296. Normal people (3)

Imagine one morning you got up and discovered the whole world had just been a big illusion, a huge lie and everything you believed just went up in smoke. Pfffttt! All gone.

This is just what happened to my children this weekend. As their parents strived to be normal people and hurried out to the hardware shops and bought a sink and brought it home and set it all up before dinner time and as their mother thought this was a good time to clean the fridge, they just leisurely went on with their weekend activities: matches, training sessions, a spot of shopping, some online time and of course parties. Then, eventually their rumbling stomachs or their empty wallets or maybe a chill going through their bodies and they headed back to the safe haven (complete with sink and with fully functioning hot and cold water systems) of the family home. And then ... 

'Mum!'

'Dad!'

'Mum and dad!'

'Granny!'

'Ralph!' (our dog for you irregular unfaithful reader)

'God!'

Horrified cries and screams for immediate help that would have broken the heart of most - normal - parents. Yet the parents in my story - not to be named - just went on admiring their new sink and matching worktop, praising each other on how it was high time they did something to freshen up the old townhouse.

'MUM!'

The cries were turning into painful shrieks. The parents felt they had to act like normal proper parents. Which was proving to be a very strenuous activity.

'Yes?' They replied nonchalantly.

'What's going one in this house?'

'Yeah! What's wrong?'

'Right. I mean, what's the big problem?'

The siblings were unanimous on this. One big loud voice protesting. But against what?

'There's no problem.' The father replied in a calm soothing voice. 'Only solutions.'

'Do you like the new sink?' The mother asked in a cheerful voice.

'Yeah.'

'Right.'

'Good.'

'But.'

They were literally choking with anger. Or shock. The parents could not know. The truth is they did not even care to know. But the siblings could not keep it in them and suddenly in one very loud, very clear voice, they screamed out loud in unison.

'THIS FRIDGE IS TOTALLY EMPTY!!!!!'