“Great,” I muttered. “Another family dinner that will end in disaster.”
“Rowen, Rowen, Rowen! Come play with us,” My very eager siblings screamed. They ran up to me and skidded to a halt. Lily ended up falling over from over excitement her pigtails flying.
“Rowen will you occupy your siblings,” Aunt Tia called from the bottom of the stairs. “They were in the kitchen getting in everyone’s way and filching food.
“Yes Aunt Tia.” I called down to her. I started to lead Will and Lily away before she could yell at me for answering her from the top of the stairs but no such luck.
“Rowen you know better than to yell down the stairs. You're supposed to set a good example for the children.”
I rolled my eyes, but in order to try to keep the peace I ran down stairs and apologised. “Sorry Aunt Tia. It won’t happen again, I promise,” and I ran back upstairs.
“And don’t run in the house either,” She called after me.
“Thank you for saving us,” My sibling chorused.
“Yeah well my neck was almost rung like that turkeys downstairs. You know Aunt Tia has to critique everything I say or do.” I said ruffling Will and Lily’s hair. We walked down the hallway to Will’s room. The whole way you could smell the food cooking. My mouth started to water. I could taste the savory turkey and the sweet pie already. It smelled delicious. Like
“When can we eat,” Will complained rubbing his stomach. “It’s going to eat itself soon.”
“You pilfered food and yet you're still hungry,” I asked in amazement.
“Yes.”
“Well to keep your mind off food we are going to play a game.”
I managed to keep Will and Lily out of everyone’s way until dinnertime. After that...well I did my job so Aunt Tia better be ready to be bugged by two hyper kids.
The whole family  congregated in the living room and was laughing and having fun. Will, Lily and I were all inpatient to open presents. Even though I’m seventeen I still like to open presents.
About halfway through opening presents I started to smell something burning.
“Does anyone smell that.”
“I don’t smell anything. Your nose is off Rowen,” Aunt Tia said. “ You should take him to the doctors Elly. If he’s having problems with his nose it could affect him his whole life.”
On and on my aunt went. I had heard it a million times. “ You should take him to the doctors Elly. He could have problems,” I mimicked under my breath. Will and Lily heard me, but I didn’t care.
They started to giggle and that brought a smile to my face.
“Well are you going to check it out,” Aunt Tia asked me.
“No I won’t,” I said crossing my arms and leaned back on the couch.
“What do you mean no. And don’t take that tone with me boy.”
“What tone.”
“That tone. That tone right there.”
“Whatever.”
I got up and walked slowly out of the room. If I hadn’t I would have yelled at Aunt Tia.
Out of sheer curiosity I went to see what was burning. Not because Aunt Tia told me to, but because I wanted to. Walking into the kitchen I saw smoke coming out of the oven. Mom had evidently left the oven on with food inside that was now on fire. I just walked back into the living room.
“Did you know that the oven is on fire,” I calmly asked and then sat down.
“What! What do you mean the oven is on fire? Why didn’t you do anything about it,” Aunt Tia and Mom screamed rushing from the room to the kitchen.
Everyone else got up and hurried outside or to help put out the fire. While everyone was rushing around Will and Lily got lost in the shuffle. The fire was eventually put out and everyone calmed down. Around that time the doorbell rang.
Ding dong.
“We got a call about an oven fire here,” Said the fireman.
“ We got it put out thank you. I have a question,” My mom said.
“ Go ahead mam.”
“Who called the fire department?”
“ It was a boy named Will,” And he turned and walked away.
“Well I guess we should clean up and go home.”
“Alright bye Aunt Tia,” Will, Lily and I chorused.
“Bye bye sweethearts.” She reached over and hugged Will and Lily kissing them on the cheek. Then she turned to me. “Rowen be good and think next time will you.”
“Yes Aunt Tia.”
After the dinner fiasco my relatives left and everything went back to normal. Well as normal as it can be in this house that is.