Yard Work Day

Flash Story

“Rise and shine!”

The deep voice of our father bellows into the open door of our bedroom. Well, the bedroom that belongs to my older brother and I. My sister, a scaredy-cat, always migrates to our room sometime during the night. Of which, it’s my bed she crawls into because I am the youngest, the smallest, and I don’t push her off my bed like our big brother does.

Dad continues to bellow, “It’s ass-holes and elbows day!”

Saturday chores. Today it’s yard work day. It’s late spring, and school hasn’t ended for the year so that means Dad’s list consists of mowing the lawn, raking the leaves, smoothing out the gravel driveway, cleaning the pond, pulling the weeds, spreading bark or mulch all over the hillside depending if he’s already been to the local home and garden center, and the additional chores he always seems to add just when we think we are done for the day. Yard work day was consistent in one way, it happened when we’ve stayed up too late the night before.

In unison, we all cover our heads with pillows and moan.

“Dad!” My brother barks.

“It’s too early!” My sister complains.

I slither further under the covers trying to escape what is about to come next.

He starts to serenade us with --

- It’s time to get up, time to get up

- on this beautiful Saturday morning!

- Your derrieres are mine

- because it’s Yard Work Day.

Muffled groans erupt from all of us. Enjoying our plight, he continues --

- So, rise and shine kids

- because it’s Yard Work Day!

He increases his volume with each of the next lines.

- Yard Work Day!

- Yard Work Day!

Just when you think he is done, he’s not. It’s the mistake our friends make when they’ve stayed over. His fingers begin to snap in time with his slow tapping of the other hand on the door frame of the bedroom.

“You’re killing us!” My brother shouts. My sister and I moan in agreement.

He adds an up-tempo beat. A rhythm he must have learned over the years from his days of singing in churches, at weddings, and in night clubs. Big band and swing were his favorites.

- Time to get up, the day is young and so are you,

- if we get our work done then you kids can be free,

- free, free, free!

- To play the rest of the day!

“No!” We all cry out knowing there is no going back now.

He crescendos with a very loud ending.

- So get up, get up, get up!

- Or, I will sing to you all day!

Silence fills the room. Only my father’s footsteps down the hall towards the kitchen are heard.

“Ugh!!” David cries out. He throws his covers off and rolls out of bed. He passes by the foot of my bed and stops. Blurry eyed, he grabs our covers and rips them off us. “Get up you two!” He barks.

Exposed to the cold morning air, my sister and I cry out!

Angry my sister says, “You jerk!”

“Don’t be like Dad!” I whimper.

“Get up! I don’t want Dad singing to us all day.” He walks out of the room. Water splashes into the sink bowl that’s in the bathroom across the hall.

Sitting up my sister says, “Come on little brother.”