Writing: Alternate Lullaby
I felt like most of the entries for the lullaby contest were depressing or eerie. Maybe that's somewhat my fault for what I started off with. I made an alternate Lullaby entry. Just for the sake of making a less depressing one... -_-;;
A big responsibility had been placed on five year old Lawrence's shoulders. He understood that his mother was pregnant, that the baby was in her belly and when she had the baby he would be a big brother. He took this responsibility seriously for his age.
He asked what it was a big brother did and his grandmother told him, “Well, Lawrence, as a big brother you look out for your little brother or sister and you take care of them.”
It was late at night, after Lawrence had gone to bed, that his mother and father went off to the hospital. When he woke up that morning his grandparents were there to tell him. “Your mother just had the babies.” And off to the hospital they went.
Law didn't catch the plural of “babies” until they arrived at the hospital. His mother was in bed holding one of the babies and his father sitting next to her with another one. “Lawrence, do you want to come meet your baby brother?”
“I have a brother?” Lawrence asked, excited, confused.
“And a sister.” His mother told him. “They're twins Lawrence.”
“You didn't tell me there were two.” Law said, as he cautiously approached his father.
“Your brother was a surprise.” His mother said. Upon looking at his new born brother face Law had a bit of doubt about them.
They didn't look like the babies he'd seen. A look of concern came to his face as he informed his father, “They don't look very cute.” The adults laughed.
“Well, they were just born, Lawrence.” His father said.
His mother shook her head. “Well, I think they're beautiful. Do you want to see your sister?” She asked. Lawrence walked over to her and his grandfather helped him up onto the bed. He looked at the scrunched up face of his little sister.
“They look the same.” He said, sounding disappointed. They chuckled. “But I like them.” He added.
“This is Ivy and your brother there is Ives.” His mother said.
“They're okay I guess.” He said and took his sister's hand. “She's small.”
“You were small too when you were born. Maybe not as small as them.” Law didn't say anything. Everyone in the room seemed lulled by the new arrivals (or tired). Law's mom began to hum a song. A song the twins and Lawrence would come to know as the sunshine song.
Lawrence would hear it multiple times over the course of the next weeks. On their way home from the hospital, when the babies were being fed, soothed or put to bed.
It was a cloudy Monday, the babies were in their baskets in the living room and Law was on the couch. His mother was through the archway, between the living room and dining room, on the phone.
Lawrence wanted to be a good big brother, but it was hard. Especially with two babies. He was learning quickly that when one started crying the other would cry. They did a lot together without meaning to. Ivy started to whine. Law sighed and crawled off the couch. “Shh.” He told her. “Mom's on the phone.” Of course, she didn't respond to that and Law's mother had tried to explain to him that they didn't respond to being shushed. Ivy, especially, didn't like being shushed. Her whine turned into a cry and Law felt like it was his fault.
Behind them Law's mother told the person on the phone that she had to go. By time she hung up the phone the crying had died down. She heard the somewhat unsure voice of her eldest singing. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. When you're not happy, my skies are gray. You'll never know...Ivy... how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away.”
“That was very good, Lawrence.” His mother said. He jumped a little. “I should have you sing to them more often.” She walked over to the couch. “You're the best big brother.” She told him. That made him smile. He was the best big brother.
-Break-
The twins were transitioning to middle school. In the midsts of this, Ivy was having the usual drama with her best friend, Jasmine. They were meeting new people and didn't have a lot of classes together. Ives was fairing better, seeing as he wasn't as dramatic as his sister. He was quiet and more focused on Karate. He was trying to catch up with his peers and earn a green belt.
Lawrence had just started highschool, but he wasn't stressed. He sat on the back porch of their house and watched the afternoon roll in. He was feeling pretty good after getting a three day suspension.
The first day at highschool, few realized that Lawrence was a freshman. He was already pretty tall, nearing six foot. The second day the older students tried to get their bullying in on him. A four foot ten inch Junior had attempted to come up behind him and cut his hair off. Law flipped around, grabbed the kid by the back of the head and slammed the junior's face into the lockers. The kids nose bled all over the place.
