A family pulled into the driveway. Their new home was in one of the worst neighborhoods in the city. It stood next to the “haunted” house of the neighborhood which looked vacant except the shiny chain-link fence surrounding it.
Aiesha got out of the station wagon as it shuddered to a stop. She barely heard her mom say, “Well, this is it, our new home.” She left her door open and ran to the green door of the house. Her older brother and sister weren’t far behind.
“Mom, this is beautiful,” the awe in Aiesha’s voice was evident.
“Yeah, if you don’t mind the bugs or the peeling paint,” her brother said sarcastically.
“At least it’s better than those cruddy apartments we lived in,” her sister put in.
Her mother fumbled with the keys. “Aaron, it’s not what’s outside, but what’s inside that counts.” She got the key in, unlocked the door, and “Ta Da!”
They were greeted with a slight mildew smell. Water stains showed where the roof was leaking, and the wallpaper was yellowing. Aiesha ran through the living to the hall which led to three bedrooms and the bathroom. She then ran back to the living room and into the kitchen. “Mommy, this is great. Can we get a puppy?”
“Maybe in a couple of years, honey. Why don’t you go out back and play on the swing set?”
“A swing set?!?” Aiesha was off like a shot, out the sliding glass doors and onto the swings. The backyard was overgrown with weeds, and the swing set was rusty, but Aiesha didn’t really notice. She went down on the slide and swung on the swings. When she was tired of that, she began exploring every inch of the yard from one end of the dark wood fence to the other until she came to the gate.
She opened up the gate revealing a patch of brown, dead grass between the house and the shiny fence. She began to sneak toward the front of the house when she noticed a movement from the corner of her eye. She turned and saw nothing except the neighboring house’s window overgrown with weeds, cracked and completely shut with blinds. She continued sneaking to the corner of the house. Here she stopped to see what her best plan would be. She poked her head around the corner and saw her family unloading the car. Her mom lifted out a box and handed it to Aaron. She then took a box for herself and walked to the house. On her way in, she passed Jackie and gave some instructions.
Aiesha used this time to get to the far side of the car unnoticed. She crouched down low and waited for her sister. Just as her sister picked up a box, “Raaa!”
Jackie Jumped. “You brat! Mom!” Jackie noticed that Aaron was laughing at her which made her even madder. “Mom! Aiesha’s running around loose scaring people!”
“All right, Jackie. Don’t make such a big deal out of it.”
Aiesha snickered.
“And you, young lady, can help bring this stuff into the house.”
“Oh, okay, mom.” Aiesha sounded a little disappointed. She took the lamp that her mom handed to her.
“Put this into the living room and don’t break it.”
Aiesha carried the lamp into the living room and set it on the green rug. The rug reminded her of spinach. Her nose wrinkled.
After the station wagon was completely unloaded, Aiesha’s mom locked up the house. They all got into the car and drove to the hamburger place. When they came back, they set up their beds. The two sisters got the master bedroom. It being the largest and them having to share it. Mom got the middle-sized room, and Aaron got the smallest bedroom.
Aiesha got out of the station wagon as it shuddered to a stop. She barely heard her mom say, “Well, this is it, our new home.” She left her door open and ran to the green door of the house. Her older brother and sister weren’t far behind.
“Mom, this is beautiful,” the awe in Aiesha’s voice was evident.
“Yeah, if you don’t mind the bugs or the peeling paint,” her brother said sarcastically.
“At least it’s better than those cruddy apartments we lived in,” her sister put in.
Her mother fumbled with the keys. “Aaron, it’s not what’s outside, but what’s inside that counts.” She got the key in, unlocked the door, and “Ta Da!”
They were greeted with a slight mildew smell. Water stains showed where the roof was leaking, and the wallpaper was yellowing. Aiesha ran through the living to the hall which led to three bedrooms and the bathroom. She then ran back to the living room and into the kitchen. “Mommy, this is great. Can we get a puppy?”
“Maybe in a couple of years, honey. Why don’t you go out back and play on the swing set?”
“A swing set?!?” Aiesha was off like a shot, out the sliding glass doors and onto the swings. The backyard was overgrown with weeds, and the swing set was rusty, but Aiesha didn’t really notice. She went down on the slide and swung on the swings. When she was tired of that, she began exploring every inch of the yard from one end of the dark wood fence to the other until she came to the gate.
She opened up the gate revealing a patch of brown, dead grass between the house and the shiny fence. She began to sneak toward the front of the house when she noticed a movement from the corner of her eye. She turned and saw nothing except the neighboring house’s window overgrown with weeds, cracked and completely shut with blinds. She continued sneaking to the corner of the house. Here she stopped to see what her best plan would be. She poked her head around the corner and saw her family unloading the car. Her mom lifted out a box and handed it to Aaron. She then took a box for herself and walked to the house. On her way in, she passed Jackie and gave some instructions.
Aiesha used this time to get to the far side of the car unnoticed. She crouched down low and waited for her sister. Just as her sister picked up a box, “Raaa!”
Jackie Jumped. “You brat! Mom!” Jackie noticed that Aaron was laughing at her which made her even madder. “Mom! Aiesha’s running around loose scaring people!”
“All right, Jackie. Don’t make such a big deal out of it.”
Aiesha snickered.
“And you, young lady, can help bring this stuff into the house.”
“Oh, okay, mom.” Aiesha sounded a little disappointed. She took the lamp that her mom handed to her.
“Put this into the living room and don’t break it.”
Aiesha carried the lamp into the living room and set it on the green rug. The rug reminded her of spinach. Her nose wrinkled.
After the station wagon was completely unloaded, Aiesha’s mom locked up the house. They all got into the car and drove to the hamburger place. When they came back, they set up their beds. The two sisters got the master bedroom. It being the largest and them having to share it. Mom got the middle-sized room, and Aaron got the smallest bedroom.