn’t be scared anymore.

A couple of minutes later, Ana, Lia, and Lynn were over carrying a giant trash bag. I looked at Ana and Lia, eyebrow raised.

“It has these evil beady eyes,” said Ana, shuddering.

“And this giant red tomato nose. It makes it look like it wants to eat me!” cried Lia.

“Well- if it tries to eat you guys, I’ll teach it a lesson,” I said, nodding.

Ana and Lia grinned. As soon as the giant trash bag was in the living room, they had to go. They had to drive to Chicago to spend Christmas with there grandparents. I opened the bag, and saw the ugliest Santa Claus I’d ever seen. He looked like a giant pile of mashed potatoes, and they were right- he did have a really large nose and beady eyes. But, to me, he looked more half-witted then evil. Though- I wouldn’t say that to Ana and Lia. They didn’t need to hear it.