Stories · Curiosities · Questionable Ideas · Rather a Lot of Imagination · Farah Sam · Author & Creator ·
Home Is Where The Heart Is
The hard, physical work of scrubbing away the dust of the past begins. Mum and the teenagers spend the day washing walls, mopping old floorboards, and cleaning every corner, transforming the cold house into a space that is truly theirs.
THE STAR FAMILY BLOG
Farah Sam
12/17/20212 min read
Diary Entry: Wednesday
Zen level: Grounded and physically exhausted
Chapters written: 1/4 page (written with a very tired hand)
Current status: Covered in plaster dust but smiling through the fatigue
My hands are dry, my shoulders are aching, and I am fairly certain I have plaster dust in my eyelashes. Today was a day of intense, hands-on physical effort. Armed with buckets of hot soapy water, vinegar, rags, and mops, we set out to scrub every single wall, window pane, and old wooden floorboard in the house.
Farhaan was in charge of the heavy mopping, whistling a cheerful tune as he worked his way down the long hallway, while Yasmeen cleaned the high window frames in her room, her phone playing a lively playlist to keep our energy up.
Little Ariadne wanted to be near the water. Because she gets cold easily and cannot speak to tell us, I dressed her in thick wool tights and a long-sleeve knit sweater before letting her near the clean-up zone. I set up a low basin of warm, soapy water on a drop cloth.
Yasmeen looked over, wanting to help her sister join in. "Mum, how can she help without getting completely soaked or eating the soap?"
"Give her a clean yellow sponge," I instructed. "Sit beside her and show her how to squeeze it." Yasmeen knelt down, and hand-over-hand, guided Ariadne's small hands to squeeze the soft sponge, letting her feel the warm water trickle through her fingers.
Suddenly, Ariadne began to cry, reaching her wet hands out. I dried her quickly, wrapped her in a warm towel, and pointed her to her low table where a croissant and apple slices were waiting. She grabbed the croissant by herself, her crying stopping instantly. To celebrate our hard work, Farhaan surprised us by bringing out a fresh, warm coconut cake he had secretly baked.
Closing: When the buckets were put away and the clean floorboards were drying in the quiet evening, I sat on my mat in the center of the clean living room. I took a deep, physical exhale, letting the day's physical exhaustion melt away into the floor. I did a series of gentle shoulder rolls and neck stretches, breathing slowly and deeply, letting my mind settle into the beautiful, clean silence of our home.