Read Online Ready or Not (Aggie's Inheritance) by Chautona Havig - Free Book Online
Authors: Chautona Havig
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cried and wailed as Lorna ’ s snipped curls fell to the floor. Aggie tried to comfort her, but keeping seven children from taking up all the waiting space and creating mayhem at the same time was more than enough for her abilities.
Sunday, March 17 th
Aggie awoke to a mess. She spied wisps of hair scattered from here to there and everywhere in between. Groggily, she followed the trail and to her dismay, found a very scraggily looking Cari. The now shaggy twin wandered aimlessly through the house whacking off hair as her hand found uncut patches on her head. Aggie stole quietly behind the child and tried not to scare her into an unfortunate whack that would surely make things worse.
“ I ’ ll take those, ” Aggie said, as she pulled the scissors from Cari ’ s overly creative hands. “ What do you think you are doing? ” Aggie ’ s words were stern and low.
It took every ounce of self-control not to scream at the child. Cari ’ s beautiful curls were gone. Her hair looked like one of those freakish teen styles that fill parents ’ hearts with dread. She also didn ’ t know what to do. If she took the child to get the mess corrected, she ’ d not know how to tell the two girls apart again. Regardless of the quandary, she had to do something! The child looked frightful!
“ I wook wike Worna. ” Cari ’ s voice broke through to Aggie ’ s thoughts.
“ What, honey? ”
“ Wins ‘ posed to wook a same. I wook wike Worna . ” Cari ’ s tone was both defiant and emphatic.
“ Aunt Aggie? ” Vannie ’ s voice interrupted Aggie ’ s attempt to extricate logic from Cari ’ s announcement.
“ Yes, Vannie? What is it? ” Resignation crept into Aggie ’ s voice. She was clueless about how to handle this situation. Clearly, Cari knew it was wrong to cut her hair. The child ’ s face scowling up at her, the piles of hair, and the scissors in her hand were a silent, glaring testimony of Cari ’ s defiance.
“ Can I talk to you? ” Vannie sounded hesitant, yet serious. Aggie left Cari with stern instructions not to move and followed Vannie to the bathroom.
“ Do you know something I should know? ”
Vannie, after a hesitant start, shared her concerns at the amount of defiance that Cari, and even Kenzie, had shown in recent weeks. “ Aunt Aggie, Cari knows ! I know she ’ s little, but she knows. Momma made it very plain that they are not to touch scissors ever . She would not have done this if Momma were here. ” Vannie ’ s voice caught, but she forced herself to continue. “ I think Cari knows that you don ’ t know they ’ re not allowed to touch the scissors, and that ’ s why she did it anyway. I overheard her tell Lorna that she ’ d ‘ fix her hair ’ last night, but I didn ’ t understand what she meant. ”
Vannie paused, and then spoke before Aggie could respond. “ Aunt Aggie, I really think she needs you to give her a spanking. I don ’ t mean to tell you what to do or anything. I ’ m not trying to be disrespectful, honest, but I know Cari. I think she thinks she can push you around. ” Aggie started to speak but Vannie wasn ’ t finished. “ She tried it with Grandma Milli e a few months ago, and Mom had Grandma spank her for it. She hasn ’ t given Grandma any trouble since. Cari ’ s just one of those children who needs to know who is in charge, or she ’ ll take over. ”
Vannie ’ s eyes pleaded for understanding. After reassuring the girl that she ’ d done the right thing, Aggie sent Vannie downstairs to play with Ian. Minutes later, a weeping and penitent Cari hugged her and apologized. “ I be ’ ave. I pwomise! ”
Aggie gave the child an extra squeeze and sent her downstairs. She returned to her room, closed the door, flung herself across the bed as she ’ d done so many times when she was a teen, and sobbed. She wasn ’ t prepared for the heartbreak of parenting any more than she ’ d been prepared for the work of running a home. She
Sunday, March 17 th
Aggie awoke to a mess. She spied wisps of hair scattered from here to there and everywhere in between. Groggily, she followed the trail and to her dismay, found a very scraggily looking Cari. The now shaggy twin wandered aimlessly through the house whacking off hair as her hand found uncut patches on her head. Aggie stole quietly behind the child and tried not to scare her into an unfortunate whack that would surely make things worse.
“ I ’ ll take those, ” Aggie said, as she pulled the scissors from Cari ’ s overly creative hands. “ What do you think you are doing? ” Aggie ’ s words were stern and low.
It took every ounce of self-control not to scream at the child. Cari ’ s beautiful curls were gone. Her hair looked like one of those freakish teen styles that fill parents ’ hearts with dread. She also didn ’ t know what to do. If she took the child to get the mess corrected, she ’ d not know how to tell the two girls apart again. Regardless of the quandary, she had to do something! The child looked frightful!
“ I wook wike Worna. ” Cari ’ s voice broke through to Aggie ’ s thoughts.
“ What, honey? ”
“ Wins ‘ posed to wook a same. I wook wike Worna . ” Cari ’ s tone was both defiant and emphatic.
“ Aunt Aggie? ” Vannie ’ s voice interrupted Aggie ’ s attempt to extricate logic from Cari ’ s announcement.
“ Yes, Vannie? What is it? ” Resignation crept into Aggie ’ s voice. She was clueless about how to handle this situation. Clearly, Cari knew it was wrong to cut her hair. The child ’ s face scowling up at her, the piles of hair, and the scissors in her hand were a silent, glaring testimony of Cari ’ s defiance.
“ Can I talk to you? ” Vannie sounded hesitant, yet serious. Aggie left Cari with stern instructions not to move and followed Vannie to the bathroom.
“ Do you know something I should know? ”
Vannie, after a hesitant start, shared her concerns at the amount of defiance that Cari, and even Kenzie, had shown in recent weeks. “ Aunt Aggie, Cari knows ! I know she ’ s little, but she knows. Momma made it very plain that they are not to touch scissors ever . She would not have done this if Momma were here. ” Vannie ’ s voice caught, but she forced herself to continue. “ I think Cari knows that you don ’ t know they ’ re not allowed to touch the scissors, and that ’ s why she did it anyway. I overheard her tell Lorna that she ’ d ‘ fix her hair ’ last night, but I didn ’ t understand what she meant. ”
Vannie paused, and then spoke before Aggie could respond. “ Aunt Aggie, I really think she needs you to give her a spanking. I don ’ t mean to tell you what to do or anything. I ’ m not trying to be disrespectful, honest, but I know Cari. I think she thinks she can push you around. ” Aggie started to speak but Vannie wasn ’ t finished. “ She tried it with Grandma Milli e a few months ago, and Mom had Grandma spank her for it. She hasn ’ t given Grandma any trouble since. Cari ’ s just one of those children who needs to know who is in charge, or she ’ ll take over. ”
Vannie ’ s eyes pleaded for understanding. After reassuring the girl that she ’ d done the right thing, Aggie sent Vannie downstairs to play with Ian. Minutes later, a weeping and penitent Cari hugged her and apologized. “ I be ’ ave. I pwomise! ”
Aggie gave the child an extra squeeze and sent her downstairs. She returned to her room, closed the door, flung herself across the bed as she ’ d done so many times when she was a teen, and sobbed. She wasn ’ t prepared for the heartbreak of parenting any more than she ’ d been prepared for the work of running a home. She
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