Life changes for Rosa

Who else?

One Sunday morning before anyone else in the house had stirred, Rosa woke up and instead as she usually did jump out of bed and begin her day in earnest, she instead lay in bed for a while looking up at the ceiling and then over at the little cot close to her bed and smiled as she saw Brenda laying on her stomach fast sleep.

She smiled for a second and then said quietly, “you know what God, I love my little sister. At first, when my mummy told me she was having another chick, my heart was broken. I knew I would no longer be the youngest in my family and that there would be someone younger than me. But you know what God, it’s all because of you that my little heart is overjoyed with love. You changed my heart. You made me look at life differently nowadays. I can no longer be the brat my brother Timmy tells me I am. I have to be a role model for Brenda. I don’t want her to grow up and be a brat like me. She can be a JAP though just like me, but not a brat. And God while we are talking, you are listening to me, aren’t you? I thought so. So I will continue. Please make my sister Julia stop talking with a strange accent. She thinks that she should wear clothes that make her look like Dolly Parton and my mother, oh well she’s just doing the best she thinks for us little ones. But please can you while she’s asleep come to her like a dream and tell her to stop being bossy and be more like my daddy.”

Rosa stopped for a second and jumped out of bed. She tip toed over to the door and opened it quietly to see whether anyone was listening to what she was saying. Content that the nest was still quiet, except for her mother who was snoring, she closed the door carefully and hopped back into bed.

She heard her little sister moan for a second, open her eyes smile when she saw Rosa, then waved to her and went back to sleep. Rosa shook her head. “See what I mean God. How can I be mean to her. She loves me and you taught me to love my little sister and not always think of myself. It was hard at first. But now I think of Brenda first, but only Brenda no one else. Anyway, where was I? Oh, that’s right. About my daddy. Yes he’s the bestest daddy in the whole wide world. The others at school say their daddies are the best, but they haven’t met my daddy yet.” The bedroom door opened suddenly and there in the doorway stood Sybil. “Hi mummy,” Rosa was pleased with her ability to change what she was saying in an instant.

“Who were you talking to Rosa?” she asked as she walked over to Brenda’s cot.

“God,” replied Rosa.

“No, no, Rosa, I’m serious.”

“I just told you mummy, God.”

“Oh I’m sorry Rosa. I thought you were telling me to mind my own business.”

“No never mummy. Where’s daddy?”

Sybil rolled her eyes as she picked up Brenda for a second and then put her down immediately. “I think your daddy needs to change her diaper immediately!”

Rosa rolled her eyes thinking her mother could do that instead. Brenda hadn’t woken up and when Sybil put her back in the cot, she continued sleeping. Sybil believing she wasn’t getting anywhere walked out in a huff and closed the door behind her. Rosa looked at Brenda. Brenda opened one eye and giggled for a brief second, before she fell back to sleep.

Rosa was getting ready to continue her talk with God when the door opened again and it was George. Rosa shouted, “daddy!” and with that Brenda jumped up and started bouncing in her crib.

“Come on little one. I have to change your diaper.” And with that, he picked up Brenda but before giving her a kiss on the cheek, he walked over to Rosa leaned over carefully and with Brenda’s wings wrapped around his neck he bent over and kissed Rosa. “Good morning angel,” he said, “I’ll be back in a second after I’ve taken care of your sister.”

They left the bedroom and closed the door behind them. “See that God. I wasn’t jealous when my daddy was going to give Brenda a kiss first. But you made him change his mind and that’s why he kissed me first.” Rosa let out a sigh. “As long as my daddy doesn’t call her young lady, I’m ok.”

Rosa stopped talking and lay there for a few more minutes waiting for them to return. When they didn’t, after what she thought was the longest time, she hopped out of bed and went in search of them. She found George and Brenda on the deck looking out over the ocean. It was a bright blue sky and as it was the weekend there weren’t many on the beach. Everyone had decided to sleep in including Melody. She watched through the sliding glass doors as Brenda with a pacifier in her break rattled the railing while listening to her father tell her about the ocean and that there was nothing between them and Africa.

And suddenly, out of the blue, Rosa felt jealous. She remembered back to the time when her daddy used to tell her the same things he was telling Brenda. She walked back to her bedroom, jumped back into bed and pulled the sheet over her head. She wasn’t sure how long she was laying there but suddenly the sheet was pulled off and Julia stood at the end of the bed.

“What are you pouting for, sister?” she asked.

“Nothing,” replied Rosa in an unconvincing manner.

“Are you jealous because daddy is out there with Brenda telling her about the ocean.” Rosa thought for a second and nodded. “Don’t worry sister. I have your breakfast all ready for you and you know Brenda is too young to have oatmeal with raspberries and strawberries and blackberries.”

Soon Rosa was following Julia into the kitchen where she was presented with a large bowl filled to overflowing. “Can I eat this outside?” she asked Julia.

“Yes, of course. I think that’s a great idea. I’ll bring my breakfast as well.”

A few minutes later the two sisters were sitting outside with their bowls of oatmeal watching their father talking to Brenda about the other inhabitants of North Topsail Beach. A few seconds later Brenda stopped rocking and turned to see her sisters at the table. She smiled and pointed a wing at them. “Rosa!” she said out loudly and everyone gasped.

“Oh, my goodness! That’s the first word she’s ever said!” Rosa beamed and Julia began to laugh. “Most little ones say mummy or daddy first, but not Brenda, it’s Rosa.”

Brenda began to walk towards Rosa saying her name out loudly as she did. Yes, thought Rosa God heard my prayer and she took a black berry and offered it to Brenda who didn’t know what to make of it.

Sybil who by then had walked out on to the deck when she heard Rosa’s name called, grabbed the black berry from Brenda before she could swallow it. “George!” she said sternly, “Brenda could’ve choked on that!” The rest rolled their eyes and life in the Blau household was back to normal.