Chapter 9

TALENT onyesha ON MAY 31st AT 7:30PM.

THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN PERFORMING IT, SIGN UP ON THE orodha BELOW THE PAPER.

REHEARSALS START inayofuata MONDAY AT 3:30PM IN THE GYM.

After kusoma the advertisement, on the bulletin board, Melody took the pen and wrote down her name, along with her homeroom number (RM 13) and nyumbani phone number. As she was finishing uandishi down her phone number, a small boy about her age came up inayofuata to her.

"Is there still time for me to sign up?" he asked Melody. She turned to the boy. He had mousy black hair, with chokoleti eyes, tanned skin, and dressed up in jeans and a white t-shirt.

"Yeah, it is not too late," Melody smiled. She stepped aside to let him write down his name.

"O..m..a.r...S..a..d..i..q," Melody read. "That is a pretty name,"

"Thanks," Omar blushed. "What is your name?"

"I'm Melody. Melody Sylvia Barnes,"

Just then another girl appeared, panting. She had been running. The girl had brown slightly curly hair in a half-ponytail. She was also wearing a blue skirt, upindo with a yellow t-shirt.

"It's… not..too… late… is..it?" she panted.

"No Rose, wewe can still sign up," Omar answered. After giving Rose the pen, she scribbled her name down.

"Rose, this is my new friend, Melody," alisema Omar, remembering the black-haired girl. "Melody, this is Rose,"

"Hi, Melody," smiled Rose.

"Hi, Rose," alisema Melody.

As the three kids walked down together to Recess, Melody felt a warm glow inside her heart.

Meanwhile, Ariel was at the grocery store, shopping with Flounder. While picking out apples, she couldn't help but feel a little bit guilty from last night.

Ugh! Why did I chicken out? I was going to ask Eric to come to Melody's show. I don't know why I panicked! Oh well. Maybe when he comes home, I'll try again.

"Ariel?"

Ariel snapped out of her thoughts. kweta just came back with some whole grain mkate and put them in the cart.

"Thanks, Flounder," alisema Ariel.

"Ariel, now that wewe are babysitting Melody, does that mean wewe don't want to be a teacher anymore?" kweta inquired.

"No, Flounder," alisema Ariel. "I'll still apply. I only took the nanny job for to get better at caring for kids."

"Oh, that is good then! So how are wewe doing in the 'nanny business' anyway?"

"Well, so far, so good. Melody is a fun kid to be with. When we got home, she showed me her soccer trophies," Ariel explained.

"She likes playing soccer? I remember her telling me about her soccer games."

"Yes, Melody told me she loves playing soccer so much that she can do soccer tricks while sleeping!" Ariel and kweta giggled.

"Flounder, what happened yesterday?" Ariel asked. kweta was caught off-guard. Uh oh! She probably noticed his odd behavior from yesterday.

"What do wewe mean?" he said.

"You seemed tense, what is wrong?" Ariel asked.

"Nothing!" alisema Flounder. "I-I just-when wewe left…" he trailed off.

"Are wewe upset that I left?" Ariel asked, wondering if that is what was troubling him. kweta nodded sheepishly.

"I know it has been a day, but I really miss you," kweta confessed.

"Hey," alisema Ariel, as she hugged Flounder. "I miss wewe too, I know it is hard because of my busy schedule, I have a siku off-every Sunday, so maybe we could do something together,"

"I guess," alisema Flounder. He'll be happy to spend time with Ariel, even for only a day.

"Somewhere inayofuata week on Friday au Saturday, I'll take Melody to the park, maybe we could hang out then,"

"Yeah, that sounds better!" alisema Flounder. "As long as it just the kid and not Mr. Barnes,"

"What makes wewe say that?" Ariel said.

" I don't know, the way he stared at wewe made it seem like he's crushing on you,"

"Flounder, don't be ridiculous," Ariel blushed. "He can't have a crush on me,"

"Well, do wewe have a crush on him?" kweta asked.

"What! No!" Ariel denied, her face turning redder.

"You're lying," kweta replied. "You can tell me."

Ariel try to deny it again, but couldn't. Normally, she is good liar and can fool her father and sisters just to save kweta au herself from trouble but with Flounder, it's different.

"Oh, okay," Ariel sighed. "I..find Eric to be very handsome-but wewe can't tell anyone! Especially Father, do wewe promise?"

"I won't tell anyone," alisema Flounder. Ariel smiled, knowing that she can trust kweta to keep her secret.

In the past, Melody never liked recess. Why would anyone want to play with a motherless kid? Whenever she saw a group of kids playing, and asked if she could join, one phrase, 'no motherless kids allowed,' broke her heart. Today is different, however.

"Do wewe guys want to play 'TV tag'"? Rose suggested.

"Sure!" alisema Omar.

"What's "tv tag"? Melody wondered.

"It is like tag, only except wewe have to squat down and say any name of a tv onyesha before the person who is 'it' tags you," Rose explained.

"Yeah, and wewe can only say each title once. wewe can't say "Futurama," twice otherwise, you'll get tagged," Omar added. Melody nodded in understanding. The three Marafiki began playing the game, starting with Omar being 'it'. ("Why am I always 'it'?" he grumbled). Rose and Melody laughed, having fun tricking Omar into not tagging them.

