Power and Wisdom

PaW Meet the... Kids?

Just to clear up something... I know that this is not the way to pronounce it, but Jiro has the Ja sound so it's like Giero

The meaning of the names I have chosen

*Athena Celeste- wisdom war goddess, heavenly

*Warric- strong leader

*Jiro- second son

*Kennard- royal guard

*Garrette- brave or spear

*Gavvine- white hawk

*Oakley- field of oak trees

*Hackett- woodsman

****** This chapter is for Kayla for helping me get my ideas in order :) love you forever and eternity

We drove on a narrow dirt road going deeper into the woods for about 20 minutes. The view couldn't get any better than this. Well that's what I thought until I seen the house. We pulled around the bend in the road when I finally seen the house through the trees... IT WAS MASSIVE!! Not only massive but rustic and fit perfect here in the forest. It is made entirely out of logs and a dark stone. The porch was wrapped around the front of the house and around the side covered with a dark green tin roof. The entire front was made of windows with the biggest one in the middle showing off an elegant but manly antler chandelier.

"Leave the bags in the back and we can go introduce you to everyone who is home. Then they can come out to carry everything in." Jiro was telling me as I was starting to head around to the back of the truck.

"Great, can't wait to meet all the snotty nosed brats" yeah note my sarcasm. I don't really like kids that much, they always seem to rub their boogies on me and get sticky stuff in my hair. Not fun with waist length hair trying to get a sucker out. Believe me... But I've dealt with them before and I will deal with them now.

I followed slowly behind him up the stone steps dreading meeting the kids. As we walked through the dark green door I couldn't help but be amazed by the inside of the house. It was a total disaster but you could tell that is was built with love and carful hands. There were dark cherry wood floors and shoes all over the front hall. To the left was the living room with a 60 inch flat screen T.V and every game system I know of all over the floor. There was a shirt hanging from the ceiling fan and 5 dark heads sitting on brown and tan couches facing away from us. One of the boys on the couch was sniffing the air, yea the sniffing again. He turned his head in our direction so fast I thought I heard his neck snap along with staring at me with wide eyes. All the boys seemed to notice my presence and everyone was on their feet faster than I thought possible. Jiro was already stepping in front of me just off to the side almost like he was going to protect me.

Mental palm to face "But... I... they're... not kids?" The last part came out more of a question.

"Um I will have you know I am almost 18" One said trying to look like he was offended with his hand over his heart.

"Oh" wow Athena... really intelligent.

"Guys, this is Athena Celeste." Jiro warned. "Be nice..... Athena Celeste, these are my brothers. Mr. Im-almost-18 is Gavvine, his twin Garrette, Kennard over by the recliner and the other two are Oakley and Hackett. Now boys, go get the bags out of the back of the truck so she can get started."

One of the younger boys looked confused. "Get started?"

"With what?" The other younger twin asked equally confused.

Jiro looked proud of himself as he answered them "I hired Athena Celeste to clean, cook, and help keep you mangey mutts in line",

Kennard stormed out of the living room looking ticked off as hell and a slam of the door. The others seemed happier with me being there because the two youngest, Oakley and Hackett, started whispering and did shy waves as they walked out to the truck.

Before I had the slightest warning I was sandwiched between two muscular boys. "Just ignore Kennard, he's a prick" One of them said.

"Yea I guess he got a porcupine stuck up his ass or something" replied the other.

I looked up into a set of mirrored eyes. One had a sky blue left eye and a stormy grey right while the other had a blue right and grey left. "Well he better figure out how to get it out before dinner or he will go to bed mighty hungry tonight" I said feeling oddly safe and a little giddy.

"Okay you three break it up there are bags to be brought in" Jiro interrupted our sandwich.

Just when they started to walk to the door it burst open with the other three boys with their arms full of bags. "Holy crap!! Did you buy the whole store!!" one of the younger boys squealed as he came in.

"No, I just got what was needed." I replied smiling "now show the way to the kitchen".

As we walked into the kitchen I knew another reason why they needed my help. I could barely see the cream granite countertops under all the dirty dishes, garbage, and grime. The cabinets should have been a shiny espresso but were dull and looked sticky. I couldn't even tell you about the floor except it looked like dried mud.

"Okay boys, cleaning supplies on the left side of the island and food on the right." My no nonsense tone making them react instantly.

Once all the bags were on their proper sides I shooed everyone out of the kitchen with two garbage bags each and a piece of duct tape with their name on it. My instructions being: put tape on a bag and put all dirty clothes in said bag, and put all trash you see in the other . I heard some groans but when I mentioned dessert, or lack of dessert if I didn't get my way, they all ran off. On Jiro's way out with his own bags he told me to yell for him if there was anything that I needed help with.

"Shoo Jiro, I have a lot to do in this kitchen before I can make dinner and it's already 2 o'clock." I practically pushed him out the door and could hear his laughter all the way up the stairs. I heard other shouts of 'hey that's my shirt' and 'get out of my room' coming from up the stairs also but chose to ignore it, turning to my task at hand. A very large task.

The industrial sized refrigerator and freezer along with the cupboards needed a good scrubbing before I could put away any food. Then all the other surfaces needed to be washed... Good thing I got all my new cleaning supplies, and he didn't think I'd need all of them. It really was life or death... DIE GERMS DIE!!