One World

Aisha came up with a new mission today. The other old biddies gave her strange looks in the café. Lewis tilted her head.

“You want to do what now?” she asked.

“I want to work with the children today,” Aisha said. The other three tried to keep from laughing. Aisha raised an eyebrow.

“What’s so funny?” she asked.

“Nothing,” Muriel lied. “It’s just…”

“What?”

“Just…” Muriel shrugged.

“Ya rubbish with kids!” Clyde shouted. Aisha glared at her.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked. Her friends tried to laugh to off.

“Come on,” Aisha said. “I want to be in on the joke.” The whistling made it worse. The leader frowned, puffing up her cheeks.

“Enough, already!” she said. “Spill it!”

“You aren’t good with children,” Lewis said.

“And why not?” Aisha asked, putting her hands on her hips.

“You are pretty controlling,” Muriel said.

“Kind of scary,” Lewis asked.

“And mean,” Clyde said.

“I am not!” Aisha said. Her friends looked around, pretending to be angels. Their leader huffed.

“I can be good with children!” she shouted. “I’ll prove it to you.” She turned and walked out of the Sunny Plum. Tucker and Annie watched from the counter.

“What’s with her?” Tucker asked.

“She wants to work with children,” Lewis said. The owner gave her a puzzled look.

“Are you serious?” he asked.

“Yes,” the old biddies said. Tucker gave off a low whistle.

“Wow,” he said. “I wish her luck.”

“Who’s paying?” Annie asked. The three old biddies looked among themselves as they realized that their piggy bank already left in a huff. Annie tapped her foot.

“Well?” she asked.

“Stick it on Aisha’s tab,” Muriel was quick to say.

“Yeah,” the other two said. Annie snorted.

“Fine,” she said. The angry owner turned and walked back to the kitchen. The old biddies looked at Tucker. He shrugged and shook his head.

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Greg and Clover got to know each other rather well. He turned out to be a rather awkward guy. He didn’t seem to know how to socialize around girls. Clover gave him a strange look.

“No spoke to me with no problems at all,” she said.

“Well, you were easy to approach,” he said.

“How so?”

Greg rubbed the back of his head, chuckling. “You were so pretty and nice.”

“Okay…”

He broke into laughter. “You have to forgive me. I am a bit nervous around you.”

“I make you nervous?” she asked. Greg stopped laughing and looked down at his feet.

“Yes,” he said. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Clover said.

“Thanks,” Greg mumbled.

Outside, Liz and William listened in from the hallway. For close to a week, the young hopeful couple didn’t seem to be going anywhere. Her older sister couldn’t get it.

“Why is so… awkward?” she asked. “He’s so geeky.”

“I don’t know what to tell you,” William said. Uncle and niece went back to listening.

Back in the room, Clover gritted her teeth, trying to ignore the eavesdroppers outside her door. She would have to deal with them later.

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Meanwhile, the three old biddies were walking home when they stopped in their tracks while seeing a predictable site. Aisha stumbled out of a daycare. She fell face down on the sidewalk. Her friends watched curious as she lay there, panting.

“Is that…?” Lewis began to ask.

“Yes,” Clyde and Muriel said. After a brief pause, the trio raced over to their friend. Aisha turned her head when she heard footsteps running towards her. She broke into uneasy chuckling as she what was coming next. Her friends looked down, circling her.

“So, how was your day with the kids?” Lewis asked.

“Please don’t ask,” Aisha said. Her black hair, which was usually pinned, was all messed as she sighed.

“Want us to take you home?” Muriel asked. Aisha groaned as she rested her face on the pavement.

“Okay,” Muriel said. She and Lewis pulled the leader to her face and dragged her along with them. Clyde followed behind laughing and smiling. Despite being dragged away, Aisha managed to lift her head.

“I will be back tomorrow,” she declared in a weak voice. Her friends eyed her with odd expressions on their faces.

“Ya sure ‘bout tat?” Clyde asked. Aisha let her head fall backwards again. Her friends shook their heads as they walked down the street.

Fun with the Children