Chapter 5—Problem Solving
1
Callen stood outside the bathroom door and watched Nikolai stick his finger in the spigot. Water went everywhere, soaking Kira, the wall, and the floor. The little boy laughed and laughed.
Kira poked her finger in the spigot, and got the same results, and she laughed, too.
"You two have a huge mess to clean up, you know," said their father.
"Oh, gosh! Papa! Where did you come from?" Kira asked hurriedly.
"The dining room," Callen answered with a smirk she could see. "I'll give you guys fifteen minutes to get this cleaned up, and your clothes changed. If not, you'll both be in big trouble." He glanced at his watch.
"Uh-oh."
"Uh-oh for sure!"
2
Anna looked at her children funny. "What's going on, guys?"
"Papa caught us horsing around in the bathroom," Kira said.
"Excuse me?" Anna said.
"Umm…Mama, Nikolai kinda sorta told a fib. He didn't have to go."
"Really?" replied the exasperated mother. "I'll fix that, but not right now…Callen, where are you?"
"I think he's lost," Callen answered, much to the amusement of his children.
Anna glared at him. "Will you stop, please?!"
He tried kissing his way out of it, but she wasn't having it.
"Sit down, my man, or you're going to be grounded, too!"
All of the family laughed.
"Papa, you better listen," Anya said. "Mama is a little hissypissy."
Anna gave her a look. "I am going to bed!" she declared. And she got up and went upstairs.
Callen was confused. "What brought that on?"
"Papa, she's been in a bad mood since we got home," Raisa said.
"Oh. Oh, dear." He looked at his children. "You know what? I'll fix her later. It's bettter that I give her time to cool off."
3
Kira laughed. "Papa, do you know why Mama called this meeting?"
"Yes, Kira, I do. Some reasons are silly and some are very serious this time."
"Like what, Papa?" Anya asked.
"Like the bad words that have been flying around again, for example," he replied.
"Ohhhhh," said the three girls in unison.
"What do you guys want to do about it?"
"We need to stop before we really get in trouble," Kira said.
"That sounds good," Callen agreed. "If you don't stop, what should the penalty be?"
"No penalty," said Raisa.
"That's not even a choice," said Anya. "Maybe we can't go shopping?"
"We'll consider it," Callen said. "But that isn't the most pressing matter. What is the biggest worry is that Raisa has been bullied. Kids in her class are bullying her by using emotional slurs at her, and it is hurting her."
"Cyber bullying?" Kira asked.
"Nope. Not this time. She is being emotionally bullied in real life. Her feelings are being hurt because the kids in her class call her names, and it upsets her. She never told us because the kids told her that they would beat her up."
Anya said, "Papa, we didn't even know. Me and Kira. She got weird, but she is always weird."
Callen's smile showed in his eyes. "Let's not editorialize, okay? I know from listening to you all that calling each other silly things is what siblings do, and you're not out to hurt anyone. The kids in her class were trying to hurt her, and it's not nice.
"Two of the kids were at the meeting with Ms. Horvath this afternoon, and so were their parents."
"Did they get in trouble?" Anya asked.
"Yes. The whole class did, and Ms. Horvath is sending a note home about the bullying. Guys, when stuff like this happens at school, it is imperative that you tell Mama and me what is happening to you."
"Papa, what's imperative?" Raisa asked.
"It means super important. Any time any of you gets hurt in school, you need to tell us right away. Raisa got left back because she doesn't tell when she should. She only tells on you guys, which is ridiculous."
"No, it isn't, Papa," Raisa replied. "They mess up, and somebody has to tell you."
Kira narrowed her eyes. "So, you're above the law?"
"What—"
"Don't go there, Raisa!" said Kira. "You already know what it means, and it doesn't make you look special to us. Remember, you are the same as us. Same family, same parents, same rules."
"Good job, Kira," said Callen. "Guys, how about you all get up super early tomorrow, like at six, and do your homework in the morning? If you mess up, you'll get consequences."
