Under the Bed

Under the Bed
James, Mary, and Mathew were all relaxing Sunday night when momma started yelling for them to come and help her look for their baby brother, Michael. James and Mathew were watching football while Mary was on the phone with her boyfriend. Momma had been looking for Michael for twenty minutes with success and because mom wasn’t having any luck finding him on her own, so it was time for the three teenagers to help look. This wasn’t the first time he decided to hide and scare the hell out of mom who always relived that horrible day.
Mom had lost her baby sister when she was a child, losing Michael always panicked her. Little Alisha was walking home one warm August afternoon when she disappeared. She was never seen again, and mom watched grandma cry herself into an early grave, never knowing what happened to her baby girl. Momma feared this would happen to us too, so she was real protective when her kids were younger. But she didn’t worry much anymore about the older children now. Mary, Mathew, and James were in their teens and could take care of themselves. Michael was only five years old, the same age as Alisha when she disappeared. So off the teenagers went in their usual directions to search for the brat. James headed outside to check the tree house, Mary headed upstairs to look, and Mathew looked downstairs. The huge Victorian house had hundreds of places for the little munchkin to hide.
Michael was getting better at hiding and it was taking longer to find him. Every time he did his disappearing act, his mother’s anxiety heightened to a new level. She was on the verge of tears this time, and James was worried she was about to call the police again. Last she called, it was a false alarm because by the time the police came, they had found him. He was hiding in the big armoire in the sitting room. The officer was a bit upset about coming out for nothing, but relieved that the child was found. Needless to say, the teenagers didn’t want that to happen again. The whole neighborhood came out to witness the event, and some were laughing.
Mom had a reputation as a paranoid woman who was way too overprotective. Her children were never allowed to play outside the yard or go to friend’s house not even the neighbor’s house. After about twenty minutes of looking around the house Mary, Mathew, and James reconvened at the bottom of the stairs. Mary had checked the bathroom tubs, the closets, and bedrooms upstairs, but no sign of Michael. James had checked outside all around the house, as it was passed 8:p.m. and dark outside, he was pretty sure Michael wasn’t out. The darkness would have sent him in. Mathew had checked the downstairs bathrooms, closets, and, of course, the armoire. No luck in those places either. Mom started to head for the phone, but the teenagers begged her to give them a little more time to find Michael.
The all knew he was in the house somewhere, so they decided to go upstairs and check again. Mary said she hadn’t checked mom’s room very well, so they started there. Mary checked the closed, Mathew the bathroom, and James stood at the door listening. He thought he heard snoring coming from in the room somewhere, but no one was in the bed. Mom’s bed was low. There was no way Michael could fit under there and hide. Or could he? James thought to himself as he got to his knees, lifted the edge of the quilt, and peeked under the bed. To his surprise, there was Michael, thumb in his mouth, sound asleep. James laughed as he called his mother and the others over. Mary and Mathew looked at each other, and grinned mom came to the door outta breath from her dash up the stairs.
James gently pulled his brother from under the bed and held him in his arms. Mom looked at her baby, sleeping so peacefully. She was so relieved, but she wanted to yank him up and scold him for scaring her half to death. But his little face looked so angelic, his hair falling on his little forehead. His eyes moving so fast under their lids his mother could only guess what he was dreaming about. James started to head for Michael’s room to put him in his bed. Mom followed them down the hall watching her older son so easily carrying his little brother to bed. She was so thankful to have all her children with her. James pulled back Michael’s spider-man blanket and tucked him in. James hurried back downstairs to catch the end of the football game. Mom stood over Michael for a moment, then she leaned over and kissed his cheek” goodnight big boy” she whispered.
She turned and headed for the door, flicked off the lights, and shut the door behind her. She headed for the kitchen to finish the dinner dishes.