The new house echos. It's huge. Rolling over on the lush powder blue carpet I come right up to my reflection in the vast mirror door. Looking past my eyes staring around me I'm thinkin wow, I can fill this whole place up with stuff.
After lining my brand new closet with wacky pack stickers, this room I don't have to share starts feeling a little too big and way too quiet. Jumping up I run out to look for Lucy. Running down the hall I turn left and skip along another long forest green hallway. The thick softness beneath my feet is great. I can't resist and drop to roll the complete distance to her door. I wonder if she feels scared way back here. I would.
"Hey what ya doin mildoin?"
My sister with her long blonde hair smiles, while peering over her book at me. I continue to roll on her carpet just as plush but soft daffodil yellow.
"I'm reading. What are you doing? Rolling around the house? Be careful of the stairs Ivey Mae. Thats all we need for you to fall on your head the first night here."
"This place is really cool. It's so big though. Are you a little scared?"
"Scared of what? The doors are locked. Dad installed a state of the art alarm system. Don't worry. It won't seem so big once all the furniture gets here. We are very fortunate Ivey Mae."
"I know. Do you care if I sleep in here with you tonight?"
"Thats fine. After we eat go get your blankets."
Lucy closes her book and we walk down the hall together but only for a moment then I dash to the top of the stairs and count how fast I can make it down.
While eating, all of us decide for the first night in our new home we prefer to be together. Mother and dad are out to dinner and there is so much more space that we feel isolated. Topping off the meal with my sister's homemade donuts dipped in sugar and cinnamon, we get our things and meet back in Lucy Lou's room to watch tv.
It didn't take long from the excitement of the day and each one of us drifted off. All seven of us, in my sisters full size bed.
Around midnight, as the story goes my parents return home. Climbing the stairs they go first to check on the baby and her crib is empty. Next they go to my brothers room and there is no one in his bed either. The same happens for myself and all of my other sisters.
Finally walking to the very back of the second floor they find us. Lucy Lou is the only one awake. She hears dad whisper to mom in the faint glow from the foyer chandelier. "Well Slim, I would a never built this big ole house if I knew they were gonna pile up in here like a bunch of puppies."
