Harmonising

YM hasn't been to school in three days
(he's had a temperature).

By this afternoon, he claimed he was feeling better
and went up to his mother, asking her what there was
for lunch

She gave him an answer that was obviously
unsatisfying, uninteresting
because he turned to me and asked me
the very same thing

And so, knowing we had the ingredients
I seized the opportunity to kill
two birds with a stone
presenting YM with a challenge, and appeasing my greedy
belly

I gave him the recipe for Ngah Poh Fan
or Claypot Chicken Rice
which turned out pretty well, even if ang-moh-fied
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NMPT and I are sitting at the dining table
eating NPF, reading respective books
beside us, YM is going completely utter, nuts with boredom
"Why don't you go upstairs and be ill like you're supposed
to be?" I tell him
he talks, he twiddles, he scratches, he sings to the room
we ignore him.

Then I look up, say to NMTP
"Is he ever going back to school?"

"I sure hope so," says she.

YM finally gets bored and goes upstairs,
we both heave silent sighs of relief.

I go into my room to relax.

15 minutes later, he's down again,
I can hear him pottering about in the kitchen
and dread finding out why (we've just cleaned up from the NPF)

I hear the door shut, NMTP is gone.

I creep out. He's making cupcakes
and begs me to help,
when NMTP comes home just as we slip the
cupcakes into the oven
I point my finger at her and say
"Its not fair!YOU escaped!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dadman comes home,
we have tea and cupcakes all of us
YM talks a mile-a-minute,
eats chocolate sprinkles off his palm

"Now, says NMTP, I suggest you go and get changed
out of your pyjamas (it is 5pm)"

"I am going!" he retorts

"I swear, says NMTP to Dadman
it was easier when he was ill."

2 floors above us, YM starts some operatic singing
it reverberates through the house
down to us, on basement level
I start my own singing as I empty the dishwasher,
together our voices fill the entire three levels
in my mind the house seems to swell and vibrate

"God" says NMTP "Is there no peace in this house?"
Dadman buries his head in his hands

Jemima the cat chooses this time to come in and
meow incessantly
"Shut up!Not you too!" says NMTP

"Just think, says Dadman, tomorrow, we'll have another
one."