For This We Give Thanks.
Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adolescent or adult transformed shadow warrior chelonian. I could say I own Rama but she takes offence to it.
Author's Note: This is a Thanksgiving tale set in the Rama universe. Yes I know in the U.S.A that Thanksgiving is still over a month away, but I am Canadian and we celebrate our Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October. Anyways no matter when, where or how you celebrate it may it be a good one. Ramica.
Rama looked longingly at her Uncle Raphael's bedroom door it was shut and she hoped that if she stared at it long enough it would open up because her Uncle Raphael had promised to take her to see the big parade this morning, but if he didn't get up soon she would miss it.
Mike was well aware of the situation and was trying to keep an eye on his daughter while starting to prepare things for the dinner tonight. He had a lot to do today but the fact that his daughter was being uncommonly quiet clued him in that she could be possibly up to something.
Mike mused to himself that Raph really shouldn't have told Rama about going she could watch the event on TV but Raph had argued the point.
" Come on Mike kids love parades and she will see Santa Claus not only that she will be out from under your feet while you work on the dinner."
" Raph with all the media and the photographers not to mention the crowds around the parade route it wouldn't even be safe for Rama to view it from a rooftop."
" That is just it Mike the parade goes right past April and Casey's new apartment. We will be in there. Rama can see and not be seen. I can find a disguise for her to wear while we go to and from." Raph had it all planned out.
It had seemed harmless enough and Mike had recalled how often he and his own brothers had longed to see the Thanksgiving Day parade when they were children, it had seemed like so much fun seeing it on television and they all knew it was in their home city.
Finally Mike relented figuring as Raph did that no harm could come of Rama watching the festivities from the apartment window.
Only thing is Raph had been out on patrol longer then usual last night and had been hurt in a battle with the Foot, right now it was probably far more important that he continue to sleep.
" Rama come away from your Uncle's room." Mike ordered her.
Rama scrunched up her face and stomped her foot " He promises me dad. He said we go" she sulked " I wants to go why cant's I wake him up?"
Mike shook his head and went to pick her up she struggled in his arms for a moment before allowing her dad to pack her off into the kitchen.
Mike sat her on a chair by the table. On the tabletop sat a large bowl with some flour and eggs and other stuff inside of it.
" Look honey there are times when things come up unexpectedly and then we break a promise even if we don't really want to break that promise" Mike tried to explain to his six year old daughter, " Raph had a real busy night last night. He's very tired and he needs to rest."
" Cant's you takes me then dad?" Rama pleaded.
" Sorry I would like to Rama llama ding dong but I have to get our dinner going or we won't be eating until midnight tonight. Maybe next year you can see the parade" Mike suggested kindly " You can watch it on TV though."
" I don't wants to watch it on TV. Uncle Raphael says we visit Aunt April and we sees the parade" Rama sulked " he promises me! He says it just us special treat with no babies."
" You are starting to act like a baby Rama" Mike scolded.
" Am not daddy!" Rama yelled.
" I think you are. You are supposed to be a big girl now Rama and you should be old enough to understand that sometimes plans change." Mike's tone was firm and stern he gave his daughter a hard look.
Rama looked up at him and gulped she knew that tone well. " Sorry daddy." She whispered.
Mike nodded " I know you are Rama, and I know you had your heart set on it but maybe Raph will wake up before the parade is over and he will take you to April's so you can watch the rest of it all right?"
Rama nodded slightly.
" Okay. Want to help me make the buns for tonight?"
Rama shook her head " Can I goes play dad?"
" Sure that is a good idea" Mike encouraged her he was sure that now she was willing to see reason but he watched her to insure she entered the playground after a few minutes of listening very carefully he turned his attention back to his own work.
Rama waited for a while in the playground swinging on the swing but she decided that her Uncle had promised her and she did want to go.
Slowly carefully she snuck out of the playground she peeked in on her dad who was by now busy punching the dough, quietly as she could she tippy -toed past the kitchen and went towards Raphael's room
She knew if her dad caught her he would be very mad at her but she was very good at sneaking. She practiced sneaking lots because she knew ninja were very sneaky people and she was going to be a ninja one day.
She opened her Uncle's bedroom door and slipped into the room shutting the door behind her. The room was pitch black and she blinked her eyes a few times as she waited for them to adjust.
" Uncle Raphael?" she whispered, " You wakes yet?"
