Midnight Rose

Chapter Three Baby Sitting

Beep… beep…beep! I moan as I roll over to my side. Swinging at the dang alarm clock that is going off and will not let me sleep! I shoot up as my eyes go wide. Wait I do not have an alarm clock. I think to myself as I shake my head. Oh, grandmother you got me there. “What time is it anyway that this annoying stupid piece of crap has to wake me up for. School doesn’t start for another month.” I say to myself. I look at the clock as my eye’s about pop out of my head. “FIVE IN THE MORNING!” I scream as I throw my blankets off me as I get up. She is so dead; I swear that woman is constantly trying to make me die. I shake my head as my grandmother’s voice rings throughout the beautiful two-story home.

“CLEMENTINE, DARLING COME DOWN HERE I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO MEET SOMEONE!” she shouts. I sigh as I grab my robe and put it on. I leave my room passing my grandfather, as I do, I hear him mumble that I am going to kill my grandmother. I just ignore it as the old man is not always right in his mind. Mornings are not good, but it is crappy that I must get up at five in the morning to meet someone. Yes, I know I am complaining but come one I am dying here not really but you know what I mean, right. I think to myself as I walk down the stairs, as I get to the bottom and freeze. “Uh Grandma, why is there an eight-year-old here?” I ask confused.

My grandmother just smiles and looks at me. “My dear, she is the young girl you will be babysitting.” She says so calmly. My heart stops as I cannot believe what she is saying. I have never watched over anything, let alone a child. I start to panic as I cannot help but start to hyperventilate. My Grandmother notices and runs over to me rubbing my back. “Calm down my sweet girl.” She whispers over and over. I am finally calm down enough to think clearly. “Grandma I have never ever babysat before and you are wanting me to start now?” I ask scared as I look at the little girl. I cannot help but smile as she smiles up at me. “You can do this Clementine. I believe in you.” she replies as the little girl walks over to me and hugs my waist. How can I turn down someone so sweet? “Okay, fine I will watch her, but please stop doing things like this grandma, deal?” I ask as I tilt my head raising an eyebrow.

She laughs and nods as she walks into the kitchen to start breakfast. “Hello, my name is Ella.” She says softly. I cannot help but smile. “Well Ella why don’t we go see if my lovely grandmother has breakfast ready.” I reply, as I reach my hand out. “I bet you are hungry.” She nods grabbing my hand. We head into the kitchen, just in time as my grandmother is putting food on the table. No sooner did the plate touch the table, my grandfather bust through the door smiling as he takes the chair at the head of the table.

He smiles as he goes to reach the rolls and my grandmother smacks his hand away. “Children first.” She says. Ella grabs a biscuit and started buttering it. I cannot help but feel as a mother to her. I grab her plate and start putting food on her plate. Little did I know that she has no mother. We all laughed, as we began to get our food, as Ella told us of how she was so excited for school. That little girl could only see the brightness in the world. I hope that she will never have to see the pain in the world, or how cruel people can get. She has a pure heart and beautiful soul. Ella starts smiling as the suns rises. I slowly look at my grandmother who shrugs. I roll my eyes as I look down at her. “Why don’t we go play at the park? I know that it has to be more fun than sitting at this old house.” I ask.

I could feel my grandparent’s eyes glaring into my back. I cannot help but smile as I grab Ella’s hand and drag her from the kitchen. I hear my grandmother ask my papa if that their house is old, if that is why no one comes around. I cannot help but to feel bad now, but I do not wish to turn back and go in there. I just smile at Ella; I grab my coat as we walk out of the house. She starts asking questions about if I want to go to college and why would I have to go to college. I just shake my head. “Let’s get to the park before it decides to rain or before I have to tickle you, for you to stop asking so many questions.” I reply laughing.

She puffs her cheeks out as she glares at me. She starts stomping as she walks trying to make me feel bad and let her keep asking. As we reach the pack I sit on the bench and let her run and play. Watching her play, reminds me of when my aunt would take me to the park. She would laugh as I try to play on the monkey bars. As the day went on, we enjoyed the weather. It stayed nice and cool, but it did not rain like it was supposed to. Thank goodness. I smile as I the day ends, and she leaves with her dad. You could see the pain in his eyes. Now I am wondering what happened to his wife. But I dare not to ask. I yawn as I walk up to my room. Not caring about supper tonight. The wind picks up letting us know that a storm is on its way.

