![]() My mouth watered at the thought of tea with lemon. Mom set down the pitcher of tea in the center of the table with an angry thud. The summer was ending, and soon we’d be faced with cold. But I got that from her, so she shouldn’t have been surprised. She couldn’t stand it when I was stubborn. And this was one area where I was unswayable. Or if she wanted me to do a massive cleaning when we couldn’t afford to have a Six come and help. Like if I didn’t want to take on a particular job because I knew the family hosting us was unnecessarily rude. If I glanced up from a task, she’d fix me with a fierce look as if she could shame me into wanting the same things she did. We did a silent dance through the kitchen and dining room as we prepared chicken, pasta, and apple slices, and set the table for five. I pulled myself out of bed and walked into the snake pit. It was approaching dinnertime, and as the oldest child left in the house, cooking duties fell on me. So far, I had a solid collection of my honest opinions… I didn’t think there was a single one she would listen to. I hid in my room, the only place to avoid the chattering of our full house, trying to come up with an argument that would sway her. I didn’t think I was a particularly disobedient daughter, but this was where I drew the line. The big hitch in her brilliant plan was me. She had already decided that all our problems were solved, gone forever. WHEN WE GOT THE LETTER in the post, my mother was ecstatic.
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