At the crack of dawn,a little boy with milky skin,chubby cheeks and round green colored eyes was sitting on his bed..rubbing the sleep from his eyes.He had just woken up but his mouth was already set in a pout.He had missed seeing his father last night before going to bed.He knew his father was a busy man and he had been informed by Aunty Su that father would be late but he was not appeased..He loved to be tucked in bed by his father..and whenever his father narrated the story of the heroic dragon in his baritone voice,Ru felt as if he himself was the powerful warrior dragon.
He got off the bed,picked up his soft toy..Mr Dragon ,hugging him with one arm and went towards his father"s room to voice his complaints.He was going to demand that his father tell him atleast two stories of the dragon tonight to make up for yesterday.
He ran towards his father"s room only to stop short when he opened the door..the room was empty.Noo...his father was always home on Sundays!!He narrowed his eyes and ran towards the dining room to see if his father had really left for work today..
He had not!!
With a shout of happiness he ran towards his father jumping on his leg and winding his short arms around his father"s waist.Ryu laughingly picked up the little brat and put him on his lap..Ru was very happy to have reached his target...now he just had to get his father to listen..With an angry face he said"Father..you were supposed to read me a story yesterday yet you missed that and then you did not even tuck me in..I slept horribly because of that..and That Aunty Su...she told me that this was just the beginning and later you would ignore me even more..Do you know how sad I was..I am telling you I don"t like Aunty Su" Ru"s eyes and b.u.t.ton nose were now pink due to his crying bout just now..and as he was about to proceed into a full blown tantrum,Ru"s eyes fell on a familiar box..He immediately hopped off his father"s lap and forgetting his complaints climbed the step stool and opened the box "Alice Brownies!!"
He s.n.a.t.c.hed a piece and was about to stuff it into his mouth when his wrist was caught..He stared at his father with puppy dog eyes but was met with a firm stare.."Brush your teeth first Ru!!" his father muttered exasperatedly.
Ru ran back to his room to do as his father told him...his complaints long forgotten after seeing such a treat...
Meanwhile,in the dining room
Ryu was staring at the box of brownies wonderingly.He had been prepared to pamper and coax little Ru for hours and his big problem had been solved by a small box of brownies..As he was pondering this turn of events,he saw Neil come into the dining room..Neil coming in the morning was not odd..what was odd was the way he was coming like a thief....
Neil had not expected his brother to be sitting in the dining room staring at the brownies box at 6 am in the morning..He had been unable to sleep last night because of his craving and had thought to come a steal..umm take a bite out of Ru"s brownies..but he could still take it..after all Ru was nowhere in sight..the little one must still be sleeping peacefully..
He greeted his brother and then casually tried to reach his target but just as his fingers were about to touch the box,the boz was s.n.a.t.c.hed by an angry little tornado..
"Mine!!" the little boy growled possessively..
Neil stared at Ru and sensing his mood,quickly changed his plans "hyaa Ru baby..I was just going to take a bite..to taste..you love your uncle right??..then you will not make me sad ..no?"
Ru smiled angelically at his uncle and said "No,Little Alice has written to me to not give you any.."
Neil:"Ru,I did not know you will become a liar..you cant yet read so how can she write you a note..(Neil thought that Al must have left a note to Ru also in the box..)But his nephew was too young to be able to read...He only read alphabets uptil now...
Ryu could have helped him read but then he would be gloating over Neil"s loss instead of looking more amd more lost..
"Uncle Neil..I never lie..umm sometimes but this time I am not!"shouting this Ru turned the box to face Neil and when Neil looked on the lid..he was flabbergasted...
On the inside of the lid were 4 stick figures..one small amd 3 big..Below them were their initials with the smallest being R and then 3 with RL,NL and ML.And over the stick figures on top of the head of NL was a big cross...
Neil:"...."
Ryu laughed at Neil"s pitiful place and then lovingly picking up Ru he made him sit on the chair and said "Ru..we have to talkseriously...will you listen to father carefully?"