"Oooh! Okay, Papa!" said Kira. "I can do that!"
"You know if you mess up, you'll trade it in for two solid weeks of grounding, right?"
4
"Right," said Anya, who earned glares from her sisters.
"Guys, I'm not playing around. If you want to do your homework in the morning, it has to be finished before breakfast. If you don't think you can meet that condition, you'll have to do it right now," said Callen with a stern look at all four of his children.
"My brain is broken," Kira said.
Callen chuckled. "Mine is, too, so…let's not and say we did. Okay?"
The children laughed.
"Put your bags on your chairs and then go find something to do for a little while. Nobody is staying up late at all," he added.
"We got it, Papa," said Nikolai.
His whole family laughed.
5
The four herded up the stairs, and Callen followed them up. The two younger girls went to their room, and Kira went with Nikolai into his room.
"Can I play with you?" she asked him.
"Sure. We play Legos?"
"Okay."
He took the bin from the shelf and dumped it upside down on his bed.
"We build castles," he declared.
"Okay," she repeated. Kira watched him for a few minutes and then began to build her own castle. She was careful to keep it the same height as his was, but it was wider.
Nikolai studied her castle. "Kira, where the dragon?"
"How do you build a dragon?" she asked, more perplexed than she wanted to let on.
He got up and took a figurine from his bin. "I think this is okay."
She took the tiny dog from him. "Does he say 'raowww'?"
"Yah!" Nikolai took another animal from the bin. "Raowww!"
They spent the next while raowing at each other, and it got more animated after he took two more animals from the bin. He riaowed loudly, and gave her a cat. Then she followed suit. They each tried to be the loudest, and they laughed uproariously.
"Now we got to read books," Nikolai said, starting to put the Legos into the bin.
"Really?" Kira put large handfuls of the Legos into the bin.
"Yah. Ms. 'Ronika say we gots to read stories." He carried the bin to the shelf, and then grabbed an armload of his storybooks. He dropped them on his bed, and then arranged his pillows so that they would be comfortable to lean against. Then he climbed up onto the bed. "Kira, I go here, and you go here," he said, pointing to the space closest to the wall.
"Okay," she said, climbing over him, and settling against the pillow.
Nikolai handed her a book. "I read first, then you read. Okay?"
"Okay, Nikolai," she said with a hint of laughter in her voice.
He read a book called Dog Goes to Nursery School by Lucille Hammond. He described the action on each page fairly accurately, growing animated when the little dog was picked up at school by his mother. Kira was very impressed.
Then it was her turn to read to him. He had handed her a book called The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Kira enjoyed the partial pages that showed each fruit as the caterpillar ate through them. Nikolai had fun anticipating what he would eat next. He became very excited when the caterpillar ate so much that he got fat. He was thrilled when the caterpillar turned into a butterfly.
"Now we gots to take a nap," Nikolai explained. He collected the books and put them back on his shelf, and climbed back onto the bed. "We gots to sleep for two whole hours!"
Kira laughed. She played along with him, and closed her eyes. Nikolai closed his eyes, too. Before long, they were both sound asleep.
6
After the kids were in their rooms, Callen went down to the kitchen, and worked on his computer. When he got tired with the technical items, he had no trouble pulling up a few games. They kept him busy enough so the he could leave Anna alone for a little while longer; he really wanted her to be calm and non-prickly when he joined her. At last he packed up his computer, and put it in his bag, which he set by the front door.
He straightened up the dining room, and cleaned up the kitchen so that it looked presentable. Then he walked around, turning off almost every light in the house. So many times during his childhood, many of his foster parents complained about the lights being left on everywhere. Now, he understood them, and sympathized with them. It made him feel good to be able to shut off the lights in his own house.
He went upstairs to the girls' room first. Raisa and Anya were both sleeping, so he kissed both, and then covered them with their blankets before he turned off their light.