I cannot stand storms. A cold chill down my back. I do not like this one bit. I turn as I hear the tree branches bang up against the house and window, lighting flashes across the sky causing a scream to escape my mouth. Something breaks downstairs as my grandfather curses. I run over to the window to see the sky pitch black. “NO, THIS CAN’T HAPPEN” I say aloud. I run downstairs as the tornado sirens start to go off. I run to my grandmother as she looks for her purse. “Grandma, we must leave!” I cry out. She sighs and starts heading for the door. My grandfather is waiting for us. We go silent as the sound of a freight train is close. My grandfather rushes us over to the shelter, getting us all into the shelter.

My grandmother looks at me, as my grandfather locks the door, he finishes as he walks over to the bench and sits down. My grandmother smiles as she pats my shoulder. “My dear Clementine. I am going to tell you a story. But first I want you to know that if a tornado happens when it late fall or early winter, it means that something bad is going to happen. It is a bad omen.” She states. I swallow, thinking to myself. This cannot be happening to me. Have not I been through enough? I sigh as I nod looking at my grandmother. You see I am now worried because of the fact; it is about to be fall. No, we have not had a tornado at all this year.

She smiles and squeezes my shoulder. “Calm yourself child, or you will put yourself into a panic attack.” She replies. I cannot help but know that she is right. “Now listen to what I have to tell you. This is not for the faint of heart. There is an old legend that talks about a young woman who feared life. Everyone in my tribe has been told this. So, do not feel as I am targeting you. I told your mother and your aunt this. There once was a young woman who believed that if she took a step she would die. As years went on, she would cry to the gods.

Well the gods were starting to get sick of the crying and screaming. So, they started talking of a plan to get the young woman to stop this nonsense. For several months they thought hard for the perfect solution. The girl daily would scream and wail. One of the goddesses came up with an idea for the girl. She appears in front of the girl. “Listen, my child we will let you know when you die but you must heave our warnings.” The goddess replied. The young girl nodded to afraid to say a word, in fear of angering the goddess. Years went as she no longer feared life.

They days grew longer, as the young woman life was coming to end. They sent many warnings for her. Yet she chooses to ignore these so-called signs. She went about her days enjoying everything. As the last day of fall rounded the corner. She planned on going to the fields to pick some of the flower that is growing there. As she sat down to start picking these beautiful flowers. The sky darkened; the winds started picking up speed. The gods where angry. No animals dared to come to show themselves. The young girl stood up and looked up to skies. “Gods why are you mad at me. There was no signs or warnings. If anyone should be mad it should be me.” she yells to the skies.

She goes back to picking the flowers as lighting crashes against a tree, the blackness of the sky gets darker. The sound of a freight train passing through. The sound of thunder rolls across the sky, as the lighting lights up the sky. She spots a f-five tornado.” As my grandmother goes to finish her sentence, there is a loud crashing noise outside. Causing me to jump, as my grandfather to cuss under his breath. My grandmother scolds him. I cannot help but laugh at the silly couple. I smile at my grandparents. I cannot help but to one day be just like them. My grandmother clears her throat, while looking at me.

“Back to what I was telling you child. As she watched the tornado coming closer to her all she could do was stand there and watch it get closer. Finally, she fell to her knees crying. As before the same goddess appeared in front of her. “Child, why did you ignore our warning signs. When we had made a deal that you would pay attention to them.” The goddess replied in a deadly tone. The young girl was not afraid of the goddess. She knew that her time has come. That the goddess would either take her or the tornado would take her. She watched as the cold blackness stopped and just stood there watching and waiting. Her heart slowly stopped as she fell back landing on the flower for a bed.

You see, Clementine. Life is nothing to fear, but do not let it destroy it. Enjoy your days in the sun. Have fun and laugh at college. Mimic your teachers, but most importantly love yourself.” she says as she hugs me.