A Surprise

I sat down at the table to eat lunch with my younger brother Fred. I was absent-minded and lost in my thoughts about what had happened in school today. I got into a little altercation with my seatmate Mira, she had accused me of playing tricks to get high grades in our examinations. She also accused me of being manipulative.

"Hell no, I wasn't manipulative and I didn't play tricks in the exams," I said to myself.

The most painful thing was that some people believed what she said about me.

I hate it when people have  misconceptions about me.

"Sis, you've barely touched your food. Are you alright?" Fred asked me as he gulped down the last bit of food on his plate and walked up to me.

"I  am alright. I just don't have an appetite." I casually replied.

Fred looked intently at me while making funny faces that showed he didn't believe what I just told him.

"You don't have an appetite for your favourite food." Fred teased me.

"What's wrong? Tell me about it," he asked, nudging my shoulder.

"It's about school," I replied.

"Always worrying about school, tsk!" Fred hissed and walked away.

I laughed so hard at his statement. My younger brother always said I was an overthinker, well I guess he is right. I always let things get to me but this time I wasn't going to let Mira's petty behaviour get to me again.

"Sis, come upstairs! Your favourite show is about to start." Fred shouted from the sitting room interrupting my train of thought.

"I am coming," I shouted as I raced upstairs to the sitting room.

"Which one is that?" I asked my brother as I sat down beside him on the sofa.

"Sandokan: Legend of the Seven Seas," Fred answered casually as he was already engrossed with the movie.

I kept quiet and started watching the movie also. While watching the movie Fred and I lost track of time.

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"Oh no!" I shouted as I looked at the wall clock in the sitting room.

"What is it?" Fred asked as he was startled by the way I shouted.

"It's already 5 pm. Mom and dad will soon be back from work and we are yet to get anything done." I replied as I hurried downstairs to put everything in order.

Fred also left the sitting room in a hurry and went to get his chores done.

We both finished on time and settled down to read our books before our parents arrived.

We were supposed to be reading for our ongoing examinations but we would occasionally run to the sitting room to take a look at our favourite show.

"Aren't you supposed to be reading for your exams?" My mom asked with a smile on her face as she walked into the sitting room quietly taking us unawares.

"Mom, you are back!" Fred shouted as soon as he saw her.

He ran up to her and hugged her. I quickly turned off the television and went up to them.

"Welcome mom." I greeted her as I hugged her.

"You are supposed to be encouraging your brother to read his books but you are distracting him." My mom said as she poked my forehead and pulled out from my embrace.

"Mom, we were reading our books. We just took a little break." I replied in my defence as I hugged her again.

"As if." My mom sighed as she rolled her eyes at me.

"Go to the kitchen and sort out the groceries that I bought. I will join you soon so we can prepare dinner."

"Fred, continue reading your books."

"Yes, mom." Fred and I chorused.

As soon as our mom was out of sight, Fred and I started to argue about whose fault it was that we got caught.

I quickly ran downstairs to the kitchen as soon as I heard my mom calling out to Fred to know if I had gone downstairs.

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"How was school today?" My mom asked me.

"It was fine," I replied.

"And your exams?"

"For all the ones I have written, they were okay. We even got to know our scores in some subjects and I did well in them." I replied with a huge smile on my face.

"That's good. I am proud of you." My mom said with a big smile on her face and I knew she meant it.

"Your father and I have a surprise for you."

"What's the surprise?" I asked her excitedly.

My mom  winked at me, "you will have to wait till your father returns."

I wasn't expecting her to tell me what the surprise was but I only asked to quench my curiosity.

I was so excited, i and my brother only received gifts from our parents on our birthdays and special occasions like Christmas and Easter. I was looking forward to knowing what the surprise could be.

We soon finished preparing dinner and we all showered. My mom served dinner while we waited for our dad. He wasn't one to be late for dinner unless something came up but today he was a bit late.

As soon as the door opened and my dad walked in. Fred and I ran to him and hugged him.

"Welcome daddy!" Fred and I greeted him.

"How are you guys?" He asked as he pulled off his shoes.

"We are fine."

He walked up to my mom in the dining, hugged her and then went upstairs to shower before joining us for dinner.

As we ate our meal, I could barely hold my excitement in again and so I asked him.

"Dad, what's the surprise mom said you have for me?"

"Couldn't you wait till we are done eating?" My mom chirped in.

My dad laughed and exchanged glances with my mom.

"Finish your food first."

I hurriedly ate the remaining food on my plate and dropped my spoon to show that I was done eating.

"Dad....." Fred called him.

"I hope I am included in the surprise." He said as he fought with the piece of meat on his plate.

My dad dropped his cutlery and reached out behind his seat to get something.

He handed me a big brown envelope.

"Open it."