Spring Cleaning (fiction, family life)

It was Saturday. Not just any Saturday. It was the first Saturday that it hadn't rained in a month. And it was spring. Time for baseball!
“Can I go over Ryan’s house today?” I asked my mom.
She said, “No, Ben.” I had to help with spring cleaning.
“How about if I pitch a clean sweep at Ryan’s house?”
She just scowled. She has no sense of humor.
We started with the yard, since it was so sunny out. Mom trimmed branches and I piled them up by the street curb. Dad raked and my little brother Jack picked up the little rocks off the yard that the snow plow pushed there.
After a couple hours of that, we worked on the garage. While Mom and dad moved stuff out of the way, Jack and I swept the greasy, grimy floor.
When it was almost lunchtime, Mom said that Jack could be done, since he was only eight. I wanted to be done, too. Ryan wanted to practice pitching.
“Mom," I asked, "Can I go to Ryan’s after lunch?”
She looked at me, and my clothes, and sighed. I just knew she was going to give me one more chore.
“Yes, Ben” she said, “But I have one more spring cleaning job for you.”
I knew she was going to say that.
“Please take an April shower!”
Okay, I guess she has a little sense of humor!

copyright 2009 Dawn Bonnevie