Next, he went to Kira's room, and panicked because she wasn't there. He returned to the girls' room and turned on the light. Clearly, Kira wasn't there. He shut off the light, and then wandered down to his own room, and turned on that light. Kira wasn't there either, so he turned off the light. He wanted to find her before he woke Anna. Where was she?
He went to Nikolai's room, and got the shock of his life. Kira was sound asleep in his bed, right next to him. Callen couldn't imagine what they had done, but they were clearly in a happy place. He pulled the blankets out from under them, and covered them. On a whim, he took out his phone and snapped a quick picture of his sleeping children. Then he kissed them both good night, and turned off the light as he exited.
7
Without bumbling into too much, he made his way to his own bathroom, and got ready for bed. Then he turned on the little dim lamp and slid under the blankets, snuggling up against Anna.
She sensed him right away, and moved on top of him, burying her face in his neck. She began to nibble on him.
"Oh, no, no, my bat!" he said, sliding his fingers between her mouth and his neck. "Nope." He tapped her, and she sat up, and he did, too. Callen settled into his piled up pillows, and drew her onto his lap. "What's up, bat baby?"
Anna leaned against him, listening to his heartbeat. She relaxed into him, and became very mushy.
"Nothing, my love. I'm okay now." She kissed his shoulder. "I got frustrated with the bullying crap."
He began to rub her back. "I did, too, actually. Anna, we do need professional help for it all. All three of us, I think. Not just Raisa."
Anna sat up slightly. "That's a good idea, my love." She wanted to lie down again, and mumbled at him.
Callen smirked, and chuckled. He was impressed with himself because he was able to read her silent messages so very well. He bumped her off him, and she laughed. He slid down so he was flat on his back.
Anna got up and ran to the bathroom. She returned a few minutes later, and got right back in bed and snuggled him, resting her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her and held her close.
"What's wrong, baby?"
"Nothing and everything, I guess," she answered. "Why does Raisa have to be such a jerk about doing Math? I was awful in Math as a kid, but I never acted like I couldn't do it. I didn't like it, and I didn't get the logical aspect of it when I was young, but I managed." She played with his chest.
Callen captured her hand, and she smiled in the darkness. "How did you manage?"
Anna hid her face against him. "I cheated off the kid next to me," she admitted. "And I let him cheat off my Language papers."
"Why Anna Kolcheck! You were a brat!" he said. Then he laughed at her situation. "Didn't you ever get caught?"
"No! Not at all. We were too slick for that!" She joined him in the laughter.
"Oh, boy!" he snickered. "Then how come your daughter hasn't thought to do that?"
"I couldn't tell you, Callen. She is a straight A student in everything possible except for the damn Math."
8
"Baby, is she dyscalculic?"
"The psychologist didn't say it, but I think she is. And I think she has been since she was little. Callen, what are we going to do about it?" she wailed.
He hugged her as best he could, considering their positions. "We will do whatever we can, Anna. That's a given. She might not like it, but that's too bad."
Anna felt his amusement, and smiled. "I think we need to go back to square one with her. Like she's an alien or something, and teach her from the ground up."
Callen kissed her forehead. "That sounds like a good plan, baby. But this time, I think we need some real school supplies."
"Like what?"
"Stuff they use in school. Things to count, number cards, rulers, and even the alligators," he concluded with a smirk.
"Alligators?"
A big smile filled his face. "Yes. They were the wooden clackers that would eat the bigger numbers!"
"Grisha Callen, you're making that up!"
"Am not. We'll ask the kids in the morning," he chortled. "You'll see."
"Hmmph!" she snorted, trying not to laugh at him.
9
The following morning, Callen plugged in the coffee maker, and then went to wake up his children. They all moaned and grumbled but they got up without an argument. Then he went to wake up Anna, who moaned and grumbled but didn't get up.
He gave her a kiss that made her tingle down to her toes. "Get up, please. The kids are doing their homework now, and I need your help to keep them on track."
She sat up and clunked into him. "Ow!" she yelped, rubbing her head. "Why now?"
