“Tiny! Tiny, where are you?” called my twin sister.
“In here!” I shouted.
Faith opened the closet door and looked at me as if I had two heads.
“You're up early for the first day of summer,” I pointed out.
“That's because I heard a rustling sound in the closet,” she said, putting her hands on her hips.
“Oh, I was just looking for my favorite dress,” I informed her.
“Don't you think you could do it a little more quietly? Some of us are trying to be lazy and enjoy our first day of sleeping in.” She marched back toward her bed.
“Well, maybe you shouldn't be so lazy,” I responded, getting in the final words. I stuck my tongue out at her and returned to my search for my favorite dress. I found it buried in a box of summer clothes.
It was a purple dress with cream trim and flip-flops to match it. I ran downstairs in my awesome outfit to greet my parents and Olive, my younger sister.
“Good morning,” I said and signed.
Nobody in our house is deaf, but we all know American Sign Language. My mother learned about signing with babies shortly before Faith and I were born, and she practiced on us. She perfected it with Olive.
Faith and I took classes last summer and now we are fluent. That means we sign really well.
“Good morning,” Olive said and signed back to me.
“Good morning,” my parents greeted. They were too busy to sign it.
My mom is black, and she's very pretty. I think Faith and I look more like her, because our skin is darker than our dad's, and we have dark curly hair. Our dad has blue eyes and blond hair. We got our blue eyes from him.
“Why are you so busy?” I asked. “It's summer!”
“Parents don't get summer vacation,” Mom explained to me.
“Well, that doesn't seem fair,” I said, patting her sympathetically on the back.
“Hey, why don't you and Faith get a summer job?” Dad suggested from the counter where he was chopping onions for the omelet Mom was making.
Faith walked into the kitchen with dollar signs in her eyes.
“Good morning,” I said and signed.
Faith didn't notice. “Tell me more about this summer job,” she demanded. “Where can we get one?”
“Oh, dear. Mention anything that has to do with money and there she goes.” I shook my head.
“Hey, we could use some money,” Faith said. “We don't have any after all.”
“That's because we're only about to turn nine,” I reminded her. “We don't need money. We have parents.”
“Contrary to popular belief, sweetie, money does not grow on trees. I'm sure together you two can think of something you would like to do for a summer job,” Dad informed me.
“You can save the money instead of spending it, Tiny. You could save it for college,” Mom suggested.
“Or for really cool purple things,” Faith said gleefully.
“I could use more purple things,” I murmured.
“You expect us to work together?” Faith asked.
“Sure, you two are best friends. Two heads are better than one,” Dad told us.
We looked at Dad as if he had two heads.
“I wouldn't mind working with Faith if she didn't mind working,” I said.
“I wouldn't mind working with Tiny if she didn't mind doing the work,” Faith added.
“Good. You two will have fun working together,” said Mom. She put breakfast on the table.
“In here!” I shouted.
Faith opened the closet door and looked at me as if I had two heads.
“You're up early for the first day of summer,” I pointed out.
“That's because I heard a rustling sound in the closet,” she said, putting her hands on her hips.
“Oh, I was just looking for my favorite dress,” I informed her.
“Don't you think you could do it a little more quietly? Some of us are trying to be lazy and enjoy our first day of sleeping in.” She marched back toward her bed.
“Well, maybe you shouldn't be so lazy,” I responded, getting in the final words. I stuck my tongue out at her and returned to my search for my favorite dress. I found it buried in a box of summer clothes.
It was a purple dress with cream trim and flip-flops to match it. I ran downstairs in my awesome outfit to greet my parents and Olive, my younger sister.
“Good morning,” I said and signed.
Nobody in our house is deaf, but we all know American Sign Language. My mother learned about signing with babies shortly before Faith and I were born, and she practiced on us. She perfected it with Olive.
Faith and I took classes last summer and now we are fluent. That means we sign really well.
“Good morning,” Olive said and signed back to me.
“Good morning,” my parents greeted. They were too busy to sign it.
My mom is black, and she's very pretty. I think Faith and I look more like her, because our skin is darker than our dad's, and we have dark curly hair. Our dad has blue eyes and blond hair. We got our blue eyes from him.
“Why are you so busy?” I asked. “It's summer!”
“Parents don't get summer vacation,” Mom explained to me.
“Well, that doesn't seem fair,” I said, patting her sympathetically on the back.
“Hey, why don't you and Faith get a summer job?” Dad suggested from the counter where he was chopping onions for the omelet Mom was making.
Faith walked into the kitchen with dollar signs in her eyes.
“Good morning,” I said and signed.
Faith didn't notice. “Tell me more about this summer job,” she demanded. “Where can we get one?”
“Oh, dear. Mention anything that has to do with money and there she goes.” I shook my head.
“Hey, we could use some money,” Faith said. “We don't have any after all.”
“That's because we're only about to turn nine,” I reminded her. “We don't need money. We have parents.”
“Contrary to popular belief, sweetie, money does not grow on trees. I'm sure together you two can think of something you would like to do for a summer job,” Dad informed me.
“You can save the money instead of spending it, Tiny. You could save it for college,” Mom suggested.
“Or for really cool purple things,” Faith said gleefully.
“I could use more purple things,” I murmured.
“You expect us to work together?” Faith asked.
“Sure, you two are best friends. Two heads are better than one,” Dad told us.
We looked at Dad as if he had two heads.
“I wouldn't mind working with Faith if she didn't mind working,” I said.
“I wouldn't mind working with Tiny if she didn't mind doing the work,” Faith added.
“Good. You two will have fun working together,” said Mom. She put breakfast on the table.
Copyright Teddy O'Malley, 2017-present. All rights reserved.
