Let me sleep for five more minutes
5:45 AM the alarm goes off. The third in a series of alarms spaced 15 minutes apart.
Mom and dad are out walking or running or cycling or swimming or just waiting for us to restart.
Ira my younger sister is cosily snuggled into my side breathing heavily ignoring the alarms like me. Let me sleep five more minutes.
The main door opens and closes, dad is whistling and calling out to Ira and me. Ira bounces up all sunshine and daisies and everyone is rolling about in our bed, Iru and I go “eeewww you are all sweaty”.
He’s been out jogging with mamma. Ira bounds off like the little mutt that she is after mamma. Let me roll over and sleep for five more minutes, just five.
Ira has had a shower and is all dressed and ready for school. The alarm goes off again. This time I know it’s 7:35 coz I can smell the coffee from the percolator. Dad’s onto his second cup for the day while he prepares breakfast for us.
Mamma is calling out to me, urgently now, saying she’ll leave without me if I’m not ready in five. I continue to stay put, it’s a Thursday for heavens sakes. The weekend is so far, let me sleep for five more minutes.
The door opens and closes, moms gone and so is Ira. Dad’s on the phone with his client, to think it’s well past one in Australia. Let me continue to sleep for five more minutes and then I’ll get up and enjoy my self sanctioned holiday.
8:30 AM and I’m finally up. Dad’s busy on his workstation, moms at office and already in the middle of a discussion. Ira is at school doing her ABCs. What do I do now? I get ready, make the bed, have the eggrolls dad had made for breakfast and settle down with a book watching the waves roll in and the sea gulls soar over the mangroves outside our window. Oh boy, time does slow down when you’re on your own. Good thing I have a new book in which to drown.
It’s 8PM now, the day is done and everyone is back home. I am happy about my break from school but it’s done now. I missed all my dear friends and most of all I missed Anshu ma’am.
It’s fun to take a break but it’s even more fun to go back. So my bag is packed, my uniform is on the chair, the checklist for bedtime is all ticked and I’m off to sleep. Tomorrow I will wake up on the first alarm and make sure I’m at the door at 7:40AM, right beside mamma and Ira to make the leap.
5:45AM, the third alarm goes off…. I’ll sleep for just five more minutes!