The secret to a clean home.

Standing at the center of the room with arms akimbo and legs ajar, Stella screamed out like a woman in labor at what lies before her very eyes. It was as if a silent tsunami occurred while she slept as she could have sworn she didn’t hear a sound of a pin drop.

“What happened?” She asked her two children, Raphael and Raphaela, who are six years old, as nicely as she could, but they pointed at each other at the same time. Shaking her head profusely, she continued.

“Is this some sort of joke?” She muttered out loud and the two little culprits shook their heads in denial, stating that it wasn’t a joke but it is real.

She cleaned her eyes again and screamed which brought her husband, Jeffery, out of the bedroom.

“Shit, what sort of…” his words died in his mouth as he swallowed hard at what lies before him.

Looking at his wife, he could see the imaginary steam coming out of her ears which reminded him of a Shrek. But he kept his smile at bay as he wouldn’t want things to turn back at him.

“Who did this?” Jeffery asked in a low tone but the answer he got almost got him fueled too. The kids pointed at each other as if they planned it.

Before he could react, Stella moved like a lion moves to attack its prey and almost devoured the kids but he could see her holding back and holding their ears tightly instead.

“Ouch, mama, Raphael started it first, he…" but before she could finish, her brother Raphael, spoke in denial.

“She's lying ma, we all know how mischievous Raphaela could be, she…" but he wasn’t able to finish his statement as their mother pulled their ears again.

They screamed in agony but she never stopped until their father saved them from her wrath.

“I won’t clean up this place,” Stella spoke. “I will not be made a slave in my home. These children plan on taking me to my earliest grave and I refuse to follow. Tell me”, she said, eyes turning to her husband. “Is it a crime to birth twins?” And he shook his head, including the children too.

“Then why do they make it seem like we made a bad choice, everywhere is a mess!” She wailed.

Wearing gloomy faces, Raphael and Raphaela spoke. “We will clean up the mess, Ma.”

Eyes glaring at them, they shushed up. “That's what you both say all the time and you end up making it worse. What I need is to find the secret to a clean home and I will”. She said. Turning around, she walked off to get a mop to clean up the place.

Eyes staring at his children, Jeffery spoke. “You will both receive your punishment in full, for now. You are both grounded.”

“But, dad…" they both whined in dismay but shut up when their father gave them his dragon look. They knew he wasn’t joking so they walked away defeated.

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Some minutes later, Stella came back into the kitchen prepared to start the cleanup but her husband stopped her. Calling on the kids, he spoke to them sternly when they came down.

"We will both assist Mom to clean up your mess and remember, if such repeats itself, you would both have to do the cleaning alone regardless of your age".

The twin knew their Dad meant every word he said so they began work immediately.

After some long hours of cleaning endlessly, the house became clean. Smiling ear to ear, the children high-fived each other for a job well done and their parents decided they make a meal together which they made for some minutes, and ate before they decided it was time to rest as it was already dusk.

Two days after the event, Stella noticed the house was always clean as there was hardly a speck of dust on the floor so she decided to ask the kids and Raphael answered.

"We realized a clean home won't break our bones so we decided to make it so."

Hugging her kids tightly, Stella decided to tell their Dad of the changes in their attitude when he comes back from work.

And truly, when her husband arrived from work and they were settled in their bedroom, she spoke.

"I think I have found the secret to a clean home".

Intrigued by his wife's statement, Jeffery gave her a curious look.

Smiling sheepishly, she added.

”The secret to a clean home is to let the children clean up their mess".