After old Mrs Hopeson entered the kitchen, she saw the trio-Joseph, Faith, and baby Asher. Making a mess of the kitchen in the name of putting everything back in place. The kitchen floor was flooded.
The red oil palaver sauce that had already become one with the dirt, and water on the floor. was the very soup Joseph and Faith were putting back in the soup pot. The 'DJ' for that particular 'mash', baby Asher, was still busy, creating the 'perfect' one. Laughing in the process, as a 'DJ' should.
"Heh~heh~hehhh"
"Ha~ha~ha..."
His laughter, louder than a morning alarm, but sweeter to the ears than music, rang out filled with happiness. His eyes glittered as if there were stars in them.
"Heh~heh~hehhh"
Then...
*swoosh, swoosh*
The sound of his hands swiping from side to side was loud in the kitchen. Maybe not satisfied with the results from swiping, he began beating the soup mixture.
*patta, patta, patta*
The sounds from the soup on the floor rang out. It was as if the sound were music to his ears because he began laughing happily.
While baby Asher was laughing and happily playing, Joseph and Faith couldn't do the same. Getting caught on the crime scene is never the best. The two were almost to the point of crying. But naughty children will always be naughty children.
They started thinking about how to extract themselves from the trouble after they saw their grandmother standing over them. Giving them the "you are dead" eyes.
Let us flash to their thought.
Joseph: [Now that I have wasted our house dinner, my mother won't spare me. As for my father, the "total wifey" boy, I shouldn't count on him. Hmmmmm, then who??]
While thinking, his hands were stirring the soup in the pot.
Then, suddenly, his eyes sparkle
[Aunty Lena! Thank God, I was born smart. Hahaha...] he thought. Then he started laughing in his mind.
Faith:[What should I say?? Ideas come to me, I love ideas, ideas love me.] She was thinking then, suddenly she pumped her fist.
"Yes!"
[I will say, I mistakenly pushed the water barrel while we were playing in the kitchen. Since they can't bear to 'sign' me. Uh huh]
She thought, nodding her head.
While they were coming up with their best strategy to escape punishment, old Mrs Hopeson was watching the variety of expressions appearing on their faces. After watching for a while, she shook her head in exasperation.
"You'd better put down those thoughts; nothing can save you tonight."
She said sternly, then picked up baby Asher and left the kitchen.
The two left in the kitchen exchanged looks, took a deeeep breath, adopted the right attitude, and then walked out. They even remembered to close the kitchen door nicely.
Not their usual "boom, boom" when they are closing doors.
Then slowly, they make their way to the front yard. After they arrived, they stood in front of the grandmother, spine straight.
When baby Asher saw his partners in crime, he started struggling in old Mrs Hopeson's hands. While she was wiping his hands and legs, that were smeared with the 'mashup' soup. After wiping his hands and legs, she let him go. Since only mud was mainly on his clothes.
After he was released, he crawled to his partners in crime. Then, as if knowing the lineup, he sat beside Faith. Now they were in descending order.
Old Mrs Hopeson looked at their lineup. Her expression was caught between laughter and anger. Especially, baby Asher, who somehow managed to mimic Joseph and Faith's solemn faces. But because his eyes were filled with sparkling joy and curiosity, his expression looked comical.
At the end, old Mrs Hopeson's will was not strong enough to withstand the impact. And so, she turned away and burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha..." she laughed with her chest vibrating until she was breathless.
Then she turned to face them, but when she saw baby Asher's comical, solemn face, this time with his mouth wide open, she couldn't stand it.
Then....
"Pffft!" "Hahahaha...." she burst out laughing again, bending over and clutching her stomach with her shoulders shaking.
Her behaviour puzzled baby Asher, causing him to widen his eyes even more.
"Okay, okay. Your go find somewhere to s~~." Before she could say "sit", she saw Chloe and Mrs Willis coming from afar.
Immediately, she put on a stern face.
And started scolding the trio sternly. Causing
Joseph and Faith to cancel their celebrations.
While she was scolding them, Chloe and Mrs Willis were leisurely walking towards them.
Seeing the trio attending another scolding section, they didn't rush over. Already used to that sight. They continued their leisure walks until they reached them.
When Chloe saw Joseph and Faith's hands smeared with something green mixed with mud, her first thought was....
[Who red oil they did, nonsense with again?]
But outside, she asked...
"What good deed your did today again?"
old Mrs Hopeson then replied.
"The 'good' they did is in your kitchen."
"Don't tell me, the oil is from my kitchen?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at Joseph and Faith after hearing her mother-in-law's reply.
"Something even better." Old Mrs Hopeson replied again.
This time she didn't ask any questions. She march straight to the kitchen.
Mrs Willis followed her with baby Asher lying on her shoulders.
After Chloe reached the kitchen door and saw it was properly closed with minced green leaves and red oil prints on the door handle. Her mind went straight to her food. She quickly opened the kitchen door.
But before she could enter the kitchen, the soup scent hit her nose. Now, she was sure. After she entered the kitchen, her eyes first went to the stove, but it was empty and wet.
Then she saw her pot of rice filled with water, near the stove. Finally, when her eyes fell on the soup pot, which was filled with muddy soup, she lost. Then she rushed to the front yard.
...
In the front yard.
When Joseph heard the hurried footsteps coming from the kitchen direction, he turned to run. But Chloe already reached the front. When she saw him turned to run, she rushed to him...
Ehn! Joseph picked up his speed and started running
*Swoosh!* Chloe took off one of her slippers and threw it at him. While she was still running behind him.
"If you don't stop, you should keep on running and don't think about coming back"
She said. And then, went to collect her slippers, put them on and went home.
After she returned, she saw Faith standing with a sorrowful face. With the muddy soup on her hands. Her face turned darker in anger again. And pointed to Faith.
"You, go push the wall. Push it until it falls."
Faith then pitifully walked toward the wall.
Then placed both her hands on it and started pushing it after she reached it.
By this time, it was already six pm.
Note:my country, Liberia.
Sign____ sometimes means to beat someone.
E.g. don't leh me see you around here or I will sign you. Meaning: I shouldn't see you around here; otherwise, I will beat you.