Stephen C. Satterly, II – Author

Well, hello there! Steve, the narrator, here. Today, we find Haimish in an uncomfortable position. He has to do a chore. A chore is a job that your parents have you do around the house. A house requires a lot of upkeep, meaning a lot of work to keep it clean. Our story begins with Ma Haimish walking into Haimish’s bedroom as Haimish is walking down the hall.

“Haimish?” Ma says. “Where air ya goan?”

Haimish tries to look innocent. “Ah’m goan outside ta play, Ma.”

Ma looks around the room. “Haimish, come ‘ere, please.”

Haimish slowly walks back into his room. “What’s the craic, Ma?” (What’s happening. Ma?)

Ma grows stern and wags her finger at Haimish. “Doan ya ‘What’s the craic’ me, ya wee bampot! (you little scamp!) What chore was it I gae ya?” (What chore did I give you?)

Haimish looks everywhere but at his ma. ” I was supposed tae pick up mae toys.”

Ma bends over, picks up a toy, and shows it to Haimish. “Then wut is this?”

Haimish hangs his head. “A toy.”

Ma tosses the toy onto the floor in front of Haimish. “How cannae pick up a toy if ya did yer chore proper?” (How can I pick up a toy if you did your chore properly?)

Ma continued. “Look around, me bairn. Air there any other toys on the floor?”

Haimish looked around. “Och, aye.”

Ma pet her hands on her hips. “Haimish, me bonnie lad, when is a job done?”

Haimish, frowning, looked at his ma. “When the job is done proper.”

Ma pointed out another truth to Haimish. “What took longer, doin the chore right, or the way ya done it, eh?”

Haimish was really quiet. “The way ah done it.”

Ma moved close to Haimish and put her arm around his shoulder. “Och, aye, me bairn. Ya messed wi’ yer play time, which got me scunnered (disappointed), but ya can make it right, eh?”

Haimish looked up at his ma. “Och, aye, Ma! Ah can make it right!”

Ma smiled. “That’s a good laddie! I hear Penelope and Lola fussin’, so I must be off. Finish yer chore and go play!”

Haimish runs up to Ma and gives her a hug.

“I luvs ya true, Ma!”

“I luv ya true, Haimish.” Ma says.

As she leaves, Roman and Stevie run into the room and start playing around. Haimish finishes picking up his toys.

Roman asks, “What’s the craic, Haimish?”

Haimish says, “Ah’m doin’ mae chore.”

Stevie asks, “How dae ya ken yer done? (How do you know when you’re done?)”

Haimish says, “When it’s done proper.”

Roman and Stevie stopped and looked at Haimish. “Proper?” Roman asked.

“Proper,” Says Haimish.

Roman and Stevie looked at each other, then started dancing around Haimish, singing, “Proper, proper, proper…”

Haimish picked up his last toy and put it away. He turned around, raised his arms like a monster and growled, “Ah’ll proper ya into mae belly! Argh!” He began chasing Roman and Stevie around the room. Roman and Stevie run out the door and down the hallway, chased by the growling Haimish.

Discussion

So there you have it. Haimish didn’t do his chore right, so what happened?

What does it mean to say, “The job isn’t done until it’s done proper?”

What kind of chores do you do at your house?