The Family Mixup

By: Alpha-Adventurer 20 ©2012

One bright spring morning, in Egypt, 8 year old Isis and her 11 year old brother Osiris were enjoying their last few days of the spring holiday. Until one day, their 45 year old Dad Oniris got a letter asking if he could go to Giza to help build the pyramid for the great Pharaoh Khufu. Khufu was the king of Egypt from 2540 BC to 2560 BC when he died. Oniris thought to himself, why not? So he accepted the form to go to Giza. He should go to help build the pyramids. He didn’t tell his 40 year old wife Isla, or his kids, Isis and Osiris that he’s going, he just left it secret, it’s best that they don’t know, he thought.

He started packing on the night of when his kids are going to school, so no one finds out. The next day he thought that he should tell his family. When Isis and Osiris went to school, Oniris then told his family about the letter, and that he’s leaving to Giza. Then Isla, Isis and Osiris cried like a little kid who just got their injection. Oniris told them “It will only take around... 5 years maximum, so I’’l be back soon.” but Oniris thought it would take longer than 5 years. Isla, Isis and Osiris nodded, and let Oniris go to Giza.

After Oniris left, Isis and Osiris still had to go to school. With Isis in grade 3, and Osiris in grade 5, they could hardly see each other. During the day, Isis and Osiris got their scores for each subjects, Isis in total got a B+, and Osiris in total got a C. Osiris felt really bad, and he thought he shouldn’t tell his Mom his score, then his Mom wouldn’t find out that he got such a bad score. When Isis and Osiris got home from school, Isis told her Mom overall, she got a B+, and Isla was very happy with Isis’s score, then she said to Isis “You did a very good job on your studies Isis, well done! you deserve a gift.” After Isla said that, Osiris really wanted a gift, so when Isla asked him about his result overall, Osiris said in a sneaky way, but also in a way that his Mom will think it’s suspicious, “ Mom, I improved my math and writing! I got a B for math, and a B+ for writing.” “WOW! I’m very impressed, Osiris.” Isla said, being amazed. “”You really deserve a gift.” Osiris was really impressed on how his Mom didn’t notice he was lying, but he felt kind of guilty for lying to his Mom about his grades.

Meanwhile... At the pyramids, Oniris met the other workers who were also building the pyramids, and started making friends with them, but he didn’t really have time to chat, because the Vizier keeps telling them to work, and not chit chat. Isis and Osiris missed their Dad so much, so they decide to write him a letter. After Isla, Isis and Osiris signed it, they sent it to Giza, where Oniris is. Later in the pyramids, The great Pharaoh Khufu got this pyramid build for him, so he could be buried there when he dies. The workers worked and worked and worked.

Back in Isla, Isis and Osiris’s home, Isis and Osiris were doing their homework, Isis was doing fine with her math addition, subtracting, and the easy multiplication like the 1, 2, 5 and 10 times tables, but Osiris was struggling with his multiplication tables 6, 7, 8 and 9, even though he had to know it by heart, and also struggled with his division. Suddenly, Isis started crying, Osiris asked her “Why are you crying Isis?” “I miss Dad, I’m worried he wouldn’t come back.” Isis replies in tears. Then Isla came out of the kitchen and told Isis to go and wash her face, and also told her that Oniris would come back soon. Isis started heading to the toilet to wash her face and Osiris continues his homework, but tried not to make it to obvious that he was struggling. After Isis washed her face, and is not crying anymore, Isla told Isis and Osiris “After you guys finish your homework, pack your bags and go to bed.” Isis and Osiris did their homework, packed their bags for school, then went to their room they shared together, and went to sleep. After they all slept, Isla checked on her children, then she saw them sleeping, then she went to bed herself, to get a good night’s sleep.

The next morning, Oniris and the other workers were being woken up by Pharaoh Khufu and the Vizier, they yell “Get up you lazy people!!!” Oniris and the other workers get up and start working. Oniris misses his family and wanted to go home and see his wife and his kids, but he knows if he accepted the form, which he already did, he can’t quit.

