INVITE

In a certain city, in country Esse. There is a fine boy who loves Pirates. This boy fanatism over pirates has landed him in trouble more than once; with his innocence never proven, making him look naughty and stubborn.

He almost everyday wish to be at sea, and this has made him to throw tantrums sometimes, but he always get a tirade from his mom in return. His love for pirates has cut down his play time with his baby sister a lot, and has earned him a reputation of a bad big brother so his mom thought in oblivion of his undying love for his baby sister.

He has just been invited by his grandparents along side his parents and sister to the farm. This boy named Fatima was in a completely different world of bliss because of the invitation. He couldn't even imagine the wonderful delight that would happen to him over the weekend.

The joy in his voice was beyond obvious as he shouted from the living room, to his parents.

"Mom!, Dad!, I'm done packing!, hurry up! let's start going to the airport, we can't afford to miss our flight!."

"Fatima what's the rush, we still have a whole night before our plane takes off. We can't leave until morning comes."

Came his mother's reply as she gently walked down the stairs.

"We are not leaving today?"

He asked slowly sounding like a deflating balloon.

"Why can't we leave now?"

He asked again almost crying. This was a heartbreak to his soul, that could not be mended with a thousand candy. After he had heard his grandfather's invite he had immediately ran off to his room to prepare his suitcase, wanting to leave as soon as possible.

"I'm sorry but the ticket we booked up are for tomorrow and not today. So we can't board the plane until tomorrow."

His mother explained; with sympathy in her eyes. She can see the sorrow of utter disappointment on Fatima's expression.

"Why didn't you book up a ticket for today?."

Fatima asked in sorrow not understanding why his mother would not be in a rush to go see her own parents. He would.

"To give us enough time to prepare. And your grandpa's invite came in this morning. We have to leave everything in order before we leave; since we will be staying for a week."

Evelyn explained gently, expecting to see a change of expression on his face.

"Really! For seven whole days!"

Fatima exclaimed. All the sadness in his eyes disappeared, and his soul has just been lifted to heaven. In his eyes only pure joy can be seen.

"That's seven days of wonderful delight with grandpa, and so very satisfied taste buds and stomach because of grandma's irresistable pots of pure delight. Ha! I'm going to be a very jolly boy. And here I thought we will be be staying only for the weekend."

Fatima said in ecstacy, imagining how wonderful his week was going to be. And all the tales he's going to tell his classmates when school resumes.

"Sure sure, you will have a wonderful week at father's place."

Evelyn smiled looking at the expression of pure joy on his face, and a twinkle of mischieve in his eyes. She can't wait to see what trouble he would create for his grandparents.

"This means I will have to bring along with me my pirate hat, shoe, shirt, trouser and chest."

Fatima nodded in satisfaction thinking about what adventures he would have.

"Oh wait! My pirate chest can't fit into my suitcase, along side my other stuffs. What do i do now?."

Fatima said in realisation. Then pondered on how to tackle this serious and important issue.

Seeing the change of expression on Fatima's face from pure bliss to contemplation Evelyn said to him.

"You can just forego your pirate shoe, hat, shirt, trouser, and chest then pack only what you need."

Fatima wasn't very happy about his mother's words.

"Why don't I help you pack for the visit?."

She suggested.

"But I need my pirate stuff to make everything perfect. I can't leave without them it's definately not going to be the same."

Fatima whined.

"They are not necessary because you would only be spending time with family not playing pirate. So forget about them and let me help you to repack."

Evelyn said hiting the nail on the head with great precision.

"But I really need them ma."

Fatima said with tears in his eyes.

"You don't need them Ima. You will forget about them when you get to your grandparent place okay. So don't be sad."

Evelyn tried to comfort him.

"But mama I still want my pirate stuffs.

Fatima grumbled in disobedience.

"You will listen to me Fatima and do just as I say; there is no place for argument now follow me and you will help me to repack your clothes."

She stressed in displeasure.

She grabbed the suitcase beside him and climbed the stairs up to his room with firm shoulders and Fatima following behind her.

"But mommy how about I leave my other stuffs and bring only my pirate things, that would work right?."

Fatima try to bargain again with his mother and that was the only solution he could think of while climbing the stairs.

"No pirate stuffs Fatima Graymoon."

Evelyn replied unyielding. Not willing to listen to the boy's unreasonable demand.

"Stop standing, come over let's pick what you really need."

Evelyn said with a smile after sitting and unpacking his suitcase.

"You need your shirts, trousers,slipper and underwears."

Evelyn said while Fatima was walking directly towards where she was seated.

"Mommy is grandma going to let me go to the saloon with her?."

Fatima asked pouting still unhappy about the fact that his mother won't let him bring his pirate things; but excited about the things he's going to do with his grandma.

"She will, if you are good and you behave nicely always."

Evelyn replied.

"Okay I will try my best and be a good boy."

Fatima smiled a little feeling happy that he's going to be part of his grandma sweet gossip with her friends at the saloon.

Of course he knew his grandma wasn't going to leave him behind, she hasn't, at least for the times he has visited.

"Why don't you start being a good boy right now, and stop being grumpy about not getting your way."

Evelyn said while tickling the sides of his chest, noticing he wasn't upset anymore."