Lawrence wasn't sure if his reflexes were due to having attempted several martial arts over the years or if a junior in the freshman wing was painfully suspicious. Either way, he felt victorious and kind of cool.
He was feeling pretty good when Ivy came running through the house, flung out the back sliding door and landed in his lap. She was a frantic mess. “Jas hates me. She doesn't want to be friends at all. She said I didn't call her back, but I called her back...” She sobbed. He put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her up.
“Shh, there, there. You know she's just saying that.”
Ivy sat up next to Law. “She sounded really mad. She said she was going to go hang out with Alex and there and Alex were going to have a slumber party this weekend.”
“You know how she is. She'll see the light.”
Ivy sniffled and sat quietly for a few minutes. Jasmine had been her best friend since first grade. She knew better. She leaned on Law. “Sing the sunshine song.”
“What?”
“Please.”
Law sighed. “Fine.” He cleared his throat, then began to sing,
“The other night, as I lay sleeping. I dreamed I held you in my arms. But when I awoke, I was mistaken. So I hung my head and I cried. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away.” Law'd learned all the lyrics to the song. Ivy liked the chorus. Ives liked the verses- maybe because Cash seemed vengeful. “I'll always love you and make you happy, If you will only say the same. But if you leave me and love another. You'll regret it all some day. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away. You told me once, dear, you really loved me, and no one else could come between. But now you've left me and love another; you have shattered all of my dreams.”
Ivy sang the chorus with him, “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away.” But she didn't know the verses.
“In all my dreams, dear,...” There was a crash of the dropping duffel bag sort. Ives, slung the sliding door open. He still had his Karate Gi (uniform) on under his coat. He stomped down the porch steps and sat on the edge of the porch. Law shook his head and tried to remember where he was. “In all my dreams, dear, you seem to leave me. When I awake my poor heart pains. So when you come back and make me happy, I'll forgive you dear. I'll take all the blame.”
Ivy joined him again. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.” She stood up and walked up behind Ives. She embraced her twin from behind. “You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away.”
Notes: I don't think this song is exactly a lullaby. I always imagined this song would be somehow incorporated with Law's character. If this could be considered a lullaby, it would probably be my favorite. I used Cash's version of the song, I think.
A big responsibility had been placed on five year old Lawrence's shoulders. He understood that his mother was pregnant, that the baby was in her belly and when she had the baby he would be a big brother. He took this responsibility seriously for his age.
He asked what it was a big brother did and his grandmother told him, “Well, Lawrence, as a big brother you look out for your little brother or sister and you take care of them.”
It was late at night, after Lawrence had gone to bed, that his mother and father went off to the hospital. When he woke up that morning his grandparents were there to tell him. “Your mother just had the babies.” And off to the hospital they went.
Law didn't catch the plural of “babies” until they arrived at the hospital. His mother was in bed holding one of the babies and his father sitting next to her with another one. “Lawrence, do you want to come meet your baby brother?”
“I have a brother?” Lawrence asked, excited, confused.
“And a sister.” His mother told him. “They're twins Lawrence.”
“You didn't tell me there were two.” Law said, as he cautiously approached his father.
“Your brother was a surprise.” His mother said. Upon looking at his new born brother face Law had a bit of doubt about them.
They didn't look like the babies he'd seen. A look of concern came to his face as he informed his father, “They don't look very cute.” The adults laughed.
“Well, they were just born, Lawrence.” His father said.
His mother shook her head. “Well, I think they're beautiful. Do you want to see your sister?” She asked. Lawrence walked over to her and his grandfather helped him up onto the bed. He looked at the scrunched up face of his little sister.
“They look the same.” He said, sounding disappointed. They chuckled. “But I like them.” He added.
“This is Ivy and your brother there is Ives.” His mother said.
“They're okay I guess.” He said and took his sister's hand. “She's small.”
“You were small too when you were born. Maybe not as small as them.” Law didn't say anything. Everyone in the room seemed lulled by the new arrivals (or tired). Law's mom began to hum a song. A song the twins and Lawrence would come to know as the sunshine song.
Lawrence would hear it multiple times over the course of the next weeks. On their way home from the hospital, when the babies were being fed, soothed or put to bed.