Raph stirred in his bed a part of her low voice dimly registering somewhere in his sleep addled mind. Rama slowly began making her way over to his bed in hopes of nudging him, her footsteps slow, quiet and often hesitant alerted Raph further in his still half sleep, half waking mode.
As Rama neared his bedside a hand shot out faster then a striking snake grabbing a hold of the turtle child's arm. Rama screamed in fright and her shout in turn brought Raph all the way to wakefulness. He jerked upright in his bed clamped his free hand over her mouth.
" Sssh!" he snapped " Rama what ….are you doing in here?" he mumbled as he loosened his hold and turned on the bedside lamp.
He looked at Rama's frightened stare in reply she looked as if she might start crying at any moment and Raph knew he had startled her.
" Hey come here" he scooped her into his arms hugging her rubbing his face on her shoulder length hair " It was just me. I'm sorry if I scared you."
" Kay but you promises Uncle Raphael" she accused.
" Promised what?" Raph wondered as he swung to a sitting position, he was still not quite with it.
" Visit Aunt April to sees the parade you said we'd goes." She insisted reminding him of his words. She sniffed a bit.
" And we will go but first I need to get some coffee in me. You got a lot of nerve coming in here and waking me up and not even bringing me coffee" he teased.
Rama noticed the fresh bandages and wounds on her Uncle " You gots hurt last night."
" Aw I'm fine. These aren't serious they aren't enough to keep me from going to a parade" Raph informed her as he put on his belt and picked up his sais.
" Yeeeaaaahhhhhhh!" Rama cheered loudly as she hugged her Uncle.
When Raph entered the kitchen moments later he found Mike all ready in the process of scolding Rama for waking him.
" Mike lay off of her all right? I did promise her. Sides I can catch some more sleep at April's or later after we get home. No harm done."
" She was told" Mike insisted pointing at Rama, " to leave you alone and let you sleep."
" Yeah so? I promised to take her somewhere Mike and you don't break promises to kids. Besides we didn't do everything Splinter told us to do when we were younger." Raphael pointed out as Rama slunk from near her dad to her Uncle's side looking up at Raph expectantly.
Mike crossed his arms over his plastron " I ought to deny her the right to go."
" Well you could Mike but you would only be punishing yourself because you will have an upset daughter to deal with and have to get dinner on the table" Raph pointed out unable to hide his smirk.
" How am I going to teach Rama anything if you defend her and make excuses for her?" he demanded of his brother.
" That isn't my problem Mike" Raph told his brother as he got a cup of coffee and preceded to gulp it down " Better get your disguise Ramiela because we leave in less than five minutes."
Rama whooped with joy as she ran out of the kitchen breaking another of her rules. Mike sighed and shot his brother a withering stare.
Hours later Raph and Rama returned home Rama sniffed the air and licked her lips as she began getting out of the disguise she had worn for the day. Mike entered the living room as Rama was pulling her pants off.
" Did you have fun Rama?"
" Uh-huh I gots to see so many things dad. I gots to see all the floats and Santa too and" Rama paused " I'm hungry." She announced quickly.
Raph chuckled " She is your kid all right Mike, a walking appetite."
" Har de har har Raph. Have you had lunch?"
" April made grilled cheese sandwiches for Rama. I'm waiting for dinner" Raph said cheerfully patting his stomach " Oh April and Casey plan on coming over after Jeremy's nap."
Mike nodded at this information " If you want you can have an apple Rama" he permitted.
" But I so hungry dad cant's I have some of the good stuffs I smells?"
" For that you have to wait for dinner. Will be having an early dinner, so if you are really hungry, you can have an apple now."
While Mike worked on the last few things for the dinner Karena came in to give him a hand.
Mike smiled his thanks " Oh keep your eye out there is a couple of thieves trying to come in and steal the pumpkin tarts I made earlier."
Karena laughed Mike had made two whole pies and about twenty four pumpkin tarts " Let me guess Rama is one of the potential thieves."
" Yeah and Don is the other one." Mike concluded, " That boy loves pumpkin pie. Can't keep his fingers out of it."
A few minutes later while Mike sat peeling potatoes Rama came sneaking into the kitchen she reached up for a tart and Mike yelled " Hey what do you think you are doing?" he timed his yell just right.
Rama's fingers had hold of the tart but her arm and hands were still over the counter so when she dropped the tart it fell safety to the counter top.
Rama jumped and whirled around " Nuthin' daddy" she replied innocently.
" Best make sure it is nothing or I'll be chucking you out of your shell" Mike glared at her.
