Can We Talk 2

Sweet Children

         There were three little girls at my house last night. After dinner, they disappeared downstairs. The adults gradually moved that way, too. I was tired and had to clean up the dining room. I ending up sitting down alone upstairs listening to the raucous downstairs. Three girls came running upstairs and circled about the main rooms, chasing each other.

         One of them came in and stood behind my chair. I knew something was up, so I put both hands over the back of the chair. She grabbed my hands. I held on, and said, "What have you been doing?" Her hands were sticky and grainy.

         She said, "They've been in the salt." It was the voice of the six year old. I jumped up and went into the dining room. I should have realized they were too quiet. I didn't see the salt shaker at first, but I saw the sugar bowl on its side, not empty, with sugar all over the table. There was sugar between the table and the fireplace on the wooden floor. The three year old was lying on the floor in the middle of it, looking at me as though to say, "What are you going to do about it?" The two year old was crawling on the outskirts of the white stuff. They were all barefoot and gritty.

         I put my hands out to help up the three year old. I did not yell. "Look at your hair. It's down your back, under your shirt." I brushed her off as best I could. I took her through the kitchen to the back porch to shake more off, but she didn't like shaking or brushing and rushed back inside.I got out the broom and started sweeping. I told the six year old to go down to her mother. I told the two year old to go see her mother. (Two different mothers.) I kept sweeping the chair seats and the floor.

         The pregnant niece showed up and was very apologetic. I wasn't after her apology. I wanted her kid cleaned before more sugar was spread throughout the house and her car.The mother of the other two showed up and took over sweeping. They washed their hands and feet, while I cleaned the table. We had more sweeping to do in the main rooms upstairs. I vacuumed today, since they left so late. But the floor still feels gritty at times.

         I love my nieces; I love their children. But the three of us, and three men, weren't enough to keep an eye on them. Someday, we might laugh about this.But for now, I'm not leaving the sugar or the salt on the table.