It was a cloudy Monday, the babies were in their baskets in the living room and Law was on the couch. His mother was through the archway, between the living room and dining room, on the phone.
Lawrence wanted to be a good big brother, but it was hard. Especially with two babies. He was learning quickly that when one started crying the other would cry. They did a lot together without meaning to. Ivy started to whine. Law sighed and crawled off the couch. “Shh.” He told her. “Mom's on the phone.” Of course, she didn't respond to that and Law's mother had tried to explain to him that they didn't respond to being shushed. Ivy, especially, didn't like being shushed. Her whine turned into a cry and Law felt like it was his fault.
Behind them Law's mother told the person on the phone that she had to go. By time she hung up the phone the crying had died down. She heard the somewhat unsure voice of her eldest singing. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. When you're not happy, my skies are gray. You'll never know...Ivy... how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away.”
“That was very good, Lawrence.” His mother said. He jumped a little. “I should have you sing to them more often.” She walked over to the couch. “You're the best big brother.” She told him. That made him smile. He was the best big brother.
-Break-
The twins were transitioning to middle school. In the midsts of this, Ivy was having the usual drama with her best friend, Jasmine. They were meeting new people and didn't have a lot of classes together. Ives was fairing better, seeing as he wasn't as dramatic as his sister. He was quiet and more focused on Karate. He was trying to catch up with his peers and earn a green belt.
Lawrence had just started highschool, but he wasn't stressed. He sat on the back porch of their house and watched the afternoon roll in. He was feeling pretty good after getting a three day suspension.
The first day at highschool, few realized that Lawrence was a freshman. He was already pretty tall, nearing six foot. The second day the older students tried to get their bullying in on him. A four foot ten inch Junior had attempted to come up behind him and cut his hair off. Law flipped around, grabbed the kid by the back of the head and slammed the junior's face into the lockers. The kids nose bled all over the place.
Lawrence wasn't sure if his reflexes were due to having attempted several martial arts over the years or if a junior in the freshman wing was painfully suspicious. Either way, he felt victorious and kind of cool.
He was feeling pretty good when Ivy came running through the house, flung out the back sliding door and landed in his lap. She was a frantic mess. “Jas hates me. She doesn't want to be friends at all. She said I didn't call her back, but I called her back...” She sobbed. He put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her up.
“Shh, there, there. You know she's just saying that.”
Ivy sat up next to Law. “She sounded really mad. She said she was going to go hang out with Alex and there and Alex were going to have a slumber party this weekend.”
“You know how she is. She'll see the light.”
Ivy sniffled and sat quietly for a few minutes. Jasmine had been her best friend since first grade. She knew better. She leaned on Law. “Sing the sunshine song.”
“What?”
“Please.”
Law sighed. “Fine.” He cleared his throat, then began to sing,
“The other night, as I lay sleeping. I dreamed I held you in my arms. But when I awoke, I was mistaken. So I hung my head and I cried. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away.” Law'd learned all the lyrics to the song. Ivy liked the chorus. Ives liked the verses- maybe because Cash seemed vengeful. “I'll always love you and make you happy, If you will only say the same. But if you leave me and love another. You'll regret it all some day. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away. You told me once, dear, you really loved me, and no one else could come between. But now you've left me and love another; you have shattered all of my dreams.”
Ivy sang the chorus with him, “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away.” But she didn't know the verses.
“In all my dreams, dear,...” There was a crash of the dropping duffel bag sort. Ives, slung the sliding door open. He still had his Karate Gi (uniform) on under his coat. He stomped down the porch steps and sat on the edge of the porch. Law shook his head and tried to remember where he was. “In all my dreams, dear, you seem to leave me. When I awake my poor heart pains. So when you come back and make me happy, I'll forgive you dear. I'll take all the blame.”
Ivy joined him again. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.” She stood up and walked up behind Ives. She embraced her twin from behind. “You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away.”
Notes: I don't think this song is exactly a lullaby. I always imagined this song would be somehow incorporated with Law's character. If this could be considered a lullaby, it would probably be my favorite. I used Cash's version of the song, I think.