Short Story :

Arani learns a lesson!

by Tharini Cabraal

It was a bright Sunday morning. Arani counted her fingers till Sunday. It is her favourite day of the week. After all, who could resist an extra half an hour of sleep in the morning and plenty of time to play?

Arani woke up from the bed with her eyes still half closed and walked into the bathroom. She had a quick wash and went to her wardrobe to get the dress.

"Come on, you sleepy head, hurry up or you will miss all the fun today". The teasing words of her sister Tharini brought Arani back to her real sense.

Oh! no, she looked at the clock. It's almost 7 o'clock. She suddenly remembered about her plans for the day to ride her bicycle in the park with her friends in the neighbourhood. They had plans to go there by half past seven in the morning.

She ran to the kitchen to eat her breakfast. She was jealous to notice that her sister who had already finished eating, taking her bicycle out from the car park to join their friends who were waiting there.

"Hey wait for me akki, wait till I come", shouted Arani impatiently. But Tharini was too eager to join the group waiting at their gate than listening to her sister.

She gobbled the last mouthful of her piece of bread carelessly and ran to get her bicycle to join her sister. But alas! She couldn't find the key to unlock her bicycle.

"Mom have you seen my bicycle key? It's missing", Arani said looking into her drawer. Mom poked her head into the room. "No darling, are you sure you kept it in the drawer after locking your bicycle the day before yesterday?"

"I usually put it in my drawer mommy....But it isn't there now." Arani bit her lips. She heard a roar of laughter down the lane as the others raced themselves on their bicycles along the path towards the children's park.

She ran her eyes all over the room to find the key. She checked on top of the refrigerator, under the bed, inside her toy box and even in the laundry bin. She could not find the key. But she found many other things she had lost previously.

She found the missing piece of her jigsaw puzzle under the bed and a favourite story book that had been lost for ages in the laundry bin.

Her mom was looking at her with her arms crossed. "Well, Arani it's a good lesson for you", she said. "I have told you many times to be methodical. Now see its all in a total mess!"

"But mom, could you give me a hand to find the keys only for today? It's really important. I promise to be neat and more organised next time". Arani looked at her mom trying to hold back her tears.

"Darling, you are simply not doing a good job of keeping track of your things. If you had kept your things in its places this wouldn't have happened. Now give this bowl of milk to Lulu. She must be hungry now". Mom handed over the bowl of milk to Arani who walked towards Lulu the dog with her head bent down with disappointment.

As she was placing the bowl of milk near Lulu, Arani felt something hard under his rug.

Arani had a closer look to find what it is. And guess what it was, the lost key! Arani had left it there after feeding Lulu last night.

"Mom I found the key! It was near Lulu" beamed Arani happily. At last I can join them now.

But just as Arani was trying to take her bicycle out, she saw her sister returning home after play.

"It's ok Arani. You could do it next Sunday," mom said patting her head. "I know it is hard. But you learnt a lesson today".

"I guess you are right," smiled Arani "After all... lessons painfully learnt would be remembered better".