This and That

“Hello Rosa, what have you been up to?”

“You know,” she replied walking slowly onto the deck where her father was sitting on his favourite chair enjoying the warm sun, “you know this and that.”

George looked over at his daughter and smiled. “Why don’t you pull over that chair and tell me all about this and that.” Rosa did as her father asked and collapsed on it, sliding down as far as she could without falling onto the floor.

“My life is boring,” she added closing her eyes and placing her right wing over them.

“Are you tired?” asked George.

“Oh no, daddy. I’m just depressed.” Now George was in a familiar territory when it came to his second eldest daughter.

“Well, that’s a big word for you to use, don’t you think? Do you know what it means?”

“Yes, daddy,” she looked at him and shook her head. “I go to school to learn big words like that.”

“I agree. But do you know what it means?”

“Yes, of course!” she answered abruptly shaking her head again.

“And?” asked George.

“And what daddy?”

“And what does depressed mean?”

Rosa straightened herself and got off the chair. “Where are you going?”

“I’m hungry,” she replied and with that she opened the sliding glass door and disappeared into the nest.

George closed his eyes again and turned his head towards the sun. He heard the sliding door open again, but believing it was Rosa he just remained.

“What’s wrong with Rosa?” it was Sybil.

“Nothing I know of,” replied George opening his eyes and pushing her chair back to where it always.

“Well, she’s in there knocking loudly on Timmy’s door.”

“But Timmy isn’t home, is he?”

“That’s right,” replied Sybil sitting down on her chair with a groan and picking up a large brimmed hat she had brought with her.

“Where did that come from?”

“I got it at the Goodwill store.”

“Really?” replied George smiling, “I didn’t think you went to Goodwill stores. You always said they were beneath you.”

“Well, I didn’t actually go in. They had a rack outside with odds and ends on it, so I took the hat.”

“You did what?” George was surprised at Sybil’s answer. “Didn’t you pay for it?”

“No,” scoffed Sybil. “People put stuff out there for anyone to take.”

“No, I don’t think it works that way. People donate to the store, and they sell it to make money.”

Sybil shrugged her shoulders, “I’m sure no one will miss it.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because it’s a designer. People who go there don’t know designer stuff.”

George didn’t want to get into an argument with Sybil, so he closed his eyes again. The sliding door opened again.

“Hello little one,” he heard Sybil say and he knew she was talking to Rosa. “Why were you knocking on Timmy’s door? He’s not home you know.”

“I know that,” she replied, “I just wanted to make sure so I could go into his room and see what he was building with his Legos.”

“And is he building something?”

“Yes, but not anymore. I knocked it over.”

“Rosa!” said George sternly, “that’s not right. I want you to apologise to Timmy. Just because you’re feeling depressed as you call it, doesn’t give you the right to knock his Legos over. What was he making?”

“A railway station,” Rosa looked down at the floor.

“Why are you depressed?” asked Sybil. But Rosa, who really didn’t know the meaning of the word didn’t answer. She slid down near her father’s chair and lay on the deck.

A few minutes later he heard her shout, “sorry Timmy.”

George opened his eyes. “Where’s Timmy?”

“I don’t know,” replied Rosa.

“Then why are you apologising to him if he can’t hear you?”

“You don’t know that daddy.”

George knew a trap when he saw one and this was a trap. So, he let Sybil handle it. “That was nice of you,” said Sybil and then Rosa saw the hat on her mother’s head.

“Did you get that from the Goodwill store, mummy?”

“Absolutely not!” stressed Sybil, “I don’t shop in places like that.”

“Well it just looks like the hat Mrs Benjamin gave to the Goodwill store.”

“Well, if she gave it to the store then how would I get it?”

“Stole it,” replied Rosa, “daddy,” she added.

“Yes, Rosa?”

“What’s depressed?”

“I thought you knew that.”

“I thought so too. I just heard the word used by Uncle Jeremy when I was on my way home from school.”

“Where was he?”

“Sitting outside Elizabeth’s nest waiting for her to come home.”

“Why would he do that?” asked Sybil taking off the hat, just in case it was the same one Mrs Benjamin had given away.

“I asked him and he said he was doing this and that.” George laughed now he knew where Rosa got that term.

“He’ll have to wait a long time because Elizabeth had to go to Wilmington for court.”

“Oh,” replied Rosa not really interested.

The sliding glass door opened again. It was Timmy. A somewhat angry Timmy. “Who knocked over my Legos?” and then stopping, looked directly at Rosa. She still had her eyes closed.

“Ok,” said George, “Timmy, I think Rosa has something to say to you.”

“No, I don’t!” retorted Rosa and then opened her eyes to look at Timmy. “Well, I slipped in your room and fell on top of your Legos.” Rosa looked around for affirmation but there was none. Julia joined them.

“Well Timmy,” Julia began in her fake southern drawl. “It’s like this. Rosa knocked on your door and then when she knew you weren’t there, she went inside and knocked over your Legos.”

“No, I didn’t!” Rosa jumped up and looked for help but seeing that no one was coming to her aid she continued. “I slipped on your carpet and knocked it over. It was an accident.”

Again, she looked around but noticed everyone was staring at her. “That’s what happened,” and then believing she had fixed everything, turned to Julia, “what’s for dinner?”

George stepped in. “Ok Rosa dear. I’m going to have to put my foot down. Until you apologise to Timmy for knocking his railway station over, there will be no dinner for you.” Rosa was silent. It was the first time she realised she was about to face consequences. “What’s for dinner?” she asked.

“Macaroni and cheese,” Julia replied.

“I’m sorry Timmy,” Rosa shot back at him and then added, “next time please don’t leave your stuff all over your room.” Timmy accepted her apology even though it wasn’t heart felt. Rosa then opened the sliding glass door and went into the house. A few seconds later she came flying back out, literarily.

“I thought you said macaroni and cheese. I didn’t see any. You lied.”

“But it did get you to apologise, didn’t it?” and with that, Julia walked back into the house leaving the rest of her family outside not quite sure whether they should laugh or cry.

“Daddy, Mummy,” cried Rosa, “aren’t you going to tell Julia to say she’s sorry for lying to me. That’s just not fair.”

“Dinners ready!” shouted Julia from inside and everyone walked into the dining room, except for Rosa who slid onto the floor and moaned, “now I’m really depressed.”