"You gotta catch me, faster!" Melody teased in a sing-song voice.

"Aw, man!" Omar whined. "I can't run fast!"

"Omar, wewe got to tag one of us, it's the rules of the game," alisema Rose in a matter-of-fact voice.

"How about I be 'it'?" Melody asked. "Would that make wewe feel better?"

"Okay," Omar beamed. Just then, a mean voice disrupted their fun.

"Why are wewe two playing with that loser?" Omar and the girls turned to see Anna, Joey, and Harry. The same kids that Melody met on her first day! Melody felt very small all the sudden.

"Back off, guys!" Rose barked. Omar didn't know who Anna, Joey, and Harry are but from their snickering looks, he could tell that they were mean. Besides, nobody calls his friend, a 'loser!'

"What do wewe guys got against her for?" He demanded. Anna, Joey, and Harry turned to Omar.

"None of your beeswax, brownie!" Joey sneered. Anna and Harry laughed. Omar, felt crushed, knowing that they were referring to his tone of skin. Hearing that remark, he was as mad as ever! Just before he could give them a 'knuckle-sandwhich,' Rose stepped in.

"Look guys! Stop picking on Omar and Melody! Go nyumbani if all y'all going to do is laugh like a bunch of hyenas! Go nyumbani and eat your undies! GO HOME!" The kengele rang, before Anna and the boys could throw another insult.

As they walked away, they shouted, "Fine, but don't blame us if wewe got tired of hanging out with a motherless twit!"

School ended and all the kids went nyumbani except for one sad little girl and two concerned little kids. Melody tried not to blink but tears still swell up in her eyes. She curled up into a fetal position on the steps and cried.

"Melody, don't let those dorks get to you," alisema Rose. She was sitting inayofuata to Melody and tried to comfort her kwa patting her shoulder.

"What was that about?" Omar asked, referring to the bullies' interference. He, too, was sitting inayofuata to Melody.

"...Kids make fun of her because she doesn't have a mommy," Rose sighed. No mother! Omar felt sorry for Melody. Nobody deserves to be treated like that!

Just then, he heard an angelic voice calling Melody.

"Then, who is that red-haired lady coming toward us?" Omar raised an eyebrow. The girls turned to see who Omar was looking at. It was Ariel! She didn't know why Melody looked so gloomy but she ran very quickly to her.

"What happened?" she asked. Melody tried to answer but her sobs fumbled up her words.

"Anna, Joey, and Harry mocked her for not having a mommy," Rose answered for Melody.

"If Melody doesn't have a mommy, then who are you?" Omar asked Ariel.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I'm Ariel, Melody's nanny," Ariel responded.

"Ah, I see," alisema Omar. Ariel, meanwhile, felt sad and mad. Sad, that Melody is hurt. Oh! How she hated to see her cry! Mad, that someone would have the nerve to treat Melody like this!

"We should talk to the principal about this!," alisema Ariel, firmly, as she took Melody and went inside the school building. Rose and Omar followed her.

"Good idea!" alisema Omar.

Why didn't I think of that? Rose pouted.

"But Ariel! What if he doesn't listen?" Melody worried. None of her school principals listened to her about her bully problems so why should this one care?

"Don't worry if he doesn't listen, we'll still fix it," Ariel answered.

Meanwhile, Eric, was eating lunch during lunch break with Aladin and Adam.

"Hey Eric," alisema Aladdin. "That cute blonde is checking wewe out!" Eric turned to see a pretty woman throwing him a flirty wink. He just alisema ignored her and turned back.

"Not interested." He replied. He knew that once he goes on a tarehe with the blonde woman, she'd be proposing marriage, and he'd freak out.

"Man, wewe need to get out," Aladin sighed. "You've been working too hard!"

"I don't need to get out," Eric retorted.

"Why not?" Adam asked, who just finished swallowing his food.

"I don't have time; I got a kid to feed!"

"Yes, but wewe need a break! wewe can't just sit in your office 24 hours a day, letting your life pass wewe by! wewe need someone someone special!" alisema Aladdin, waving his arms wildly. Eric just simply ignored him and took a sip from his water. Like he cared what Aladin said.

"You need a wife," Adam added.

Eric spit water out all over the table. ("Eww," alisema Aladdin.)

"A WIFE! Oh no! Nooo way! Not going to happen!" He shook his head and waved his arms, wildly.

"But Eric-"

"No guys, wewe don't understand. Women are nothing but trouble! They trick wewe into thinking they are princesses when in reality, they are witches-scratch that! Witches with a 'b'"!

"You think all women are like that?" Adam confronted.

"C'mon, Eric, name one woman that is anything NOT like Vanessa,"

Before Eric could say 'forget about it,' he remembered Ariel. He remembered the way she smiled, the way she comforted Melody from the almost-car crash, the way she alisema hello.

"...Ariel," he said.

"Oo la la! Who's Ariel?" Aladin smiled, wiggling his eyebrows.

"She's my nanny!" Eric said, feeling annoyed.

"So why are wewe blushing?" Adam smirked.

"I'm not blushing!" Eric claimed.

"Riiiight," alisema Aladdin. Eric, stood up and began to gather his half-eaten sandwich.

"Let's go, lunch is over!"

As he walked out, Adam turned to Aladdin.

"Looks like he probably found someone!" Aladin agreed.