Feature
Late Night Cleaning
A. Gautam
I had to find out what was going on with my parents without their knowledge and without worrying my little brother. Lately, I had heard their dialogue getting louder, thankfully, way past Pedro’s bedtime. If I weren’t up late with AP assignments, I wouldn’t have known.
First, I noticed mother was cleaning out the garage, and we weren’t expecting company. She’d gathered stuff we no longer used and boxed them up. I had to sneak into the garage when my parents were yelling because the boxes would be gone in the morning. Every afternoon after school, I gave Pedro a snack and went into my parents’ bedroom before mother returned from work. More boxes were visible. One day, I went to the closet, even though I knew mother would be absolutely mad if she knew. The closet was as spotless as a showroom. My parents’ clothes were neatly organized and labeled. I was baffled because normally the closet seemed as if a bomb had gone off in there.
When I went into the pantry, I noticed fewer food containers, which were also neatly labeled. This was no longer my kitchen—and no longer my house. I couldn’t take it anymore, and one night, I headed to my parents’ room. I could hear them through the door which was teasing me with its secrets.
“We need to tell them, at least Pillar,” mother screeched. “She can help.”
“Not the ties. I need those,” father screamed. “Not yet. Maybe during the break. Or after the exams. Don’t want to worry her.”
“You never wear ties. They’re all new. I can sell them at a good price,” mother yelled. “Be reasonable.”
“Me? How about you be reasonable and do this stuff on weekends,” father yelled back. “That’s it. I’m going to tell Pillar, and I’m not going to clean at nights anymore.”
I didn’t guess that father was heading straight to my room, and he was shocked to see me outside the door.
Father pulled me away to the hallway, gestured me to hush, and took me to my room. He explained everything that had driven me crazy for weeks. We were going to sell the house and move into a smaller house to save money because grandmother needed to be in a better nursing home. They were cleaning for an open house. I was too speechless to say anything.
Paragraphs 4 through 7 highlight the mood of—
Responses
A suspense
B mistrust
C disappointment
D tension