Kimberly came in the back door just as her mother was putting the steaks in the oven. “Geez, mom, it sure is windy out there. I’ve just got to wash this mop of mine.”
“Yeah, maybe you should, Kim,” Natalie replied as she peeled some
potatoes. “Why don’t you just take a bath while you’re at it?”
As she got some cookies from the jar, she commented, “Well, I am
a little dirty. I probably will.” Kimberly munched the cookies as she went upstairs.
“Oh, Kim,” mom called after her, “don’t bother your brother.”
Kim called down from the stairs, “Why would I ever want to?”
As she got upstairs, she entered the bathroom and shut the door. Within minutes the water was running. She took a bath. And while she emersed herself in the water, she read a magazine.
As she finished the story she was reading, she got out of the tub, opened the door, and called downstairs, “Hey, mom, can you wash my hair?” She received an “I’m busy right now” answer back. Dismayed, Kim closed the door and emersed herself back into the water.
“Oh, what the hell,” she thought, “I’ll read another story.”
Meanwhile shortly, in the kitchen, as Natalie was mashing the potatoes, she called her son. “Hey, Mark, could you come in here?”
Mark entered the kitchen. “What you want now? I was reading a book.”
“Since I’m busy, Mark,” she said, “why don’t you go up and wash your sister’s hair?”
“Geez, mom,” Mark blurted, “do I have too? You know how fussy she is.”
“Well, unless you want to eat at ten tonight,” Natalie retorted.
“Oh, all right,” he protested, “but I won’t really enjoy it.