"Ok ok ok I am a good boy now, I don't want them and I won't bring my pirate stuff along. I will no longer insist and I will be obedient."

Fatima said happily and giggling in between. Evelyn smiled and said in triumph.

"So you're no longer angry."

"Of course not."

Fatima said happily after taking a deep breath he needed to after being tickled.

"Can I help you pack?."

He offered to help, a bit shy.

So Fatima and Evelyn packed only what he needed for the journey, then they both went downstairs afterwards.

"Where is my daddy."

Fatima asked after observing the living room remembering he had an important question for him.

"He should be in his study."

Evelyn replied unsure if that was the fact, and immediately Fatima ran to his father's study upstairs. Evelyn wondered why he hurried so quickly to his father; then went ahead to prepare dinner.

"Daddy what are you doing?."

Fatima asked after walking into the room seeing his father looking at some papers. "Something very important." Came his father's reply.

"Can I see?."

Fatima asked forgeting he came there for another mission.

"You sure can."

His father permitted, in need of advice. "Necklaces, are they for my mommy?" Fatima asked after looking at the pictures, not papers his father handed to him.

"No they are for your grandmother, I was thinking which would be a nice gift for her, as we are visiting."

Fatima father said seriously always wanting to please his mother-in-law when ever he was around her. Not to suck up to her but just because he liked her.

"Which one do you think she would like best?"

He inquired of Fatima while scratching his head in indecisiveness. They all looked pretty and would all make a fine gift for her, but he wanted what would bring the best result.

"Uhmm... This one!"

Fatima said in approval after his eyes scanned through all the pictures

"The diamond in this one is the biggest of all, it looks nice too. I think grandma would like this one the most, because it's shiny and it has gold in it, diamonds on it, and a ruby too."

Fatima paused and then continued.

The design fits her style of jewelry. I can imagine her bragging about it to her friends in the saloon."

Fatima replied in satisfaction glad that he knew the exact taste of his grandma.

"What friends and in what salon?"

He questioned Fatima not knowing that his mother-in-law hangs out with her friends at the saloon gossiping. He was not very surprised.

"Her favorite saloon she visits almost every saturday alongside her friends. they always talk about grannie stuffs and jewelries, designers, houses and all the other things they talk about."

Fatima answered.

"Okay"

He said not wanting to know details about his mother-in-laws doings in the saloon." I'm going to check up on your sister" He said tiredly.

Fatima followed his father out of the study and went to his own room thinking about what surprise he should prepare for his grandparents.

He sat on his bed and thought hard, on what present he should give to his grandparents.

Then he suddenly remembered his friend Anna had given him a present, he looked around and found the gift from Anna. He opened it again, and the reminant inside was a notebook, a pen, a pair of pirate sock and a pirate hat.

He had eaten the chocolate and crackers that was inside and he decided to save the reminant for a special occasion and he made the right decision.

He decided to pack for his grandma the notebook and pen, and for his grandpa the pirate sock and hat. He placed them into his suitcase so he won't forget them.

He was very pleased with his gifts.

Then looking at his suitcase he remembered his last holiday at his grandparents place his grandma had given it to him as a present.

" Fat! come over here, I have something for you. Hurry up!"

Lisa, Fatima's grandmother shouted from the living room.

Fatima run down the stairs and met his grandma smiling from ear to ear. He always loved the smile on her face and cherished it every time he saw it. "Grandma, I'm here. What did you get for me?"

Fatima asked seeing a rectangular box on her hands. He knew at once that it was for him.

"Here"

his grandma said as she handed it to him.

"It's a new suitcase grannie. I'm so please, thank you so much grandma." He said with joy after opening the present.

"Do you like it Fat?" Lisa asked smiling from ear to ear with great expectation. She had gotten it from the departmental store when she went to buy some stuffs.

"Yes i do grandma but i have a question I have been meaning to ask you for a while now."

"Ask on"

Lisa urged him, wanting to know what was on the mind of this mischievous boy.

"Why did you name me Fatima grandma?"

He asked with seriousness and a bit of unhappiness on his face.

"Why you don't like the name?"

Lisa asked.

"It's not that, is just that I don't like it when others call me Fat not even mom or dad or even grandpa."

"Why don't you like it?"

Lisa questioned because she liked to call him Fat.

"Because I'm not chubby nor fat."

Fatima said unhappily.

This boy has been a great wonder to her since he was born. Lisa chuckled then said.

"Let me answer your question"

she paused then continued, thinking how to shorten the story.

"When your mommy was pregnant with you. We all argued who would name the baby. Then we came up with a solution. It was a game and whoever won would name you."

She smiled and saw him listening attentively

"You can guess who won."

"You did grandma." Came Fatima's disappointed replay.

"Exactly, then we didn't know the gender of the baby and I was expecting a granddaughter so chose Fatima as her name. Definitely not because you are fat."

Lisa explained as simply as she can.

"So that's why, Fat is short for Fatima. Why not call me Ima as my mom does?"

Fatima asked Lisa.

Because Fat sounds better to me."

Lisa replied proudly.

Fatima was brought back from reverie to the present by his mother's voice saying.

"Ima! Ima! Come down for dinner!"

" I'm coming mom!"

Fatima replied before running to meet his parents and sister at the dining room then he said unhappily.

"Why do we have to eat broccoli?"