(Class IX Story Writing Competition: One of the Best Three Stories)Vidhi Dev, Class IX A
Tara had a problem, a very strange problem. Like every other problem she had, it involved her bratty younger brother, Shrey. Her family had recently moved to a smaller apartment, where she had to share a room with him. She had tried very hard to persuade her parents to let her stay in a different room. But it was to no avail.
So, Tara shared a room with Shrey. Now, coming to the problem, Tara discovered something. Her brother was not a light sleeper. He snored. But even worse, he talked in his sleep. It would’ve been fine had it been just nonsensical garbage. But unfortunately that wasn’t the case. Every night, it was different. He would recite pi or deliver Martin Luther Jr.’s famous speech ‘I have a dream’. He would sing songs ranging from the national anthem of the United States to the harvest songs of the farmers. And how can you sleep when that’s going on?
Tara was done. She was fed up. She was annoyed. But most of all, she was exhausted from getting no sleep. She tried telling her parents, but they would hear none of it. She had no choice but to go to Aunt Stella. Her aunt could help with any problem, no matter how big. She was basically the go – to person for everyone in the family. ‘She has a solution for every problem. No matter how weird it is, her solutions are even weirder!’
Thinking this, Tara immediately rang up Aunt Stella and filled her in on the problem. Her aunt listened intently and when Tara was done talking, Stella told her what her plan was. Upon hearing it, Tara was baffled. She highly doubted that it would work and expressed her concern to her aunt. On hearing them, Aunt Stella reassured her, “I know it seems like it won’t work, but believe me honey, it will”. Tara was still skeptical but she agreed to give it a try. What did she have to lose anyway?
That night, Tara waited for Shrey to fall asleep. He did and in less than half an hour, he was reciting the Gettysburg Address. That was her cue. Tara picked up her Hindi course book and started reading out the poems loudly. And surprisingly, that shut her brother up. Wonders never cease!
Tara could finally sleep peacefully at night for her brother never sleep-talked again. And she had her eccentric Aunt Stella to thank for it!
