CODED

An Eye for an Eye

Smoothing the wrinkles out of her new, pink polka dotted, ruffled dress, seven year old Abigail Blackburn swished her arms and body back and forth, liking the feel of the soft fabric as it swayed against her legs in time with her swinging limbs.  Climbing on a chair so she could reach the tall mirror in the hall, she quickly checked her hair again, making sure that not a stray piece of dark brown hair escaped her neatly made pigtails that she had done herself that morning.  She had to look perfect, she told herself, because her father was leaving that afternoon, and she wanted him to have a picture of herself when he was away so that when he became lonely, he would just see her and smile.  Nodding in approval, Abigail jumped off the chair sat on the stairs, waiting for her parents to come down.  She wanted her mother to see how pretty she looked, and she had done it all herself with no help.  None at all.  She then smiled proudly at the thought of her pretty hair and dress.

     Abigail suddenly heard a loud thump from up above the second floor, and her attention was averted from her appearance to who was coming downstairs.  She jumped up, conscious not to step on her dress as she did, and hung onto the railing with one hand, waiting.  Several more thuds later and a huge bang, she saw that it wasn’t her parents coming down, only her little brother lumbering down the stairs.  She sighed, but a smile still was plastered across her ever cheerful face, and went to help her three year old brother down the huge steps. 

     “Come on, Riley,” she prodded, grabbing his chubby hand and softly tugging him down faster.  For being three, Riley was unusually small and still had the look of a baby.  A walking baby.  Once Riley had reached the bottom, with help from Abigail, she sat him down on the last step and examined him closely, looking for anything that was amiss with his appearance.  She took a step backwards and rested her chin in her hands.  “Hmm...” 

     “Wha,” the little three year old questioned, looking at Abby innocently with his round arms and shoulders lifted in a shrug. 

     She knelt in front of her younger brother and brushed his locks of soft brown hair in between her fingers, motherly like, and swept it to the side so it was neat.  She straitened his checkered blue and white shirt and rolled his cargo pants up so that he wasn’t tripping over them when he walked – more like waddled, Abigail thought.  “There,” she smiled, sitting on her knees and looking over Riley with a reproving eye.  “You look very handsome, Riley,” she nodded in satisfaction, looking into the cornflower blue eyes of her little brother.  “Just like Daddy.” 

     It looked as if someone had given the boy a huge piece of chocolate, for Riley smiled as wide as his mouth would let him, and his eyes lit up like it was his birthday.  “Really?

     Abigail nodded enthusiastically, touching his chin with the tips of her fingers.  “Yup.  I wouldn’t be surprised if you grew up to look like his twin.” 

     Riley stuck a finger up his nose, much to Abigail’s disgust, and smiled happily.  He wiggled his finger and then pulled it out, gooey green gunk dripping from his nose. 

     “Ew!  Riley,” Abigail scolded, shooting up from her sitting position.  “That is disgusting!  Don’t do that.” 

     Riley held his wet finger in the air and stuck his lower lip out.  “What do I do with it?” he asked, giving Abigail an innocent puppy face look.

     Abigail sighed, trying not to smile at the adorableness of her brother, and shook her head.  “Go get a napkin in the kitchen and wipe your nose and finger on that.”

     Riley stood up and toddled awkwardly over to the kitchen, sticking his other finger in his other nostril. 

     “And remember to throw it in the trashcan when you’re done,” Abigail called after him, staying at her post in case her father came down.  “Boys,” she thought to herself, once more seating herself patiently at the foot of the stairs.  “Cute and disgusting.”