SLEEP NOT OVER

Slumber parties at Aunt Max and Uncle Ben were always the second best party after Christmas. The quarterly gathering was a bonding time for the ten cousins, three sisters and three uncles. Aunt max and Uncle Ben had five kids, Riley, Rolling, Raya and Rina the twins and Robin, with the three Baines children and two Komu kids, the Araba little mansion was like a mini kindergarten at their two stored house.

Aunt maxi loved having children around her and kids were equally attached to their Aunt, for Uncle Ben he exclusively had a soft spot for children but his largest affection went to sports soccer to be specific, when the Baines kids received the invitation for la grandee sleepover , they moved around like chicken about to lay eggs, they couldn't contain their excitement at all, even in the car that Friday evening, they couldn't stop rattling about all the activities they were to do that weekend. Their mum had known so she packed their bags on the way to pick them from school as the kids were going to nag her with her delaying them so from school she drove them straight to the Arabas'. Even Aiden who's always acting less excited and mature about outings was the loudest describing all the fun and how he would score against his uncle.

When Mrs. Baines packed her Chevrolet Equinox, the three kids wasted no time and ran out to embrace their Aunt who was already waiting for them on the porch in her long grey summer dress with yellow and pink tulips and pink scandals, she praised each of them for growing fast and big and the kids they replied in unison that she must be a fairy cause every time they see her she looks younger. Aunt maxi could not help but laugh at the insight of these young ones, their mother joined in the greetings and reminded the children to take their bags with them in the house, the Kamu cousins were not yet here so the children went to look for their other cousins upstairs as the sisters took their time catching up and asking what the other had been up to.

Immediately the boys started playing tag running from room to room and almost knocked over Uncle Ben who was from taking a shower. He tightened his rob after his near fall spin, he grabbed the two Baines brothers each in one arm as though each was a sack of popcorn and greeted them. The Baines greeted their uncle messing up his scanty wet afro hair, promised to wrestle him later and continued the chase with Riley, Rolling and Robin. Aimine and the twins were already having a princess tea party.

When the Komu cousins arrived with their mum, you could hear the roof falling off any time soon due to the noise from the children and their uncle upstairs. They were playing the wrestling in the bouncing castle as they had promised, it was the host family against the visitors with their Uncle Ben as the coach and referee. The winners were to be crowned the tribal chiefs "how are you so comfortable with all this noise?" Alice Komu asked her sister Maxine "I have only Isabell and Isaac, but I always get migraines when they start to play, that is why we tried to sound proof their playroom" she said laughing with her husband Alex who equally did love kids but not as playful with kids or childish as such. The Komu couple believed parents were supposed to be a reflection of what their kids would be as they grew up.

"That sound of children playing is the sweetest melody in my ears, it can only be distorted with a cry. My husband and I believe, children should be raised in a way that they never grow up or be taken up by the responsibilities of being an adult. I love to hear those angels laugh and scream so if you don't mind, I will politely kick out my two lovely sisters and brother in law so we can kick start off our two night best sleep over" Aunt Maxi said showing the elders out. “Before we forget here is Isaac's blood pressure monitor watch in case...." "In case the one I have next to the TV stand doesn't work?" Alice shakes her head in disbelief. Aunt Max knows her kids in and out so well. She is the only person she trusts to handle her son and his illnesses.

when the visitors won the wrestling match and Adson, Aiden and Isaac were crowned the tribal chiefs, the children took showers, changed into pajamas and officially opened the la grandee sleepover part one with a raisin coconut flavored cake, ice cream and star shaped pizza pieces, smashed Irish with sunset eggs that totally resembled SpongeBob that the kids failed to notice the broccoli in it, too much sugars for the night but this was going to be a game night and much more would be needed.

As the male settled for the avenger's video game, the female played with molding clay and each girl carved out their favourite princess as Aunt Maxi taught them the story of and value of each princess, Rina as Merida from Brave, Raya as Raya from Raya and the lost dragon, Aimine as Elena of Avalor and Isabella as Moana. When the games ended at 10pm, Aunt Maxi and Uncle Ben put up the puppet show for the kids in their sleeping bags already and they acted the story of the three little pigs the children had a laugh as one by one went to sleep. With no one to entertain, the parents too joined the two rows of sleeping ten children Aunt Maxi as the closing right bracket and Uncle Ben as the closing left bracket. Aunt Maxi remembered something and pulled out her phone and screenshot Isaac's BP, took a selfie, captioned it sleepover still not over and went to sleep.

3am Adson who had the greatest share woke up to pee, he slowly opened his sleeping bag not to disturb the sleeping surroundings. On his way back to the living room, he noticed a red signal coming from Uncle Ben's study room. Uncle Ben is a software engineer alongside being a chef. Adson peeps inside and is tempted to touch all the cool gadgets inside but he quickly restrains himself as he swore before his mother he will not spoil anything while here, as he placed back the watch, he watched the video playing on the laptop where the red light was beeping from, it looked as though two people were pruning the garden, but for clear reasons no one would do that at that time and Uncle Ben and Aunt Max never had staff that worked during the night or slept over. Adson quickly ran downstairs to warn his aunt and uncle, after two failed attempts of trying to shake them awake, Adson tried something he had read in one of his history books, and on strongly hitting their right pulses, Aunt Maxi and Uncle Ben were immediately awake.

Adson kept on begging them to allow him participate in the attack but the two guardians claimed it would be too dangerous for him, known not to be the kind that never gives up so easily, he reminded them of his solo escapades and rescues. Uncle Ben finally gave him one of his laser watches and an all protective head sock on condition that he would keep close to him at all times.