The Mission

"Get off of that couch! I paid good money for that plastic cover and I don't need you ruining it." she said pointing her finger while a nerve pulsated in the middle of her forehead.  No one knew how to get under her skin better than Suri. She would watch that little girl instigate all sorts of situations with the only goal being to 'get a rise out of Grandma.'

Suri knew that no one could be as serious and tight lipped as Grandma and not be able to smile and laugh from time to time- and worst case scenario if she couldn't make her smile, she'd settle for making her mad. There was nothing she loved more than being able to touch a side of Grandma none of the other kids could reach. Life in a foster home could get so dull that the thought of counting the strands of hair on her head seemed quite intriguing. But Grandma's eyes made it all worth while. It was as if the entire Milky Way galaxy resided in her eyes and twinkled ever so softly. She carried the weight of the world in the corners of her mouth and would boast how easy that was by simply flashing a smile once in a while. She could do it all- anything. Yet she chose to spend her days feeding the forgotten babies of yesterday in hopes that they would become the unforgettables of tomorrow. They all felt permanently indebted to her because of it. She was the embodiment of purpose and they all needed desperately to follow her lead. But Suri was never one for  'follow the leader' and found it difficult to obey authority even if the authority figure was heaven sent.

"We were just sitting here and hanging out. Dang.What's the point of having a couch if c'aint nobody sit on it?" Suri replied sucking her teeth. 
"Don't back talk me! I want y' all out of this sittin' area right now! Y'all aint gonna ruin the only nice place of respite I have left in this house." she walked off hurriedly with steam fuming from her head while she held her hand on her hip. 
" C'mon yall', Suri directed. " We'll go hang in the backyard." 
The others followed her eagerly. They knew all of the action took place in the backyard. The backyard was their private office space. While the little ones ran and played, they would plot out their next mission- to escape.