A Quacklin Easter by Jacqueline Gibbs (english reading book TXT) 📕

I won fair and square." I stomped in my room and sat on the edge of my bed gazing out of the window. "You wanna go first and take a shower cry baby?" "I aint no cry baby, you can go first." Charles always called me a cry baby whenever I would lose a race, but I didn't care. Charles grabbed his towel and his wash rag with his underwear under his arms and headed to the bathroom. I sat in my room smiling and jumping up and down excited. The weather was beautiful and its my birthday and I know my mom has something up her sleeve, she always does each year. As Charles remained in the bathroom, I jumped up and down on my bed, until I heard my mothers footsteps heading up the stairs. "Cherry, Charles which one is taking your bath?" "Mama Charles is in there." I hollered out of my bedroom door. "Knock!, knock! now Charles don't be in there too long, your sister has to take her a bath as well." As soon as mommy said that Charles came running out of the bathroom with soap suds down his back. "Boy why didn't you dry off good." "I did." Mommy took the towel as normal and wipe the suds off the back of Charles back. Charles then headed in his room to get all dressed up for Easter, and I headed to the bathroom to take a bath.

I always loved to take long baths, but this morning I was going to make it quick and fast. I grab my house coat and panties and headed in the bathroom. Me and Charles always made it our business before we leave the bathroom to clean the tub and start running the next person water, that was a family rule that goes back as long as I can remember. I got in the tub and starting singing as normal. I loved to get in the tub and count the puppies on the side of the tub and sing like Diana Ross. I looked over to find my bath roller to write my name on my arm, but I couldn't find it. Oh well, I decided to go ahead and wash and get ready for church. "Mommy! Mommy! come and wash my back please." "Ok, and you don't have to be so loud." "I thought you was downstairs, im sorry." Mommy came in the bathroom and begin to wash my back. I hated sometimes calling her to wash my back, she always manage to wash my whole body over again. "Mommy I already wash my cootie cat." "Baby, hushhhh I'm about to make sure." "Oookkk." I said looking at her with my sad ducky eyes. "Ok now get out and get ready." Mommy place my floor mat near the tub and I got out and started drying my body and putting my underwear on. I put my house coat on and ran into my bedroom.

Mommy had my dress, tights and shoes all laid out for me, but she came in every Sunday to make sure my tights doesn't tear. She stood in my room and watch as I put on my other clothes and then offered to help with my tights. One foot at a time she begin to put my tights on till they were pulled up almost to my chin. "And when you are done putting your clothes on, come and get me so I can take your scarf off and shine your hair." "Ok mommy." "Mommy headed down the hall and begin to iron daddy shirt for church. I heard the shower running in mommy's room so I knew daddy was getting ready as well. "Oh my god!" I yelled as I spilled the whole bottle of baby oil on my shirt. "What happened back there." mommy yelled. I walked in mommy's room with my shirt behind my back about to cry. "What happened, why did you scream." "My shirt, my shirt mommy." crying with deep sorrow. I moved my hand from behind my back and pulled the shirt in front showing her how I spilled the baby oil on the shirt. "Now girl, now did you do that." I shrug my shoulder not knowing how it happened and all so fast. Mommy cut the iron off and went to my closet and pulled out another freshly ironed white shirt to go with my outfit. "Thank you, thank you, mommy, you are the best." I grabbed her by the waste and she scoup down as I gave her a kiss. She made sure this time to inform me not to touch anything when putting on my clothes or after.

Daddy was done and now it was mommy turn to go into the shower. I headed in Charles room and we sat rehearsing our speeches over and over. Charles started making jokes about what if I forget my speech when I get in front of the whole church. I wasn't afraid and I wasn't shy, I was going to be ok. So we continued to repeat our speeches, and rehearse our Easter song. I remembered we had a special event going on after church as well, and I was hoping it was a birthday party for me. I would love that. "Is Sally coming to church to?" "I think so, she has a speech she needs to say, and today is my birthday and she is my best friend, she has to be at church. I tip toed by mommys room door and I still heard her shower running, so I knew she was still in there. "Daddy, daddy." "Yes baby, what is it" I wanted to ask daddy to called Sally parents and make sure she comes to church. "Give me a moment, when your mother gets dress I will have her to call." I headed back down the hall into Charles room and waited for mommy to get ready. Charles and I played games, and sang as I waited for mommy. It seemed like an hour and mommy was ready. "Yes sweetie, is there something you wanted?" "Yes mommy can we call Sally to see if she is going to church today?" "Sure come on."

