The thing about my household is that one can never expect to sleep in past 9:00. If it isn’t Ebony tapping on your shoulder asking you to make her a piece of toast until you wake up, acknowledge her, and tell her she knows exactly how to make her own, it’s the house phone ringing like a broken record - so to say, over and over again, because you know my cell phone is on silent. Last night, however, I didn’t put my cell phone on silent and the phone calls started at 9:00 am. First, Mom was checking to see if Ebony was home or if her father had taken her with him. How was I supposed to know? I was asleep. But I knew, I knew because Ebony made sure to tap me to say goodbye - which I appreciate and find incredibly sweet. Then, as if planned, Adrian calls me 5 minutes later and I don’t answer and there goes the house phone. And if that’s not enough he leaves an incredibly long, incredibly incoherent message. Is it so difficult to ask, without having to ask, that is, for a simple morning with no ring tones, loud noises, or consistent tapping?

I can answer my own question and in fact, it is too difficult to ask. 
The way my family is, and the way my family has been, won’t change for me and it won’t change today. I guess in regards to tradition, they uphold the worst ones and yet stick to the definition the best.  I’m okay with interrupted sleep, I’m okay with Mom barging in, unlike American parents, whenever she damn well pleases and privacy is almost a privilege. I’m okay when the phone rings three-thousand times in succession before I answer it, because at least I know they want to make sure I’m still alive.

•  20 February 2012  •  3 notes