The cockerel crowed loudly but Raisa and Raina were already up and ready for their morning raid. Outside the house in the courtyard was a huge mango tree loaded with ripe golden yellow mangoes. The girls both ran to the tree with an empty cloth bag. Raina climed up the tree and waited for Raisa to point out the mangoes that looked ripest. “There, to your left” called out Raisa. They worked together to pluck a dozen then walked back home, hand in hand, with their stash.
Back home Raina headed to the bathroom to get ready for school while Raisa headed to the kitchen. Raisa quickly took out the fresh mangoes and after washing them under the tap put them to rest in a large bucket of cold water. She put the coffee in the coffee machine like she had seen mamma do so many times. Then she went to get ready for school as Raina was done. Raina came ot the kitchen and quickly peeled four mangoes and diced them into neat little pieces. Coffee was now ready, black for papa and with just a couple of teaspoons of milk for mamma. Next she peeled two more mangoes and sliced them into slimmer pieces. These went into buttered slices of multigrain bread. By the time Raina returned with the greeting card, that the girls had secretly prepared last night, breakfast was ready and the kitchen looked like it hadn’t even been used, it was spotless. They arranged the breakfast on a tray and went and sat on the dining table enjoying a glass of cold milk with the mango sandwiches that Raisa had prepared.
Mamma and papa finally woke up. As they opened the door of the bedroom they saw the girls sitting peacefully and eating their mango sandwiches. The girls looked up and gave them a disapproving look “how much you guys sleep?! And that too on you wedding anniversary”. Mamma rushed over to hug them both and then papa was also there. “Good morning, I smell coffee and some mischeivious elves” he said before pouncing on all three girls and tickling them all at once. It was a good day and yes mamma and papa were right, waking up early did feel happier.