4 Tradition

"You can't keep running away."

Jasmine opened her eyes as the rays of sunlight shone through her window to rest mindfully on her angelic face.

'Again.' She thought.

She had been having this dream for as long as she could remember. That deep voice that said the same thing over and over and over again.

It had always been the same dream, perhaps nightmare. It never changed.

She had thought about it, but nothing. She couldn't figure out anything.

It was like, the only dream she had had more than once, and she couldn't fool herself it was normal.

She was pulled out of thought by the knock on her door.

Her husky voice croaked out permission and the door opened.

"Good morning, Ma'am."

"Tell Gemma I won't be going to work today." She said as she got off the bed and into the bathroom.

Her bath was already fixed.

A couple of maids rushed in to help her bath, but she waved them away.

Jasmine lay with her head thrown back, and her eyes closed.

Again, she had her phone at her side, ready for the calls Gemma would put through any minute from now... Her phone beeped, but she didn't even open her eyes. She was pretty sure it wasn't Gemma. She meant any minute from now, not every millisecond from now.

It could be no one else, but Kimberly, who else would text her so early in the Morning? She just decided to ignore it for later.

After going through series of phone calls, something she wouldn't normally do, but just did to while away time, she got off the bathtub, and wrapped a towel round her body.

She lay back down when she got dressed and snatched up the phone from her night-stand at once.

'Morning, Sleepy Head.' Kimberly.

'Ha! Look who's talking. Morning.' Jasmine.

And Kimberley sat up on her bed. She had been waiting for Jasmine to text her back with her phone in hand. It was like a tradition for the Reigns to call each other morning and night, but it was slowly dwindling as everyone was pre-occupied in his or her life.

'Ready for the picnic?' Kimberly.

'What if I say 'no'?' Jasmine.

'I'll come to your house with a bouquet of flowers.' Kimberly.

'Then it's good I'm fairly ready.' Jasmine.

Kimberly chuckled. Why couldn't she ever admit to being fully excited? It wasn't a Crime.

'You know what I'm thinking?' Kimberly.

'We're busy, but together?' Jasmine.

'How did you know?!' Kimberly.

'Someone with an abysmal memory wouldn't stop saying it.' Jasmine.

'I wonder who that is!'

'I know, right? Me, too.'

"Fool!" Jasmine's lips pulled up a little at the corner.

'You seem to always know what I'm thinking.' Kimberly.

'So?' Jasmine.

'You think it's a twin thing?' Kimberly.

'No.' Jasmine.

'You should be a Psychologist then.' Kimberly.

'Late suggestion.' Jasmine.

'Never too late to go back to School.' Kimberly.

'Go with me.' Jasmine.

'Sorry, Sis, I'm a big girl.' Kimberly.

'Cough, cough, stupid was omitted, achoo!' Jasmine.

'You're always getting on my nerves!' Kimberly typed, though she was laughing out loud.

This Sister of hers had many sides.

'Too much talk.' Jasmine.

'Hey, wait!' Kimberly.

'Un-su-ccess-ful.' Jasmine.

Kimberly laughed again. What a Moron! Unsuccessful indeed, when she was texting her right back.

Jasmine's phone rang, and she glanced at the screen.

Mom.

"You don't sound excited. Anything the matter?"

"Is anything supposed to be?"

"Oh, no, I just thought you would be thrilled about the Picnic. You sound like you're still in bed... Do you even remember?"

"I don't have Amnesia," she rolled her eyes, "or you want me to write it on the sky lines?"

Hazel shook her head, she was at her sarcasm again. "You answered one question."

"I probably need a Halo before you decide just how thrilled I might be." She replied sarcastically, tucking a strand of her wet hair behind her ear, "you sound stressed."

"You mean excited." Hazel corrected, her lips tugging up in a bright smile.

"Or crazy?" Jasmine shrugged, saying the best alternative she could think of.

Hazel's smile gently dropped as she said, "watch it, Young Lady."

Jasmine turned to the side. "You have better things to do, other than disturb me." She said, feeling the need to rest before the stress started; Kimberly wouldn't let her rest.

"The only thing I have to do Today, is disturb my Babies."

"Good, go disturb your other babies. I need rest."

The line went dead without waiting her Mum to reply. Hazel could only shake her head in amusement.

Dad? She debated in her mind. Though she still was not ready for the stress, it was almost inevitable.

"Dad."

"Good morning." Ray's cheerful voice sounded through the phone, that she had to pull it away from her ear a bit.

"You obviously slept well from the way you want to make me go lose a drum." She frowned, causing him to chuckle.

"Of course, I did. And you? Did you sleep well?"

She thought about the events of the day, weighed it in her mind, then said, "maybe."

"Rest, Okay?" She hummed. "We have plenty of time to catch up later." He said, knowing his Child was a Workaholic.

They said a few words about her work and her growing plan of strategies before she grew bored of hearing the same voice over and over.

"Okay," she cut him off on one of his long speeches, "I'll go now."

"But, we haven't talked for more than..." The phone beeped in his ear.

Next, she simply texted the necessary pleasantries to her brothers because she knew more calls would lead to a conversation she wasn't ready for.

"Ma'am?" Amelia called over the door before peering in to stare at Jasmine with her big, hazel eyes.

"I'm not hungry." She said, knowing what Amelia was going to say.

She nodded, calling back in her little voice as she closed the door behind her, "if you say so, Ma'am."

She couldn't force the food down her throat anyway.