June 2000 -5

Jun 28

 

Tonight mum called her dad. It has turned out in such a way that he got mum a pendant to pass on to me and she has given it to her friend. So grandpa was obviously upset. And mum was apologising to him in tears over the phone. Then in the end she said something like, ah it was so cheap anyway! That seemed silly and confusing to me. Perhaps I am not grown up enough to understand this!

 

Yesterday I started a new book, one of the ones that mum got for me. It's called "A Casanova from 5 A". I feel a little too old for it I really like it and at times it's hilarious! How do people manage to have such sense of humour? Compared to that my journal is hopeless. I want to try to write out a part of it for the record and some practice.

 

  That day Julie had a drama break out. First there was no indication of a storm, all was quiet. Julie was sitting in her room, studying history. Like usual she had her headphones on and a player on top of the text book. A very good and attentive 5th grader was attentively remembering the dates but how is it possible to remember them with the loud music in the ears? At that time, mother came in. She instantly saw the unmade bed and the wet gloves on the couch. Mum exploded like a grenade. Perhaps people who explode so easily should drink cold water more often or cool down in a cool bath? Julie was still thinking that important thought when mother yelled:

  - Do I have to tell you a hundred times?

  For some reasons all adults like the word hundred. As if they all tally up how many times they mention wet gloves and the unmade bed? They count and then use that number to blame absolutely innocent children. Julie's mum yelled that war call and launched forward. There, above Julie's bed, was a beautiful portrait of Leonardo DiCaprio, a star and a superhero. The portrait stared at mum with clear, beautiful eyes. But the mother tore the picture down and shredded it in pieces. Instead of the idol of all girls from the 5 A - a heap of ripped paper! Mother threw into Julie what was left of the idol, the hero and the beau. Then she grabbed Julie's headphones and the player and walked out, yelling - You have to study like a proper human! And make your bed like a human! And things like wet gloves had to be dried and not thrown onto bed! - With that, mother gave the door a good bang. In the kitchen, mother stuck the headphones on, turned on the music and started chopping up the onion for the soup. The music and the onion were calming her down, even though the onion made her eyes water and the music made her head bang. The thing was, Julie's mother liked rock music but she had her own idols. On this occasion, she was listening to the band that Julie would have never listened to. "The hat fell off and fell onto the ground! Ran for the hat, don't turn into a hat!" Mum sang along to her hatters, while swinging on the chair. Turns out it is possible to dance on the chair if you like the rhythm enough. She even closed her eyes a little, using mostly her touch to locate the onion. The music was more important to her, and she was right about this perhaps.

  And what about Julie? Perhaps she was grieving and bawling her eyes out over the dismembered idol? A picture like that is not just for decorating the wall. And mother knew that. Back in the kitchen, she was already regretting her behaviour. Being hotheaded can lead to recklessness, that is not right. What if Julie is in hysterics? Ah how little parents know about their children!

  Julie was not even about to start suffering. She patiently waited for mother to leave and then dove under her bed and pulled out an identical poster from the back corner and carefully stuck it with thumbtacks to the original spot. Julie has a good backup stash just in case. Of course she knows her mother's antics! Why would she risk something that is most precious?

  Now Julie abandoned the studies and sat there with her head on her arms and admired Leonardo DiCaprio...

 

So funny hey?