Meanwhile, Isis and Osiris went to school. Isis did P.E, doing a good job, and Osiris in class did multiplication tables. He was struggling a lot. When they got home, Osiris told Isla that his teacher was telling him that his grades are improving, but when Osiris did his homework, Isla is inspecting him and seeing if he is struggling. When she sees Osiris struggling, she helped him, and Osiris is still lying about how he just forgets sometimes. Isla asked Isis to get the mail, while she helped Osiris with his math. Isis gets the mail, and scaned through it quickly. Then suddenly, something caught Isis’s eye, she saw something red, she finds that the red came from a letter that says URGENT on it. It stated that it’s for Isla. So when she arrives back home, she gave the urgent letter to Isla. Isla opened it carefully, and found a letter, also saying URGENT on it. Isla carefully read it through, and Isis and Osiris knew that it was a sad letter by the look on her face. Isla said to Osiris “Osiris, can I talk to you privately please?” “Sure” Osiris replies. Osiris felt worried that the letter might be about his grades. Isla and Osiris go into Isla and Oniris’s room and tells Osiris “Osiris, why could you lie to me? This letter says that your grades in math and writing are low, so you have to go to boarding school to learn more.” “Nnnoooooooooo!”, Osiris cries in despair. “Why do I have to go to boarding school, I can take lessons here, and not leave. Just go to a place where they teach math or writing, or I can have a tutor that comes here to our home, and teaches me writing and math, but please, please, please don’t let me go to boarding school, Dad has already left, and you don’t want to let another boy go.” Isla thought about what Osiris had just said, and told him with feeling and trying not to make him burst with sadness “Osiris, I don’t want you to leave since Dad left, but I have no choice to say that you have to go to this boarding school, and I kind of have to accept because your school recommends this boarding school.” “But...but...” Osiris says in a sad way. “No buts Osiris, I’m sorry, I have to let you attend this boarding school.” Isla says in a I’m serious tone. Osiris says without doubt “Okay Mom.” But in the inside, he’s upset about this. In the pyramids, Pharaoh Khufu, and his chief minister the Vizier were looking around, making sure work was going as planned. Oniris and the other workers were trying their best to finish the pyramid faster, so they could see their kids and wife. Osiris was packing and getting all the things he needed for boarding school. He saw the leaflet given to his Mom and it said that students would learn how to take care of themselves without parents or helpers, and would learn more math and writing to improve their studies, this process might take 2-5 years. Osiris was shocked when he saw 2-5 years. He didn’t think it will take that long, but Isla already accepted the form, so he has no choice but to go. That day, when Osiris had to leave, Isla and Isis were crying really badly, Osiris tells them “No need to worry, I will come back home soon.” but inside, Osiris knows that it will take a long time to come back. When Osiris left, Isis and Isla are left at home, alone, no boys at home, just them. Isis and Isla carry on with their life, do their daily things. 2 years later... 42 year old Isla gets a very important letter, she is so happy with the letter, she shares it with almost 10 year old Isis. Isla excitedly tells Isis “ Osiris is coming home! The boarding school says that he is really good at math and writing so we get to see him! Hurray!” Isis and Isla jump around together because their just too happy, but Isis stops jumping because something just hit her mind. Oniris is not back yet and it has been 2 years already, but Isis does not tell her Mom she’s thinking that, because Isla is already so happy, she does not want her Mom to be sad. A few days later, Already 13 year old Osiris comes back home, Isis and Isla quickly go and and hug him, Osiris is also happy that he’s home. Isis, Osiris and Isla think about why is it taking so long for 47 year old Oniris to come back? What they don’t know is that Oniris will be there for 18 more years.

18 years later in 2560 BC... The pyramid is finally finished. 65 year old Oniris is very old, and wishes to see his kids before he dies. 60 year old Isla is in her cottage home knitting, while 28 year old Isis and 31 year old Osiris are working, Isis’s job is being a famous artist, she makes her artwork mostly based on abstract and jewelry (mostly the Lapis Lazuli stone). Osiris’s job is being a author, he never thought that he would be a very successful writer, but according to his university, turns out Osiris is really good at writing and should be a author, so he became one, and most of his books are about his life when he was young, like going to boarding school, and his Dad going to build the pyramids. Isis and Osiris try to think about what happened to their Dad, because they haven’t seen their Dad in 20 years.

After the pyramid is finished, Oniris and the other workers ask if they can go back to their homes an see their families, but the Vizier tells them “NO! You cannot leave the pyramid because the great pharaoh Khufu has died, and you ALL have to die too.” “But we haven’t seen our family in 20 years!” the workers complain. “ I have right to let you all die. the Vizier says with power and energy. So Oniris wishes he never accepted the form because he’s going to die, and he just wants to escape, but he can’t because he’s trapped in the pyramid with no way out.

So a few days later, Oniris dies in the pyramid because there’s no way out, and Isla, Isis and Osiris still are wondering what happened to Oniris, but feels that he has died.

The End