Journal, Day 103

The benefactor and younger children took an outdoor jaunt for circulation and to exercise the canine. Midway through, the sky, already slate and brooding, split and began to drip down upon them. In the midst of returning back to the homestead, a stray cat began to pursue the canine, forcing the benefactor to eventually pick up the small, scared mutt and carry her home. Upon their return, the benefactor prepared a meal, and a special, icy concoction known as ‘frozen hot cocoa’. All of the children sat in quiet happiness, slowly sipping their dessert.
 
The next day, the benefactor and younger children returned home to find a variety of items curiously scattered amidst the dining room, including a machine used to smooth wrinkles from cloth. The benefactor began an inquisition into the strange mess when the elder children arrived home. The elder male, upon arrival, announced that he had burned his torso, displaying a small, red welt upon his stomach. This led the benefactor to ask if he had attempted to steam the wrinkles out of the fabric as he wore his shirt. After several firm denials, and with giggly embarrassment, he finally hung his head to confess that he had, in fact, used himself as a steam rack. This left the benefactor stymied and shaking her head in silence. Her faith in his future survival continues to diminish.
 
In the morning, there was indecision and infighting. The youngest female, asked to wake the younger male with gentle quiet, peacefully entered his room and yelled for him to rise at the top of her lungs, waking the entire household. Affronted by her noisy ways, the younger male hid under a blanket to protect himself from her onslaught. The benefactor stepped at precisely the perfect moment before the situation spiraled out of control. After managing to dress themselves, the pair then meandered downstairs in search of sustenance, both deciding they wanted the exact same hot cereal, for which the ration was low. A heated argument ensued, and the benefactor had to step as negotiator for distribution. In the end, the younger child conceded the breakfast in exchange for an extra snack.
 
Before rushing to be on their way, the youngest female wrapped her arms around the benefactor, just to share affection and joy. She pulled a plastic ring emblazoned with a superhero symbol from her pocket, and told the benefactor to keep it, ‘to remember her always’. The benefactor assured her she was indeed impossible to forget. It is moments like this that remind the benefactor that in the midst of such chaos and storm that rainbows thrive.