Mommy and I headed into mommy's room and she searched for Sally's parents number. Finally she found the number and beginning dialing. As she called out the numbers I would press them on the phone "5-5-5-3-3-3-3." mommy said. Then Sally mom answered the phone, mommy said good morning and they exchanged words. Mommy then asked if Sally was going to church and if she wanted to ride with us. I was happy she asked that, I was thankful for her. "Why yes, we are going and of course she is ready, please stop by and pick her up, I bet she'll be surprise." Mommy and Sally mom was done and dad told everyone to gather up all our belongs and lets get into the car. I notice dad had a bunch of bags that he had tooken to the car, but I cared not to ask, and he cared not to tell. "Children, children are you all ready!" "Coming, comin daddy, we right here." Me and Charles jumped in the car, I'm on mommy's side and Charles on daddy's. We buckled our seat belts and we were off to get Sally. The Ducky Family always enjoyed a Sunday ride to church it was a time the whole family share laughter and songs. Mommy would lead with a song and it always ended with daddy telling everyone to get out. "Twinkle, twinkle little star how I wonder what you are, up the hills the world so bright, like an angel in the sky." and we continued to sing Twinkle, Twinkle.

As we sang and sang finally we reach the little red house in the center of the block on Bee street. It was Sally's house. "Sally, Sally." I yelled as I seen her outside waiting as we pulled up. Sally had on a yellow pretty dress and a yellow easter hat to match. Her mom and dad was downstairs waiting outside with her. Sally was just as excited as I was, so she ran to car and yelled, "Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to my bestest friend in the whole wide world." I couldn't do anything but hug her. I was glad she didn't forget my special day. "How old are you, how old are you." she continued to sing. I held up six fingers letting everyone know I was 6yrs old today. "Behave yourself, and dont let the Quacks tell me you were misbehaving." "Mommy I gonna be good, I always good." Sally threw a kiss at both her mommy and daddy and sat on the outside and we began to talk. She told me she had gotten me a gift, but I had to keep it as a secret. I was excited even more, "what is it?" Sally said she will show me later. So mommy ask if anyone had some songs they wanted to share as we go to church. Of course Sally loves to sing and she knows lots of songs. She started singing Row,Row the boat, and the wheels on the bus and lots of other nursey rhythms.


We were minutes away from the church and daddy told us to start calming down and prepare for the lords house. We knew exactly what that meant, so we did it. There was lots of cars already parked in front of the church, so mommy got all of us out the car and fixed our clothes, and we began to go inside the church. Holding hands we headed indoors and sat on the 3rd row. The usher got everyone coats and handed our parents a paper and a bible. I looked behind us and I saw Ms. Davis she was the Sunday school teacher. I notice she didn't have her childrent with her. So she approach the bench and ask all of us children about our weekend and congradulated me on my birthday. "Thank you Ms. Davis." "Ms. Davis, where is Sean and Susan?" Charles was the first to ask. "They are coming to church today with their parents. They will be here shortly ok." Charles shook his head up and down. Ms. Davis gathered all of little ones and we went into our Sunday school classroom. This morning she stressed it was going to be short and sweet. There was so much on the agenda for today because its Easter Sunday. All of the little one's understood we did our lesson and headed back to the bench with our parents or guardians.

It was now time for service to begin, the church was full. I looked around and everyone was dressed up real pretty today. Our preacher started talking about Jesus rose on Easter Sunday, that sounded very familiar to my ears. I knew it, it was a line in Charles speech. He went on and on and talked about Jesus and what Easter meant to us all. I was getting sleepy, and my head was nodding. Daddy pulled me closer to him and I laid on his lap and fell right asleep. All of a sudden I heard a loud bang like a drum or something. It was the church choir preparing to sing. It woke up everyone that was trying or going to sleep. We all woke up and I stood to my feet clapping my hands. Sally looked over at me and she did the same. Daddy then grab my hand and we began to walk to the front of the church. He handed me a dollar and told me to pass Charles and Sally one as well. Everyone knew what to do once we get to the front with the money. "Jesus lives for us all." That was song playing as