What goes around...

I enjoy reading. Nah, scratch that - I absolutely LOVE to read!  If I were to spend a whole day with the family doing nothing but reading, I would consider it a day well spent.  Today, I had to take my daughter to the doctor as she had been coughing quite a bit.  As we walked to the local pharmacy to get her prescription filled, I noticed that the public library branch next door was open!  I told the kids and in we went, spending 20 glorious minutes browsing the shelves for weekend reading. We ended up taking out 30 books.  If I could have taken more I would have.  I will remember to take my trolley bag with me next time (yes, I do own one and I am not ashamed to use it!).  We went home and it was reading time straight away for all of us - even the baby had his own book to read chew.
My sister who works down the road rang and asked me to pick her up since she had no vehicle today.  So, being the kind and loving dutiful sister that I am, I went down and picked her up.  Now, there is one thing you should know about my sister.  She is a 'doer' of things.  What I mean by this is that when she wants something done, she goes and does it and will move heaven and earth to ensure that whatever it is, is done properly, thoroughly and to perfection. 

When we were kids living in Samoa, we did our chores around the house and then some.  My sister (and she is one year older than me btw) and I were in charge of cleaning the house.  Correction - my sister was in charge of cleaning the house and I was her assistant.  My sister would always have a list of what needed to be done and she would tell me which jobs I needed to do.  What she didn't count on was the fact that I had a great book which I had  brought home from the school library for the weekend.  I had just started reading it and found it was so good it was 'unputdownable'. I just had to finish it but how could I with all the chores I had to do? After being sent by big sister to start on my chores, I walked off in the right direction and started my jobs - but then my book called me.  It called for me like a little child lost in the woods. It called to me the way Smeagel's 'Precious' ring called to him. I had to go. My sister and her list of jobs could wait but my book could not.  To cut  a long story short, one minute I was making beds and sweeping the floor and 'Nek Minit' I was under the double bed jammed in between the wall and two dusty suitcases stored under the bed with 'my precious' book in my hands.  I quickly disappeared into the world of the book, my sister and her chores a distant memory. Lost in my book's world, I was just about to witness the coronation of the new King when I heard someone calling my name, once, twice, a third time. I reluctantly returned to the real world under the dusty bed -  it was Big Sister checking up on me to see how many chores I had completed.  I didn't dare breathe as I watched her feet pace back and forth in front of the bed as she fumed at the obvious non-completion of my duties.  Just as I thought I was safe, she dropped to her knees and peered under the bed and caught me with book in hand.  After she pulled me out feet first, she confiscated my book and sent me off to finish my jobs with a flea in my ear. 

Back to 2011: I called my daughter and asked her to make me a coffee.  My husband asked for one too. My sister added her request for a cup of tea. "Okay! I'll go make them now", said my little girl.  Ten, fifteen, twenty minutes later - no coffee.  I called my girl's name - no answer.  I called again and then again. No answer.   I got up and went to the kitchen - the jug was stone cold.  I pressed the switch to boil the water and walked over to my daughter's room.  I found her lying on her bed reading a book she had issued from the library today. 
"What happened to our hot drinks?"
"Oh, I was just waiting for the jug to boil" she replied, not even bothering to raise her eyes from her book.
"I boiled the jug!"
"Oh, sorry Mum, I'll go make them now"

My sister laughed as I sat back at the table, grumbling about children who didn't do as they were told.
"What goes around, comes around!" she chuckled.
"What do you mean?"
"Remember the time I found you reading under the bed when we were kids?"
"Oh, yeah.  Now I know how frustrating it must have been dealing with me back then when I would read instead of doing my jobs".   
"Yes, now you know how I felt".

I looked at my girl, her pile of books and smiled to myself.  Okay, reading is great and my dream holiday is still one where I can read all day, every day while someone else takes care of the kids; the cooking; the house and the washing. Until that day comes, I am going to use reading time as a reward for my kids after they have completed their chores.  Where was your favourite reading spot when you were a kid with an 'unputdownable' book?