What Happened (Part23)

We all convene to Mom and Pop’s room, get a short scolding from Mom for the ruffled bedclothes, and then we all lay down on the cool, satiny cover. Mom lies down with us, trying to get us calm and composed so we’ll fall asleep. She might sing a lullaby, or tell us stories (fairy tales or stuff from when she a little girl), or in the end she just might have to order us with physical threats to settle down.  When we do finally drop off it is the dead-to-the-world, careless sleep of youth. In summer it is particularly good way to get through the afternoon Texas heat. Sometimes Mom will sleep with us, but more often she gets up and has some quiet time for herself, maybe watching some “stories,” as the family calls the soap operas like The Edge of Night or The Days of Our Lives that Omi has got her hooked on.  Nap time lasts about an hour or so, and when one of us wakes up we all soon follow, partly from the bouncing up off the bed and partly from our flock instinct.