Surprise
A. Gautam
Shawnee was dreading the summer vacation because she was fed up of his siblings’ fights day and night. She was the oldest and the only girl. Sam and Sheldon, only a year apart, fought like cats and dogs every free moment they had. Sometimes, they would leave Shawnee alone. Most times though, Shawnee had to break up the boys when she couldn’t take it anymore.
One afternoon, after their parents had gone to work, Shawnee was in charge of the unruly boys. Surprisingly, Sheldon silently read a book on the couch six feet away from Sam. Shawnee was uncomfortable with the silence because it felt like calm before the storm. She got up from the living room to check the boys up close. Then, she knew the reason. In between the pages of the book, Shawnee saw the real trouble Sheldon was up to. He was hiding Sam’s drawing and doodling all over it. Shawnee’s heart started beating a mile a minute. She knew the moment Sheldon found out the fight of the day would start.
“Don’t be a Judas,” Sheldon quietly warned his sister. “You want some more peace and quiet, don’t you?” He even gave Shawnee a bar of dark chocolate, her Kryptonite, as a bribe. “Hush,” he added with a mischievous smile. This was a big deal for thrifty Sheldon to give away a whole bar.
“I won’t say anything, but you have already opened Pandora’s box,” Shawnee whispered. “There will be all kinds of trouble.” She took the chocolate bar and went into the backyard. Sheldon is just asking for trouble by messing with Sam’s beautiful artwork, she thought. She looked inside through the window and saw Sam holding a piece of paper and talking to Sheldon. There it is, she thought. I’ll only go in if the fight gets worse. Shawnee waited it out and even forgot about why she had escaped into the backyard. When her candy was long gone, she went inside for a glass of water and saw the most unbelievable sight. Sam was teaching Sheldon how to draw.
“And just some light strokes now. There,” Sam guided his little brother.
“You’re not mad at me for messing up your drawing. Why?” Sheldon asked.
“That was a draft. Besides I want the other bar of chocolate. Fighting is getting old and boring,” Sam answered and laughed.
Question
The allusion to Kryptonite suggests that —
Responses
A Shawnee cannot resist dark chocolate and accepts it. Shawnee cannot resist dark chocolate and accepts it.
B Shawnee always accepts food as babysitting payment. Shawnee always accepts food as babysitting payment.
C Shawnee feels weak without sugar in her system. Shawnee feels weak without sugar in her system.
D Shawnee wants her brother to stop rewarding her