Tay's Day

• Maddie Fifita, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2008

Tay woke to be greeted by yet another gloomy summer’s day.
Honestly, he thought to himself- could you actually call this summer?
“Tay it’s breakfast time. Hurry up or you’re going to be late again,” His mum said, standing in the doorway to his shamefully messy bedroom.
“Mmmeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh” He groaned, his face pressed into his pillow.
“Oo I aa oo o ool?” Came Tay’s crackling, slow voice from somewhere beneath the bed covers.
“Yes, you have to go to school Tay, you’ve missed enough school to last you a life time” Answered his mum in return, now a master at decoding what she liked to call ‘Tay’s Morning Tongue’, which was the whole English language minus consonants. As was his little brother who had come to realise that ‘Tay’s Morning Tongue’ was becoming more common when Tay got home from school as well.
Nice try
Tay slowly slid out of bed and landed on the floor with a thump. Too tired to even get up, he crawled along the carpet of his bedroom to the washing basket that must have once been home to clean washing- now, a gross tangle of what Tay hoped was only clothes. After a short while of rummaging and holding his breath, he sighted a rolled ball of socks, which he prayed were matching, no matter how unlikely he knew the possibility. Too scared to bring his nose within 30cm of the toxic looking ‘socks’ that had been rolled inside out so as to fool Tay’s mum- Tay ended up fooling himself.
One down- three to go.
Getting dressed from the bottom up, Tay liked to think made him special. Next, school shorts. It seemed a little pointless wearing his summer uniform when it was clearly not summer, but some twisted figure of power’s attempt at a joke.
In the basket? Nah, too scared. Drawers? Maybe.
For the first time that day, Tay stood up and in a zombie-like fashion walked towards the chest of drawers on the other side of the bedroom. Instinctively, he opened the first drawer to find old chewing gum wrappers, one pink sock, gel, a receipt for a chocolate bar, chewed gum and an assortment of comics.
Wrong Drawer
Second drawer. His school tie, board shorts and school shorts.
Bingo
Finally, Tay had made his way up to his school shirt. He couldn’t be bothered going through the same gruesome process of looking for it that he did for his school shorts. Already, he had done a day’s physical activity within ten minutes. This was all too much for him. Instead, he opted for the easy way out…
“MUM! Where’d you put my shirt? It’s not up here because I’ve looked EVERYWHERE! I’m not going to school unless you can find it! ”
Ahh, this is the life thought Tay.
“If I come up there and find it- you’ll have hell to pay Tay!” Yelled back Tay’s frustrated mum (Ms. Josie Rockerman) between her angry footsteps coming down the hall.
She walked straight into the room accompanied by Tay’s half dressed little brother- Jay, marched over to Tay’s bed and pulled out his pale blue school polo shirt from beneath his mattress. It never ceased to amaze him the ability she had to find almost anything, anywhere. Even when Tay actually had looked for it!
She only finds stuff because then she has a reason to yell at me Tay reasoned with himself.
After Ms. Rockerman’s signature look- an evil eye, pursed lips and furrowed brow was aimed in Tay’s direction, Tay couldn’t help but admire the effect she had on people. Already he felt guilty.
God, she’s good! Oh well, no use putting it off any longer. Gotta face the inevitable now, don’t I? School…