What's Your Name Again? | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: What's Your Name Again? | Previous Challenge Entry
By Kelly Gellert
01/21/16
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Mum’s voice screeched across the cacophony of the room.
“Rueben, April…er, LINDA!!”
“That’s my name,” I chirped, “You were bound to get the right one eventually.” I snapped my mouth shut before my wit could add, 'Keep up the practise.' I could feel the fury in her glare and immediately turned down the music as I knew she’d asked me to do several times already. I didn’t look back up at her. Eye contact at this point could seal my fate.
Sometimes it irritated me how many tries she’d have at correctly identifying me. Surely after fourteen years she would know my name. How hard was it to remember which child was which? We are far from identical. Other times, like today, I found it more on the amusing side and my perfectly timed, smoothly delivered remark was wasted on an unappreciative audience.
“You’re toeing the line, miss,” she seethed through her teeth. I kept my silence as my siblings began to bicker yet again, the volume escalating quickly. Mum turned on them.
“Enough! I’ve had it with your constant arguing all morning long. If you can’t stop fighting go play separately,” she blared.
“But I was playing this first and then Rueben came and started messing up my game.”
“Did not! You just started hitting me.”
“Because you messed up my game.”
“I did not, you fat liar. This is what messing up your stupid game looks like.” Game pieces and limbs started flying along with screams and shouts as the emotions turned physical. I held my breath knowing that the storm was about to break.
“OUTSIDE!! BOTH OF YOU!”
There was the crack of lightning that I had braced myself for. It pierced through the room, leaving a dangerously charged atmosphere. The tension shifted immediately.
“But it’s raining,” came the subdued protest.
“Then put your coats on! That’s why we bought them for you. And with any luck it will cool you both off.” They glanced at each other and shuffled their weight debating if she were actually serious.
“Go. Now.” Mum’s voice had dropped from wild rage to that slow, deep rumble that came just before that line which no wise person dared to cross. Without one mummer they clambered to their feet, abandoning their game and fled. A moment of frozen silence followed.
“Ah, you know? I think I’m finished with this for now,” I announced switching off the music and gathering my things, “Think I’ll go read a book in my room for a while.” I slipped swiftly out of the lounge resolving not to comment again on mum’s fumbling for my name no matter how ridiculous forgetting it seemed.

“Muuummy,” a little voice sang amidst dying laughter, “I’m Charlotte.” I looked at the two little girls sitting at the table and smiled.
“Oh that’s right. How could I get so mixed up!” I exclaimed over dramatizing it to their further amusement, “You’re Charlotte and you’re Rebekah. Maybe we should make some name tags for you so I get it right next time.” They giggled again. My girls found it hilarious when the wrong name came tumbling out.
“And that’s Rocket,” Rebekah declared joyously pointing at our four year old pooch trotting into the room hoping he was called for food. My smile faltered a moment as a flush of warmth tinged my cheeks. I had to shake my head. At least my mother had never included the family dog before reaching the correct child’s name.

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