Rama giggled and sprinted out of the room.
Not long after that Don decided to make his play for the tarts, he knew his brother well so waited for the most opportune moment. Karena was at the sink washing the greens for a salad and Mike was placing the pot of potatoes on the stove, going as fast as he could at top ninja speed Don darted in for the prize.
Mike well aware of the depths Don would sink to just to steal a tart was quite aware and he waited Don got his prize but he also found a single chuck wrapped around his one wrist before he could make good on his escape.
Don gave a little grin Mike's way.
" I would put that down Don" Mike said kindly " I did not toil all day in the kitchen for you to turn thief so if you don't want to live to regret it put it down."
Don gave a sheepish grin and shrugged " Well it was worth a try" he muttered as he placed the tart back.
" Smart turtle" Mike agreed releasing his chuck " Now beat a retreat."
Under Mikes watchful eyes and keen senses not a single tart had been stolen by dinnertime.
The family gathered around a heavily laden table while Baka the cat entwined himself around any leg he could find meowing loudly and plaintively.
" Leo can I borrow a katana?" Mike whispered to him.
" Sure Mike" Leo reached for one then paused " Wait a minute Mike you are not using my katana to carve the turkey."
Mike turned to Raph who glowered at his brother.
" Don't even think about going there with my sai."
" Aw come on nunchucks are not meant to carve turkeys," Mike protested.
Raph sent a silent message to his brothers who all moved quickly reaching for the fresh rolls.
" Try it and you will start a war." Raph gave a mock growl.
" Cool food fight" Casey grinned arming himself with a roll.
April, Karena and Splinter could only shake their heads.
Mike glanced at his brothers ready to throw their missiles " All right I yield I won't use your weapons." He relented.
" Thank you" Leo responded placing his roll on the plate to show they were at truce and setting an example for the others.
Mike smirked the smile growing on his face " Anything to save me from a twenty one bun salute." He laughed.
Raph rolled his eyes and chucked a bun at Mike for using such a lame pun as that.
Splinter quickly called for order not wanting the meal to disintegrate into a large free for all " Enough of this. It is a day to be thankful for what we have, not a day to fight amongst ourselves" he reminded all of them as he locked his gaze on his sons " So let us start our meal by each of us saying one or two things that we are thankful for" he suggested. " Allow me to begin I am thankful for my own family but also for my grandchildren" Splinter smiled at each of the turtle children.
He nodded to Leonardo who was on his right.
" I feel pretty thankful to have a family of my own" Leo admitted.
" A good home with those I love including a good husband and two wonderful children" Karena said.
Don grinned " For friends and a chance to share time with them. I'm also thankful to Abraham Lincoln."
" Huh?" Raph scowled at that giving his brainy brother a perplexed look.
" It was Abraham Lincoln who set aside the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving for our country. Up until then Thanksgiving was observed and celebrated at different times in different ways." Don explained.
" Thanks for the trivia stuffing for brains" Raph snorted.
" Raphael!" Splinter said a bit sharply.
Raph shrugged " Okay he might have stuffing for brains" Raph said not backing down on that point " but I got to admit he has been a big help to us on more than one occasion. So I guess I'm thankful to him and all my brothers for putting up with me."
Raph turned to Casey.
Casey shrugged " Well I guess I'm thankful for having met you guys because you all ended up getting me with my wife April."
April smiled at Casey then glanced at all her friends " I consider myself to be very lucky and thankful to have friends as special as all of you are in my life." April looked at Rama " What are you thankful for Ramiela?"
" I nots thankful for school" Rama said, " it borin'."
" Rama you are supposed to be saying what you are thankful for." Mike chided as some of the other adults around the table laughed at her remark.
Rama rolled her eyes " I thankful for my home and Baka." She paused and grinned, " I be real thankful for dessert too!" she decided enthusiastically.
Raph guffawed at that.
Don nodded " I concur."
Splinter smiled in amusement " Those are all good things to be thankful for Ramiela and now you my son?" he glanced at Michaelangelo.
" I was going say that I was thankful for my daughter but after that I think I will just disown her instead" Mike joshed " No I am thankful for her but even more so I'm thankful to my father because of all his help and guidance over the years, usually when I needed it the most." Mike smiled at Splinter " I'm thankful he is still with us and I hope he'll be around for many years to come."
Splinter smiled bowing his head at his son's words; he glanced around the table at his family and friends. " Ah it is true we all have a great deal to be thankful for."
The End