“Right over the mountain, right over the mound,” my youngest niece singing, breaking through my silent prayer and I can’t help but to smile.
I am inundated with many of these moments in the early mornings as my nieces and nephew prepare for school. Their rituals carrying through the morning until the bus arrives at the house. Sometimes I sleep right through the noise, as of late, I’m awake before it begins, waiting for the first alarm to ring through the house anticipating how long it will beep. Listening for little steps to descend the creaky stairs sliding into the rain locker, making himself known by turning on the radio loud enough to hear over his own voice in the shower.
Silence begins to fill the house again, as the second alarm echoes church bells loud enough to wake roosters. Creaky stairs begin to sing with added drumming, both nieces are awake; one pounding down the stairs and the other drifting in her morning stupor. Out to the kitchen they go, I hear them no more. I roll over to catch a catnap.
“Have a great day at school,” my sister-in-law tells them as the screen door slams. Awake again, I check the time, make a decision, and roll over again letting warmth devour me as my eyes close.
Keystroke Stories 