Sing!

Chapter 5

Alba Moa Lomari

I woke up to quiet pattering. Great, a drizzly, cloudy, grey day. At least it was Saturday. I looked around the room-all the others were gone already.

Groaning, I rolled out of bed and suddenly remembered yesterday. Had Gin carried me all the way up here?! Pulling on a baggy jumper, I bounded down the stairs and into the kitchen.

The familiar, every-day scene of chaos greeted me. My mother was, as always, running around, trying to make toast, porridge, and packed lunches for five children at the same time. Yes, five children, my five younger siblings. The great joys of my life.

The first joy jumped at me, as soon as she saw me. Kalla, my five-year old and only sister. I scooped her up, although she was getting pretty big, and kissed her on the nose.

"Albaaa...the others are saying that boys are better than girls! That's not true, right?" 

"No, of course girls are better," I whispered into her ear, then raised my voice, so my mother could hear me, "Mum, did Gin bring me home yesterday?" 

While stirring in two pots at the same time, she shouted, so she could be heard over one of the baby's cries, "Oh, dear. I don't know! I fell asleep with the kids yesterday. Actually I thought you were staying at his place."

I rolled my eyes. Of course my mother didn't ever notice if I was there or not.

Pulling off Kalla, I picked up my one-year old and youngest, currently crying brother, Deejay.

Instantly he stopped and gurgeled, pulling at my hair, happily.

My mother got me with the tender age of 22. I don't think she had been ready for a child yet. She had hired a nanny to do most of the work and hadn't done a lot with me herself. Then five years later, she had decided that she was ready and my brother Kaleb had been born. Then, suddenly she turned into Super-Mum, having four more babies over the next 8 years and being the perfect mum and housewife. 

I was feeding Deejay some hot milk, when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" I opened the door to see Brook and Gin waiting there.

Gin grinned, "She insisted on using the front door." We had a backdoor, which was always open and people who visited regularly always went in from there.

Brook raised her eyebrows at him, "It's rude to just barge into the house like that, you idiot! Seriously, no manners, boy!"

I tutted, "You're a bad example for the little kids here." I jiggled Deejay up and down.

"Alright, peace you two! We just thought that we should go somwhere together, seeing as the weather is so beautiful..." We all glanced at the dull, misty clouds.

"Come on, don't be so pessimistic!" With that, Gin pushed us all into the house and closed the door behind us. "First of all, you get dressed, Alba."

I saluted, "Yes sir. You can wait in the kitchen."

Scarlet Brooklyn Grace

"Gin, I feel  bad leaving Amelie and Riley alone in your clutterbucket." Then, as a joke, I added, "It might collapse from their weight."

Gin laughed and said, "Go stand in the rain then. I'm not going to give you the key to my car."

"You locked my sister in there?!"

Gin nodded solemnly.

I punched his arm and snatched the keys from his teasing finger.

Before I left closed the door, I turned around and said, "It's not raining, idiot!" and stuck my tongue out. Then, to avoid further arguing from Gin, I quickly closed the front door.