Callen rubbed his own head. "You got a rock for a head, I think!"
She shook her head. "Do not!"
He laughed, and kissed her bump. "Because we all lost our brains last night after you went upstairs. So we made a bargain. In order for this to work properly, I need you downstairs with me, please, Anna."
"Not a problem," she said before she fled into the bathroom.
He got dressed while he waited for her. He also pulled out an outfit for her, and laid it on their bed.
When she came out of the bathroom, Anna paused long enough to make him crazy before she put on her clothing.
He grabbed her and hugged her. "That was not nice," he mumbled before he laughed. Then he kissed her.
"Oh, but it was so much fun," she said, slipping her hand into his pants.
"Oh, no!" he cried, snatching her hand. "Don't even think it!"
Anna laughed. "I already did!"
10
"Oh, God!" Kira muttered. "They're already crazy today!"
"Who?" asked Anya, who was beginning to develop an interest in all things romantic.
"Mama and Papa," Kira said, trying not to laugh at them. She could tell by her mother's flushed face that she had been kissing her father.
Nikolai did not like his homework sheet. He had to find 0 or 5 objects, and color them accordingly.
"Mama! This too hard!" he complained.
"Let me see it," Anna replied. "Did you read the instructions?"
"Nope."
"Why not, Nikolai? When you read the instructions, things are much easier to do or finish," she explained.
"Oh, ma-a-a-an," he complained.
Anna sat on the edge of Anya's chair. "Nikolai, what does this mean?" She pointed to a small circle with nothing in it except for the color yellow.
"I gots to color it yellow," he said. "But what? It's empty."
She laughed. "Yes. It's empty. Nikolai, how many lollipops do you have right now?"
He looked at her funny. "I don't gots any lollipops, Mama."
"That's right. It means you have zero lollipops. This empty box means it has zero in in it. You need to color the empty boxes yellow."
"Oh!" He pointed to a box. "This?"
"Yes, baby. That box needs to be yellow."
"Okay, Mama!" he said, very excited. In no time at all, he had colored all of the empty boxes yellow.
"How many is this?" Anna asked.
He drew a tick mark on each star. "It gots five, Mama."
"Okay. What color?"
"Blue!" he shrieked. He colored all of the boxes with stars blue.
"Papa, no!" objected Raisa. "I don't do—"
"Don't even say it, little girl," Callen answered. "If you do, you will be grounded until Monday."
"No!"
"Then keep still and do your work!" he said sternly. "You need to stop playing around, Raisa. Mama and I have figured out what is wrong, and you will be doing your work every single day from today on!"
"But I don't want to, Papa," she whined.
"Anna, please…"
They traded places, and Callen went to check on Anya and Kira. Anna sat on Raisa's chair since Raisa was standing up.
"Why don't you sit down?"
"I don't want to!"
"That's fine," Anna said. She skimmed the Math page. "This one is very easy for you."
"No, it isn't."
With the speed of the contradiction, Anna knew that Raisa hadn't even looked at her paper.
"Here's the deal, Raisa," her mother said. "You will finish this in less than five minutes, or you will add another day to your grounding."
Raisa looked aghast at her mother. "That isn't fair!"
"Sure it is," Anna said with a hidden smirk that Callen noticed. "If you don't do your work, Raisa, you earn another penalty. Which is it going to be?"
"I hate you!" Raisa screamed.
"That not nice," Nikolai said.
"It sure isn't," his father agreed. "Well, Raisa, which is it? Do you want to miss going to the movies with Bubbie this weekend, or do you want to miss going to the Arcade with Dedushka?"
"No, Papa!" she yelled.
He glared at her. "Raisa, you do not speak to Mama or me like that. Not ever. You have to decide what you want to do. Not us."
"Papa, can I say something?" Kira asked.
Anna nodded.
"Raisa, you're not thinking. Listen to what Papa is saying. What do you think will happen if you do your Math work?"